Deer Park United Church

What Deer Park United Church does

Deer Park United Church is a private nonprofit religious congregation affiliated with the United Church of Canada, operating from a single facility at 77 Deer Point Rd SE in southeast Calgary, Alberta. The church describes itself as an inclusive, progressive community within the liberal Christian tradition and holds an "Affirming Ministry" designation that formally welcomes LGBTQ+ members and embraces diversity across sexual orientation, gender, age, race, religion, occupation, and socio-economic status. Its primary constituents are congregation members seeking inclusive Christian worship, alongside southeast Calgary residents who access its social-service programs. The organization is led by Pastor Rev. Tom Melvin and a Council chaired in 2016 by Marie Parsons, with day-to-day pastoral and community-engagement work increasingly managed by a credentialed Registered Social Worker, Kiran Stewart-McKee.

The core offerings span two service lines. The religious-services line consists of weekly Sunday worship, a children's Sunday-morning program for preschoolers through grade six, a Friday-night Grades 6-12 Youth Drop-In, a Monday Night Teen Group co-sponsored with Aspen Family Services, and pastoral care for weddings, funerals, and life transitions. The social-services line is unusually broad for a 7-employee congregation and includes the Food Pantry, the bimonthly Spinz A Round fresh-food giveaway (operated with Community Kitchens of Calgary and United Way), a weekly Calgary Food Bank hamper depot (Thursdays 6:00-8:00pm), the Good Food Box wholesale produce program, a Refugee Sponsorship Program that brought a Syrian family to Calgary in 2016, an international Malawi Water Project clean-water fundraiser, and licensed social-work counselling and referrals including LGBTQ support. Technology is intentionally minimal — a WordPress website (dpuc.ca), an email newsletter, and a Facebook page — with no proprietary systems or digital products.

The revenue model is voluntary and donor-dependent. Approximately 80% of FY2016 income ($269,652 of $336,249) came from Local Contributions via Sunday collections, Pre-Authorized Remittance, and special offerings, which run $18,000-$22,000/month outside December. The remaining ~20% ($66,596) is generated by special events such as the Turkey Supper, Silent Auction, Garage Sale, and Pie Sale. All worship services and social programs are provided free of charge. The church ended FY2016 with a net deficit of ($9,541), better than the budgeted ($20,300) loss but indicative of a tight cost structure in which Salary & Benefits ($238,378) consumed roughly 69% of total expenses ($345,789).

Name

Deer Park United Church

Legal name

Deer Park United Church

Website

https://dpuc.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deer Park United Church is a progressive, Affirming Ministry congregation of the United Church of Canada in southeast Calgary offering weekly worship, food security programs, refugee sponsorship, and social work services to congregants and vulnerable community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Progressive christian worship
• Community social services
• Food security programs
• Refugee sponsorship support
• Youth ministry programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Local Contributions (Tithes and Offerings): Voluntary donations from congregation members through Sunday collection, PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance), and special offerings. Year-to-date local contributions typically range from $18,000-$22,000 per month.
2. Special Events Income: Revenue from community events such as Turkey Supper, Silent Auction, Garage Sale, and Pie Sale. These events contribute significantly to Other Income category.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Deer Park United Church is a progressive Christian congregation that delivers weekly worship services, children's and youth ministry programs, and a range of free community social services. Its social-service portfolio includes emergency food assistance (Food Pantry, Spinz A Round, Good Food Box, Calgary Food Bank hamper depot), Community Kitchen cooking sessions, refugee sponsorship and resettlement support, social work counselling and LGBTQ+ affirming support, and international fundraising through the Malawi Water Project.

