About

Saint John’s United Church of Christ is a Protestant Christian Church with deep roots in the Woodsboro, Maryland community. For more than 200 years, our congregation has gathered to worship God, care for one another, and serve our neighbors with compassion and hope.

As part of the United Church of Christ, we belong to a wider Protestant tradition that values thoughtful faith, open hearts, and a commitment to following Jesus’ example of love and justice. We believe every person is created in God’s image, welcomed by grace, and invited into a lifelong journey of spiritual growth.

At St. John’s, you’ll find a warm, down‑to‑earth community where questions are encouraged, stories are honored, and faith is lived out in practical, everyday ways. Whether you’re exploring Christianity for the first time or looking for a church that feels like home, we’re grateful your path has led you here.

Sunday Service

Our worship service starts at 10am beginning with the ringing of the bell and typically last around 45 minutes, offering a thoughtful and refreshing time of worship without feeling rushed or overwhelming. You’re always welcome to join us.

Cancelations due to inclement weather will be posted on this site.

Church History

Our church building has been a gathering place for generations. Since the cornerstone was laid on April 9, 1802, every part of St. John’s has held a story. From the early stone foundation to the stained‑glass windows that fill the sanctuary with color, the devotion of those who came before us continues to shine as a living testimony to God’s presence.

Rumor has it, the bell in our tower once called farmers in from the fields—and some say you can still hear it echo across town on a quiet Sunday morning.

Our Mission

To cultivate a community where Christian friendship can flourish, to provide a welcoming place for individuals and families to grow and worship together, and to expand God’s kingdom by sharing our gifts and testimonies.

Denomination

We are a Protestant Christian denomination within the United Church of Christ, embracing a faith that is grounded in the Bible, enriched by tradition, and open to God’s continuing revelation.

Bible Translation

We typically read from the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) or sometimes the NRSVue (NRSV Updated Edition) during worship.

Bibles and Hymnals are available in the pews.

However, YOU are welcome to follow along with whichever translation feels most familiar and meaningful to you.

Open and Affirming

While St. John’s UCC of Woodsboro, MD is not listed as an ‘Open and Affirming‘ congregation, we want you to know that all people are welcome here. Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are invited to worship, grow, and belong with us.

A New Creed

We believe in God:

     who has created and is creating,

who has come in the true Man, Jesus,

     to reconcile and make new,

     who works in us and others by his Spirit.

We trust him.

He calls us to be his church:

     to celebrate his presence,

     to love and serve others,

     to seek justice and resist evil,

     to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,

     God is with us.

We are not alone.

Thanks be to God.

Red Hymnal Page 23

New here?

By making an account you’ll get access to our Sunday Bulletin. Members also get our monthly newsletter and calendar.

Pastor

Dahl Drenning

Officers

Cindy Shugars, President
Sissy Lee, Vice-president
Karen Eyler, Secretary
Debbie Doody, David Stambaugh Sr.,
Cody Miller, Lori Miller, Ariel McGhee
Treasurer: Diana Schrodel
Financial Secretary: Shirley Dayhoff

You're Invited!

Every Sunday @ 10am-10:45am

Whether you’re exploring faith for the first time, returning after time away, or searching for a community where you and your family can grow, we’re honored that your journey has led you to us. Our hope is that you’ll find this church to be a place of grace — a place where questions are embraced, stories are valued, and every person is seen as a beloved child of God.

Would you like us to pray for you or your loved ones? Please feel free to share your prayer requests with us.

Our History

Nestled in the heart of Woodsboro, Maryland, St. John’s United Church of Christ has been a beacon of faith and community since 1822. With its cornerstone laid in 1802, our church stands as a living testimony to God’s enduring presence and the generations who have worshiped here.

Today, we continue that legacy.

The United Church of Christ philosophy is:

“Jesus didn’t reject people. Neither do we.”

No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here.

‘GOD IS STILL SPEAKING’

Don’t put a period where God has put a comma

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St. John’s United Church of Christ