Genesis: the Church gathers in a stately chapel at 309 N. Main Street in downtown Royal Oak, Michigan, where a Sunday morning congregation of worshipers, families, and neighbors has made its home for decades. The building's traditional beauty, complete with a stained-glass staircase and a balcony overlooking the sanctuary, has also made it one of the most photographed wedding venues in the city. But the heart of Genesis is its identity as an "all-inclusive" community, a place where the welcome printed out front is backed up by a congregation that has spent years studying what it means to follow Jesus across lines of race, gender, sexuality, and ability.
The church's standing ten-year vision, titled "To Be a Beacon," is to be a community that "together walks with people in suffering and joy, values people's unique stories, and pursues the flourishing of the world." Three "uniques" set the community apart: authenticity and vulnerability, an embrace of the margins, and the conviction that "our heroes are among us: everyday people, living like Jesus."
Sundays at 10:00 AM
The Sunday service begins at 10:00 AM and runs simultaneously with the children's programs. Adults worship together in the sanctuary, where a streaming setup captures every service for YouTube Live. Anyone who misses a Sunday or wants a preview before visiting can find recordings on the church's YouTube channel and listen to discussions on the Genesis Podcast. The service is followed by a community that lingers over coffee, with hospitality volunteers providing cups and carafes in exchange for a free-will donation.
A digital connection card is available each week for newcomers and regulars alike, and prayer requests can be texted at any time to 94000 or emailed to the prayer team. Giving is also possible by texting an amount to 84321, through an online portal, or by placing a check in the wooden collection box at the back of the sanctuary.
Children from the Garden to the Summit
Genesis takes seriously Jesus's invitation to "let the children come," and the family ministry is organized into four age-specific programs that begin at 10:00 AM on Sunday mornings alongside the adult service.
The Garden welcomes infants through preschoolers in rooms on the main level, where a play-based curriculum called First Look introduces the three basic truths that "God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever." The Treehouse serves kindergarten through third grade upstairs at the south end of the building using a curriculum called Kairos Quest, which focuses on hearing from God and learning the character of Jesus. The Summit gathers fourth and fifth graders for a Bible-study-style hour that encourages questions.
When families arrive, they register at the Children's Ministry Desk by the west parking lot doors and receive matching parent-and-child tags. All snacks are peanut and tree nut free, with dairy-free and gluten-free options available, and every volunteer who works with children has passed a national background check. Family Ministry Directors Jennie Reigle and Manya de Zwaan oversee the program along with a rotating team of about twenty volunteers each Sunday.
Genesis Youth Ministry
The Genesis Youth Ministry, known simply as GYM, serves middle and high schoolers and meets for an hour and a half to two hours after the Sunday morning service. Students begin in the sanctuary, sitting near the front during worship before being released to South Hall or the conference room for games, a lesson, activities, and a snack.
The ministry is built around three directions: "Up," pointing students toward God and rooting them in their identity as Christ's children; "In," balancing play and purpose while welcoming students wherever they are in their faith journey; and "Out," equipping them to live out the call to "go and tell the nations the good news." GYM also recruits mentors and volunteers for occasional outreach events throughout the year.
Olive Branch Daycare on Site
The same building is home to Olive Branch Daycare, a licensed, Christian, play-based program for children eight weeks to six years old. Care is available full- or part-time, and the program is staffed at or below the required teacher-to-child ratio to make sure every child gets attention. Activities are intentionally age-appropriate and make use of both indoor and outdoor space.
Director Maria Thornton leads the program, which weaves Bible stories, prayer, and other spiritual activities into the daily rhythm. The daycare operates as a separate ministry but shares the Genesis building and grounds, making it a natural stop for families whose older siblings are moving through the Garden, Treehouse, and Summit.
Compassion and Care in the Community
A core part of Genesis's identity is its outreach. The church runs several ongoing care ministries that support both members of the congregation and neighbors in the wider community.
Community Cafe is a twice-monthly meal served either grab-and-go style or seated in South Hall, typically on the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. It has been a long-standing, low-barrier outreach of Genesis for many years, open to families, veterans, and people experiencing homelessness or food insecurity. Food bags are also available during church office hours on Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to noon.
