St. John's Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, has stood at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Bradley Boulevard in Chevy Chase, Maryland for a century and a half. Members know it simply as St. John's, and the parish describes itself as a community dedicated to expressing what it calls the highest form of love: the call to serve. It lives that out through four Sunday worship services, an active music program, a large slate of justice and community engagement ministries, and the Opportunity Shop, a non-profit thrift store two blocks north of the church.
150 Years on Wisconsin Avenue
The parish was born in the 19th century, when the Dodge family of Norwood Farm in Bethesda gave some of their farm land to establish a chapel. The wood-frame structure with a bell tower was finished in 1874 and burned down in 1914. A second church, a Gothic stone building, served the congregation for the next three decades.
The current church, a light-filled Georgian-style brick structure, was built in 1947 under the leadership of the Rev. William Creighton, a former Navy chaplain who had been called as Rector in 1946. Creighton oversaw the construction of the Parish Hall, education wing, and offices. In 1951, the Women of St. John's founded the Opportunity Shop to support outreach, and in 1959 Creighton became Bishop Coadjutor of Washington. The parish shared its St. Mary's Chapel with St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church of the Deaf from Washington, offered a free clinic, and provided schools for young children during that era. Hospice of Montgomery County, started by parishioner Sally Ketchum, kept its offices in the church basement for ten years.
In 1987, the parish built its Memorial Garden with columbarium. The Rev. Janice Robinson started Stephen Ministers in 1989, a lay caregiving program that still operates today. The Rev. Duane Alvord was the first Rector to serve alongside women as his assistant and associate rectors; he created the family-friendly 9:00 am service to complement the traditional 8:00 am and 11:15 am services and oversaw the addition of a full-service elevator, a stair-free West Avenue lobby entrance, and two wheelchair lifts to make the building accessible.
Susan Flanders became St. John's first female Rector in 1998. Her inclusive vision led to the practice of welcoming everyone to share in Communion at the Lord's Open Table, the introduction of the 5:00 pm Come As You Are service, the creation of Children's Chapel during the family service, and the Journey to Adulthood program for teens. She drove the decision to install the parish's pipe organ and expanded the parish's reach before retiring in 2008.
The Rev. Dr. Sari Ateek succeeded Rev. Flanders in 2010. Under his leadership the parish has sponsored several refugee families, started Nourishing Bethesda during the pandemic to feed those in need, and expanded the role of lay ministers. He continues to record and post sermons on YouTube so they reach beyond the church walls.
Four Sunday Services, Including a Livestream
During the program year, St. John's offers four Sunday services, three of which include music:
- 8:00 am: Rite I Eucharist. A traditional-language, spoken communion service without music, held in St. Mary's Chapel for those who want quiet reflection and prayer.
- 9:00 am: Family Service. A communion service with scripture, lessons, prayer, and music led by the St. John's Singers. The service features the PrayGround at the front of the nave and Children's Chapel for children in second grade and under. Healing Prayer is offered in the Tower Lobby during communion.
- 11:15 am: Rite II Eucharist. A traditional communion service with the St. John's Choir leading hymns and service music. This service is livestreamed on YouTube each week, and Healing Prayer is offered in the Tower Lobby during communion.
- 5:00 pm: Come As You Are Eucharist. An informal evening service with a more conversational sermon and communion received in the round.
On Sundays during the school year about 300 people attend the four services, with the mid-morning service drawing the largest congregation and the early morning and evening services the smallest. A summer schedule condenses the offerings: 8:00 am Rite I, 10:00 am Rite II (livestreamed), and 5:00 pm Come As You Are.
Services last about an hour. All include scripture readings, a sermon of about fifteen minutes, and Holy Communion. The only exception is the 8:00 am service, which has no music.
Open Table, Open Doors
St. John's practices Open Communion. Everyone is welcome at Christ's table to share bread and wine, whether or not they are members of the parish, members of any church, or baptized. Visitors may join the line at the altar for communion, come forward for a blessing, or remain in the pew.
The parish states that it values diversity reflecting God's love and gracious hospitality, and that its members represent a variety of racial and economic backgrounds, nationalities, family configurations, political affiliations, sexual orientations, abilities, and religious traditions. The mission is described as building community at the crossroads of faith and life; the vision calls for a more kind and compassionate world that values connection and community over power and economic interest. The parish's central biblical commandment is to love God and love neighbor as oneself, including, in its own words, loving enemies as well as neighbors, and seeking and pursuing justice for all in accordance with its baptismal covenant.
St. John's has published a Statement on the Legacy of Slavery and Racism and, in September 2024, the Vestry approved a Native Land Acknowledgement stating that the parish sits on the unceded land of the Piscataway Nation.
