NEWS
October-December, 2004

December 8, 2004
NEWS RELEASE: Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church is Named

Deep Creek Lake, MD - A new worshiping community in Garrett County, Maryland has a new name. Formerly called "The Lutheran Fellowship of Deep Creek Lake", the developing congregation selected its official name at an organizational meeting Wednesday, December 8, at the home of Marilyn and Guy Sedlack of Terra Alta, WV. The congregation will now be known as Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. According to Dr. Ralph W. Dunkin, Bishop of the West Virginia Western Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), "This name really describes who and where you are". The goal of the new congregation is to minister to all, with special emphasis on providing worship opportunities for newcomers and tourists, as well as reaching out to all Garrett County citizens who have no church home.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gathers each Sunday at 5:00 p.m. for worship, music, Bible study and fellowship in the Sitzmark Room of Will O' the Wisp, Route 219, just north of Glendale Road. All are welcome to attend. Currently the congregation is led in worship by supply pastors from Maryland and West Virginia. Upcoming services, which welcome all visitors over the Christmas holiday (and beyond), are December 12 and 19, presided by The Rev. Allen Schwarz, St. John's Lutheran Church, Davis, WV; December 24, Christmas Eve (5:00 p.m.) Candlelight Service, with The Rev. Dr. Ralph W. Dunkin, Bishop of the West Virginia- Western Maryland Synod; December 26, Festival of Lessons and Carols for Christmas, led by the members of the congregation; and January 2, with The Rev. Matthew Riegel, Lutheran Campus Minister, West Virginia University.

Congregational Officers and Steering Committee are Linda Bowman, Mary Ellen Dore, Chris Durben (Financial Secretary), Paul Durham (Treasurer), Bob Huebner, Scott Johnson (President) and Ruth Seib (Secretary).

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church is currently established as a Synodically-Authorized Worshipping Community. In October 2004, the Synod Council of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the ELCA voted to be supportive of the church becoming the first mission congregation in the synod since the merger of the ELCA in 1987. Mission status as a developing congregation will be determined by the national organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in January 2005. For further information, please visit the new website http://www.shepherdofthehillslutheran.org or call Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at (301) 387-0400. Messages are returned daily.

December 8, 2004

PHOTO and CAPTION: Christmas Caroling

Thirty-five members of the Lutheran Fellowship (prior to the new name) gathered to carol at "Christmas on Main Street in Oakland", Friday, December 3, 2004. The event was followed by a potluck dinner held at the home of Paul Durham and Mary Ellen Dore.

November 13, 2004

NEWS RELEASE: New Worshiping Community in Garrett County

Deep Creek Lake, MD- A new worshiping community has been established in Garrett County, Maryland. “The Lutheran Fellowship of Deep Creek Lake” gathers each Sunday at 5:00 p.m. for worship, music, Bible study and fellowship in the Sitzmark Room of Will O' the Wisp, Route 219, just north of Glendale Road. All are welcome to attend. For further information, please call the Fellowship at (301) 387-0400. Messages are returned daily.

A group of about fifty individuals began worshiping together on Sunday, July 4, 2004, with the intention and expectation of establishing a new Lutheran congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Helen Harms, a Mission Director for the ELCA, assisted exploration of the necessary steps for the formation of a new mission congregation. An intense study and application process culminated Saturday, October 16, 2004, when the Synod Council of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the ELCA voted unanimously to establish Lutheran Fellowship as a Synodically-Authorized Worshiping Community.  The Synod Council also voted to be supportive of Lutheran Fellowship as the first mission congregation in the synod since the merger of the ELCA in 1987. Mission status as a developing congregation will be determined by the national organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in January 2005.

Although currently called a “Fellowship,” efforts are underway to establish a permanent church name. The goal of the new congregation is to minister to all, with special emphasis on providing worship opportunities for newcomers and tourists, as well as reaching out to the 50% of Garrett County citizens who have no church home. The social dynamics of a growing resort community bring new challenges to evangelism to which the Fellowship hopes to respond.

Participants in the Fellowship say that the worship service provides a sense of Christian joy, peace, and excitement, and conveys a loving and welcoming atmosphere. Some of the structural elements that may promote this experience are seating in the round, a mix of contemporary and traditional liturgy and hymns, an emphasis on music, many volunteer roles in leading and organizing the service, 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening worship time and casual dress. The 45-minute worship service is followed by 45 minutes for coffee, cookies and discussion with Bible/sermon study for adults and Sunday School for children.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Will O' the Wisp
Sitzmark Room
20160 Garrett Highway
Oakland, MD 21550
Phone: 301.387.0400