The Benevolence Fund offers between $100 and $250 in assistance for within-community needs and accepts requests from outside the congregation as well. The fund is stocked with $25 Meijer and Kroger gift cards that can be distributed to walk-ins seeking gas or groceries. Through the Eagles for Children Grant, Genesis also provides financial support to families whose biological children have been returned to their care out of the foster system, helping with housing, safe living conditions, and food security with the goal of keeping children from re-entering foster care.
A Meal Train organizes volunteers to cook and deliver meals to people in the congregation after illness, injury, loss, or other major life events. Lead Pastor Beau McCarthy leads a weekday morning devotional on Zoom at 9:00 AM.
Compassion Partners Across the Region
Beyond its own programs, Genesis supports a network of community organizations that the congregation calls Compassion Partners. Each partner is voted in by the church board and supported financially and with volunteers. Current partners include:
- Kihavo, an organization that keeps children out of orphanages and empowers widows through farming, animal husbandry, crafts, and small business, with child sponsorship available at $30 a month.
- Detroit Friendship House, which serves Hamtramck families through community connections and basic-needs assistance including the Harvest Food Pantry.
- Central Detroit Christian, a faith-based nonprofit that empowers families and runs the Thursday Night Breakthrough Enrichment Program and SOAR reading tutoring.
- Africa Christian Ministries, which serves the youth of South Africa through after-school Bible classes, orphan care, prison visitation, and annual medical outreach clinics.
- Genesis Community Cafe, the church's own twice-monthly meal described above.
- Humble Design, listed as a partner with details to come.
ToGetHer: Women's Ministry
The ToGetHer Women's Ministry is designed as a low-pressure gathering place where women can connect, rest, and grow. Events include movie nights, "Crafternoons," Saturday brunches, a book club, and an annual Women's Away Weekend. The ministry communicates through a Facebook group and an email mailing list.
Small Groups and Serving Teams
Genesis launches small groups seasonally as a way to put the value of "authentic community" into practice. Groups vary by topic, location, and demographic, and the directory is refreshed each season.
The church runs an extensive set of serving teams for those who want to plug in. The Meals Team cooks for families in need, with each volunteer preparing and delivering one meal every two weeks. The Hospitality Team brews Sunday morning coffee, welcomes guests as greeters, or hands out bulletins as ushers. The Tech Team runs sound, lights, and video for the sanctuary, and the Projection Team manages the screens. There are also musical worship teams that rotate musicians and singer-songwriters, a Creative Team that develops media and drama for teaching series, and Family Ministry volunteers who care for nearly eighty children each Sunday.
Weddings at the Chapel
The chapel seats up to 300 guests and is paired with a 600-square-foot suite for pre-ceremony preparation and photographs. A stained-glass staircase from the balcony to the vestibule has become a favorite backdrop for wedding photographers. Seasoned officiants, soloists, and musicians are available as part of standard wedding packages, and the church has partnered with the Hyatt Place Detroit/Royal Oak directly across the street to offer an elegant wedding-and-hotel bundle. The building is also available for non-wedding events through a Building Use Request Form.
What Genesis Believes
Genesis identifies itself as a community of Christ followers. Two passages anchor the congregation's faith. From Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," the church draws its commitment to welcome every guest without exception. From Romans 12:4-5, the congregation affirms that each follower has a unique purpose and that the journey of faith is easier and more effective together.
The church takes the Bible seriously as the story of God's character, heart, and purposes. Following Jesus is understood as a lifelong journey of being conformed more and more into his likeness, supported by a community whose voices are "loud with hope and justice."
Eight core values shape the community's life together. Everyone is a masterpiece, created in the image of God with unique gifts. Hearing and doing means saying yes to what God asks. Authentic community means being open, honest, and non-judgmental. All of life is worship, extending praise beyond Sunday services into work, play, and service. The congregation sees itself as missionaries, sent into neighborhoods, networks, and nations. Love in action means showing God's love through tangible kindness. And mending the world means joining God's work of justice, reconciliation, mercy, and shalom until Jesus returns.
Getting Connected
Visitors can text GENESISTEXTS to 94000 for event updates and last-minute changes, or fill out a digital connection card online. The staff is reachable through individual emails, and prayer requests can be sent at any time. Online giving is available through the church's secure portal, and the Genesis Podcast carries sermons and conversations for those who want to follow along between Sundays.