Worship Designed with Children in Mind
Children are seen and heard at St. John's. During the 9:00 am and 11:15 am services, the front of the nave is set up as the PrayGround, a carpeted area where young children can play quietly while still joining in worship. The front pew is reserved for parents so they can keep an eye on little ones. During Children's Chapel at the 9:00 am Family Service, children in second grade and under follow the cross-bearer out of the nave before the Gospel reading for songs, stories, and prayers, returning during the Peace. Ushers offer The Sunday Paper with quiet activities for children under 11, and Kids' Kits with lacing cards, an Etch-a-Sketch, a lift-the-flap Bible, and books about the Episcopal tradition. Worship is also streamed into the Lounge, just outside the front-right doors of the nave, where the children's library collection is kept.
Child care is available in the Nursery during the 9:00 am Family Service for children up to six years old, and during the education hour from 10:00 to 11:00 am for children under three. In summer, child care is available during the 10:00 am service. Caregivers are vaccinated against COVID-19, pass a background check, and complete the Episcopal Church's child protection training.
Church School meets on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 am during the program year. Children from age three through fifth grade participate in Godly Play, a Montessori-based approach that invites them to explore the stories of the Christian faith. Sixth through twelfth graders take part in Journey to Adulthood, a spiritual formation program that includes confirmation at the Washington National Cathedral and a high-school pilgrimage. Young members of the parish serve in the services themselves as Acolytes, Lectors, Welcomers, and members of the Choristers and Youth Choir. St. John's is an approved MCPS-SSL organization, and many of its activities count toward MCPS graduation requirements.
Music Ministries for Every Voice
Hymns, anthems, service music, and voluntaries are an integral part of the worship experience at St. John's, with music chosen to reflect the readings, preaching, and pageantry of the Sunday liturgy. The parish supports four ensembles:
- St. John's Choir leads the 11:15 am Rite II Eucharist.
- St. John's Singers lead the 9:00 am Family Service.
- Choristers and Youth Choir bring younger voices into the worship life of the parish.
- The Norwood Ringers is the handbell choir.
Jason West serves as Director of Music Ministries. The pipe organ that anchors the chancel today was installed under Rev. Flanders' leadership to replace the parish's earlier organ.
Justice and Community Engagement
The parish describes justice and community engagement as the core of its practice of faith, with active ministries addressing hunger, homelessness, refugee resettlement, gun violence, racial equity, environmental stewardship, and more. Among the most prominent:
Nourishing Bethesda began at St. John's during the pandemic and has since grown into one of the fastest-growing and most successful Montgomery County non-profits to emerge from that period. The organization now feeds more than 1,000 families a month, and by some counts reaches roughly 10,000 people a month, through its food distribution and partnerships. The Great Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway distributes full Thanksgiving meal kits to 1,200 families each year.
Gun Violence Prevention ministry combines prayer, education, and action. The Immigrant and Refugee Ministry has a long tradition of sponsoring refugee families from countries including Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gaza. The Holy Land Committee sends parishioners on regular pilgrimages and supports humanitarian, educational, and advocacy work. Shepherd's Table, Interfaith Works Women's Shelter, and a Clothing Ministry extend the parish's reach to people who are unhoused or in need of basic goods.
Other engagement ministries include the Eco-Action Team, Faith and Democracy, Faith in Action Coordinating Committee, Racial Justice and Equity Committee, Social Justice Advocacy Committee, Humanitarian Response Committee, Interfaith Ministry, Books to Prisons, Camp Joy, Olive Oil Ministry, Pride Alliance, and a Ukrainian Support Group. Outreach Sundays direct donations to beneficiaries such as the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys in Anacostia, a tuition-free independent school rooted in the Episcopal tradition that serves about 100 boys from low-income homes in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The Opportunity Shop: 75 Years on Walsh Street
The St. John's Opportunity Shop is a non-profit thrift store founded in 1951 by the Women of St. John's and now located two blocks north of the church at 4504 Walsh Street in Chevy Chase. The Op Shop sells art, framed pictures, decorative items, clothing, shoes, jewelry, china, glassware, books, toys, small furniture, linens, and seasonal goods. Doors are open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Donations are accepted Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Run entirely by volunteers, the Op Shop donates its proceeds to St. John's Justice and Community Engagement Ministries, more than $100,000 in a recent year alone. Parishioners describe it as much more than a store: a community gathering place of camaraderie and purpose where volunteers and regulars come to know one another and develop skills together. Parking is available at Montgomery County Parking Lot 10, just steps away.
Pastoral Care and Healing Prayer
St. John's clergy provide pastoral care around the clock; in an emergency, parishioners can call 301-654-7767 and select Option 1 to reach a member of the clergy. The parish's pastoral-care ministries are organized around life transitions and ongoing need:
- Lay Eucharistic Visitors bring communion and companionship to homebound parishioners.
