Deer Park Baptist Church

Celebrating worship through joyfully

eclectic musical styles!

Minister of Music Dr. Ronald Turner

Keyboard Minister Dr. Sandra Turner

The Chancel Choir

The Chancel Choir is the “backbone” of the Deer Park Music Ministry. It is open to all singers, including children, who can attend rehearsals on Wednesday nights from 7:30 p.m. to approximately 8:40 p.m. The choir sings a variety of choral styles and it requires a commitment to practice in order for the group to succeed. Music reading skills are not a necessity, but some experience singing in choral groups in school or church is a real help. Please talk to Ron Turner if you have even the slightest interest in joining the Chancel Choir. You will be welcomed by the group with “open arms and jubilation”!

Twice a year, usually in the Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter seasons, the Chancel Choir presents a cantata, usually with orchestra. “Seasonal” singers who cannot sing every Sunday are welcome to join the choir just to prepare for and participate in these presentations. Works presented have ranged from Christmas Canticles to Handel’s Messiah.

During the summer months the Chancel Choir becomes the Summer Singers. Anyone is welcome to attend only two rehearsals during the summer months and sing on Sunday mornings when they are in town. No further obligation is expected.

Instrumental and Vocal Soloists

Deer Park has always been blessed with talented instrumental and vocal soloists. Among our congregation there is usually a variety of fine singers and players who regularly contribute to worship. We believe in using the consecrated talents of our members and regular attendees, so if you have a special talent as a soloist, please talk to Ron Turner and arrange to meet and demonstrate your gifts, and to discuss how best we can use your talent in praise of God. Musical style is not a criterion for using talents at Deer Park, and soloists have covered the gamut from classical to Appalachian, to gospel and contemporary Christian styles, from piccolo, banjo, and fiddle, to trumpet and classical string quartet. We believe in offering the best that we have in support of the Word, whatever the presenter’s musical style may be.

The Deer Park Strings

The Deer Park Strings is a truly unique group—variously skilled violinists, ranging in age from 6 to adults, who join together every few weeks to accompany congregational singing. This is our only “exclusive” musical group at Deer Park, considering that a basic skill on the violin or another string instrument is a necessity—enough skill to play the tunes of hymns that are sung in worship—but players of all ages and skill levels are welcome. We usually rehearse two times before playing in a service, normally at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

The Kids Choir

The Deer Park Kids Choir, led by Linda Kempf with the assistance of Music Intern Adrienne Schram, has made a wonderful impact each time the children sing in worship. This group prepares individually at home, using recordings of the song to be sung, then meets for three or four rehearsals on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. before presenting their musical offering in worship. All kids from age 4 through high school are welcome.

Worship Music at Deer Park

Deer Park Baptist Church has a long history of thoughtful worship, based on the scriptural “ACTS” pattern:

Adoration – Confession – Thanksgiving – Supplication

To these we add: Proclamation and Dedication.

Our worship services are in every respect participatory, with active congregational involvement in singing hymns in a wide variety of styles, praying corporately as the Body of Christ, and confessing our beliefs through the Apostle’s Creed and many other scriptural and historic professions of faith. Indeed, we believe that our most important choir is the “congregational choir,” through which we join our voices as one body in praise and worship.

                        Typically, our Sunday morning services are thematic. That is, as much as we can manage it, all music (hymns, anthem, solos, even instrumental pieces) is chosen to support the principal scripture readings of the day on which Dr. Platt will preach. Therefore words rather than music tend to govern what is sung or played in our services.

                        To some first-time visitors, our worship services may seem a little more “liturgical” than many other Baptist services, but in fact you will find that worship at Deer Park is in no way “formal” or “stuffy”, but just orderly and thoughtful, allowing for a full range of biblical truth to be presented in worship through singing, significant scripture reading, prayer, and Bible-based preaching by Dr. Platt, in the midst of a true spirit of Christian fellowship.

This hymn was written for Deer Park’s Centennial in 2006. The tune name, COAL SHED, reflects the humble origins of Deer Park, which first met in an actual coal shed on Duker Avenue. The text, written by former Deer Parker Paul Richardson, reflects the basic mission of Deer Park to serve the cause of the crucified, risen, redeeming Christ through ministries of missions and evangelism, beginning first in the Highlands of Louisville and extending outward to all the world