Product overview

Deer Park United Church offers a unified set of community ministries and social services under its church umbrella. Core offerings include weekly worship services, children's and youth programs. Social services include emergency food assistance through the Food Pantry and Spinz A Round program, weekly Calgary Food Bank hamper distribution, and the Community Kitchen cooking program. Additional programs include refugee sponsorship, the Malawi Water Project international initiative, and social work support services including counselling and LGBTQ support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Worship Services
• Food Pantry
• Spinz A Round Food Program
• Community Kitchen Program
• Calgary Food Bank Hamper Depot
• Good Food Box Program
• Youth Drop-In Program
• Children's Program
• Refugee Sponsorship Program
• Malawi Water Project
• Social Work Services
• Monday Night Teen Group

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides food assistance to southeast Calgary families through Food Pantry, Spinz A Round, and Calgary Food Bank depot
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Community Kitchens of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey operational partner for Spinz A Round food giveaway program (held twice monthly) and Community Kitchen cooking program. Church serves as distribution site for fresh and non-perishable goods. The partnership includes United Way sponsorship.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors the Spinz A Round and Community Kitchen programs hosted at Deer Park. Provides funding and coordination support for food security initiatives.
• City of Calgary Family and Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners to provide after-school programs for children and youth. Collaborative relationship supporting community development in southeast Calgary.
• Calgary Housing Company / Tenant Support WorkerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial workers screen and help clients with housing and other issues. Partnership supports vulnerable individuals accessing church social services.
• Aspen Family ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial workers coordinate with church to help clients with housing, family, and social issues. Co-sponsors Monday Night Teen Group.
• Alberta Health ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in DDQ (Deer Run, Deer Ridge, and Queensland Community Network) to advocate around issues of poverty, homelessness, and environmental concerns.
• Deliberate Directives for Quality of Life Action GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded and recognized coalition of Alberta Health Services seeking to build community resiliency, safety, and drug/alcohol prevention with youth.
• Calgary Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch serves as Calgary Food Bank hamper depot location every Thursday. Provides access to food hampers for southeast Calgary residents (up to 7 per year).
• Calgary Queer Church CommitteesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial worker Kiran Stewart-McKee serves on committee. Provides LGBTQ support and referrals for queer community members.
• Malawi Water Project / Healthy Lives International SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch hosts Music for Malawi fundraiser events supporting clean water initiatives in Southern Africa through registered Canadian charity (BN: 784173890RR0001).
• Fish Creek LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in DDQ community network for resource sharing and advocacy around social issues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Affirm United / S'affirmer Ensemble: National organization supporting Affirming Ministry designation within United Church of Canada. Comparable network of progressive affirming congregations across Canada with similar theological and social justice mission.
• Centre Street Church: Large multi-site Christian church in Calgary with different theological orientation but similar community programs scale. Comparable as a Calgary faith-based community service provider, though much larger in congregation.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Family Services: Operational partner co-sponsoring Monday Night Teen Group at Deer Park. Larger Calgary social service organization with overlapping family services and youth outreach mission.
• Calgary Food Bank: Operates the hamper depot hosted at Deer Park. Much larger regional food security organization with overlapping mission, comparable in serving food-insecure populations in Calgary.
• Community Kitchens of Calgary: Operational partner of Deer Park's Spinz A Round and Community Kitchen programs. Operates a broader network of community food programs across Calgary, comparable in mission scope but larger and specializing in food security.

Direct peers

• Scarboro United Church: United Church of Canada congregation in Calgary with progressive theology and social justice programming. Similar size, denomination, and community-engagement model with overlapping Calgary service area.
• Woodcliff United Church: United Church of Canada congregation serving southeast Calgary with similar community ministry profile. Comparable in denomination, congregational size, and local community focus.
• St. Stephen's United Church: Mid-sized United Church of Canada congregation in Calgary with similar worship, community outreach, and social service offerings. Shares the same denominational affiliation and operational structure.
• Hillhurst United Church: Progressive United Church of Canada congregation in inner-city Calgary with similar Affirming Ministry orientation and community outreach programs. Comparable in scale, denomination, and inclusive theological positioning.

Others

• Marlborough Park Community Association: Calgary-based community organization offering services similar to Deer Park's social service programs (food assistance, newcomer support) in adjacent neighborhoods. Comparable as a community service hub serving Calgary's southeast residents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deerparkunitedchurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deer-park-united-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deer Park United Church