- Stephen Ministers offer confidential Christian caregiving in life's most challenging moments.
- Healing Prayer Ministers are available in the Tower Lobby on Sundays during the 9:00 am and 11:15 am services (or 10:00 am during summer), immediately after communion, for one-on-one laying on of hands, anointing with oil, and confidential intercessory prayer.
- Grief Support Group meets weekly at the church.
- New Parents Ministry visits new parents at home with flowers and soup after the birth of a baby.
- Serving Seniors engages older parishioners in fellowship and provides occasional rides and resource connections.
- Cooking and Baking with Love provides meals to parishioners in times of need.
Prayer is offered continually through the parish prayer lists and at weekly staff meetings.
Adult Formation and Small Group Fellowship
The Adult Forum Hour meets on Sundays at 10:00 am in the Parish Hall and on Zoom for presentations and discussions on diverse topics; recent forums have included a session on how Buddhist meditative practices can enrich Christian contemplation and a series on the work of Nourishing Bethesda. Bible Study gathers on Wednesdays at 10:00 am. A new monthly Exploring Spirituality ministry, launching in the fall, offers guided meditation, organic discussion, and reflection in the Parish Library on first Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:00 am.
Fellowship ministries knit members of the parish together in smaller settings. They include Cooking and Baking with Love, the Knorwood Knitters (a knitting group that knits for those in need), Koinonia Fellowship Dinners, the Men's Book Group, the Men's Ministry and its Men's Circle (which meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall), New Parents Ministry, Parish Life, Serving Seniors, Stephen Ministers, the St. John's Drama Troupe, the Women's Book Group, and Women's Community. A monthly St. John's Happy Hour gathers offsite at Fialova Lounge on the first Friday of each month.
Standing ministry committees meet regularly as well: the Faith in Action Coordinating Committee gathers the first Sunday of each month, the Immigrant and Refugee Ministry on the second Sunday, Gun Violence Prevention on the third Sunday, the Holy Land Committee on the last Sunday, and the Faith and Democracy Ministry on the fourth Sunday.
Coming to St. John's
The parish sits at 6701 Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase, at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Bradley Boulevard. The Bethesda Metro Station is about eight blocks north, roughly a ten-minute walk. Ride-On Bus #34 stops in front of the church on Wisconsin Avenue.
Parking is available in the church's own lot (enter Wisconsin Avenue northbound), on West Avenue behind the church, on Wisconsin Avenue on Sundays, and in paid public lots on Walsh and Leland Streets (free on Sundays). ADA parking is offered on West Avenue with a valid tag. A bicycle rack stands at the back of the church outside the West Avenue entrance. Visitors are warned not to park in neighboring business lots; they will tow.
The building is wheelchair accessible, with a full-service elevator, a stair-free West Avenue lobby entrance, and two wheelchair lifts. The dress code is whatever makes a visitor comfortable, from a sweatshirt and jeans to Sunday best. Coffee, tea, and snacks are served after the Sunday morning services in the West Avenue lobby, Parish Hall, and Lounge. Services are livestreamed on YouTube so anyone can join from home.
Clergy and Ministry Directors
St. John's is led by Rev. Dr. Sari Ateek, Rector; Rev. Anne Derse, Deacon and Minister of Community Engagement; Jason West, Director of Music Ministries; Dr. Dawn Molloy, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries; and Marny Helfrich, Assistant to Children, Youth and Family Ministries. The parish also employs an Executive Director of Operations, Director of Finance, Property Manager, Communications Specialist, Parish Office Coordinator, and Sextons. The Vestry, composed of twelve members and two Wardens, works closely with the Rector and Executive Director of Operations on financial and operational stewardship; members serve staggered three-year terms, with one third elected each year.
Getting Involved and Giving
The Welcome Committee and Clergy & Staff are reachable through online forms. Visitors can plan a visit, request a meeting with the Rector or Deacon, or sign up for the weekly Crossroads newsletter, which goes out every Friday morning to more than 1,000 subscribers.
Financial giving takes several forms. Annual pledges are submitted online, by email to pledge@stjohnsnorwood.org, or via the cards in the West Avenue Lobby. Pledge payments can be made by bank e-check, through the Breeze membership portal, by debit or credit card, by QR code during the livestream, or by check. Online donations, including gifts to Outreach Sundays and special funds, are made through Breeze. Legacy Giving options include bequests, retirement and life insurance beneficiary designations, gifts of appreciated securities, and charitable trusts. The Vestry has created the Norwood Guild to honor those who make legacy gifts, and posthumous gifts are recognized through the related Norwood Saints honor.
Office hours are Mondays 12:00 to 5:00 pm, Tuesdays through Thursdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Fridays 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.