I’m New Here

Welcome to Christ Church Deer Park Anglican Church. If you are new to Christ Church you’ll find that we are a growing and diverse community of people learning how to follow Jesus and how to love our neighbours. And you are most welcome to take part in that journey with us!

Young and old, from all walks of life, we gather in this historic and beautiful place in the heart of midtown Toronto to worship the living God. From Sunday mornings to other days during the week, you will find us breaking bread together, praying and learning more about how to become disciples of Jesus in our 21st century world.

Here are some things that might be helpful when you’re visiting for the first time:

Sunday Morning Services

We offer three different Sunday Morning Services every week: 8 am, 9:15 am and 10:30 am, each with a distinct style, but with the same theme.

8 AM

Said Eucharist

– a quiet and contemplative Communion service, with Bible readings and prayers from the traditional Book of Common Prayer and a brief sermon.

This service runs about 40 minutes.

9:15 AM

Relaxed and Informal Communion Service

– a relaxed and informal seeker-oriented service with contemporary songs and favourite hymns, communion, and a sermon that connects to your lived experience.

This service lasts 45-50 minutes, with Children’s Ministry and Nursery care offered.

10:30 AM

Sung Choral Eucharist

– a classic Anglican service of worship, with relevant biblical preaching, organ music, sung prayers, and choir music.

This service runs just over an hour, includes Holy Communion, and follows the liturgy found in our Book of Alternative Services. Children’s Ministry and Nursery care are offered during this service.

What to expect at Christ Church Deer Park

On a Sunday morning you can enter the church through the wooden doors on either Yonge Street or Heath Street. As you come in you’ll be welcomed by one of our greeters — we call them sidespeople — who will hand you an Order of Service pamphlet. Or, you can help yourself from one of the tables near the entrances.

If you have any questions, the greeters would be happy to help you out. 

The order of service includes everything you need to follow along with the service including hymn numbers, information on the readings, prayers, and responses. 

Christ Church Deer Park is wheelchair friendly. Use the entrance from Heath Street where there is a ramp from the sidewalk. You can easily reach our worship space through the double glass doors.

During services or concerts, wheelchairs are readily accommodated on the south side of the church near the baptismal font. Our sidespeople or custodian would be happy to assist you.

To reach our community rooms we have an elevator that is just off the reception area inside the double glass doors. The elevator will take you up to Elliott Hall and the Arthur Smith Room, or down to the children’s chapel and lower parish hall. You can ask the greeters or any parishioner for directions.

Hearing Assistance

If you need some help in hearing the service more clearly, the worship space is equipped with an infrared hearing system. Just ask the greeter or our custodian for a headset.

Large Print Order of Service

We also have a large-print order of service, which might make reading more comfortable for you. Check the tables at each entrance to the church or ask one of our greeters for a copy.

Help yourself: sit wherever you like. 

Once you’re settled, take a look around. Notice our beautiful stained glass windows, our magnificent Karl Wilhelm organ with its classic French styling, and the fresh flowers arranged by some of our talented parishioners.

Families and kids are a key part of our community at CCDP! Your children are most welcome to stay with you in the service if you prefer – we won’t mind! We also offer a vibrant and nurturing Children’s Ministry during the 9.15 service.

Older Children (ages 10-16) are welcome to join our Children’s Ministry. They meet at the front of the church each Sunday (our leaders will stand beside a colourful standing banner) before heading downstairs to the St. Nicholas Chapel for a fun time of learning, playing and exploring what it means to be follower of Jesus. They return upstairs to the church in time for Communion.

We also offer busy bags at the back of the sanctuary and a play mat with soft toys in our chapel (adjacent to our sanctuary) for younger children or those who wish to stay with their parents through the service.

No, you don’t have to give any money if you don’t want to. The collection in the service is entirely voluntary.

If you’d like to leave a gift, you can use one of the visitors’ envelopes that are hanging on hooks in front of your pew, or give online here. We thank you for your generosity.

Generally speaking, we celebrate communion – or the Holy Eucharist – at all our Sunday morning services. All baptised Christians are welcome to come forward and receive the consecrated bread and wine.

If you are not yet baptised, or for any reason prefer a blessing instead of Communion, you are still invited to come forward. Just let the priest know that you prefer a blessing instead.

During communion, we proceed from our pews up to the altar and kneel (as we are able) at the altar railing. The priest will come to you and offer you a host (usually an unleavened wafer; also available gluten free), which most people accept into their hands. Immediately after that, a chalice bearer will offer you the chalice of wine, after having wiped the rim with a clean linen cloth. Please help the chalice bearer by guiding the chalice to your mouth. If you do not wish to drink from the common cup, just let the chalice bearer know; it is perfectly acceptable to only receive the bread. However, please do not dip the bread into the wine.

If you would like a prayer for healing in body, mind or spirit, simply ask the priest before you receive the bread.

At the altar you’ll be kneeling on the Benedicite Kneelers that were designed and stitched by devoted parishioners. The kneelers took three years to complete and contain over 2 million stitches.

Most services have coffee and conversation afterwardsAll are welcome upstairs in Elliott Hall to enjoy refreshments and some sweet treats. 

Don’t be shy, introduce yourself!

(During the months of July & August we offer coffee hour between the 9:15am and 10:30am services on the lawn, where we serve lemonade.)

Directions and Parking

Christ Church Deer Park is located at 1570 Yonge Street, Toronto on the northwest corner of Heath Street – just two blocks north of St. Clair Avenue. 

Getting Here by TTC

We’re just a five-minute walk north of the St. Clair subway station on the Yonge subway line.

There’s a Toronto Parking Authority Green P parking lot at Heath/Delisle, directly opposite the church on Heath Street, just west of Yonge Street. 

The Story behind our

Tracking Organ

Our magnificent three manual, tracker-action organ was installed in the chancel of the church in the spring of 1982 and dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of those who died in the First World War and the Second World War.

The organ, built by the Karl Wilhelm Company of Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, has a classical continental design. The case is made of white oak and the pipe shades are of carved butternut. Voiced in the classic French style, its 36 stops and 50 ranks are capable of interpreting a wide variety of organ literature.

Installation required considerable changes to the chancel including moving the altar forward and arranging choir seating to either side. These renovations prompted the design and production of our award-winning Benedicite Kneelers, done in needlepoint by a dedicated group of church members.