First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak has gathered on Hendrie Boulevard since April 1915, when two acres of farmland just outside town were purchased with the help of a local family named Hendrie. More than a century later, the church at 529 Hendrie Boulevard remains a steady presence in Royal Oak, Michigan - a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) that welcomes all who come seeking meaning, asks honest questions about faith, and pours itself into the city and the wider world through music, education, and hands-on service.
A Century of Faithfulness
The story begins on January 5, 1914, when twenty-one people gathered at D.K. Smith's furniture store to explore starting a Presbyterian church in Royal Oak. Four months later, on May 17, 1914, the congregation was formally organized with seventy-nine charter members. The two acres on what was then the edge of town were purchased for $3,650, with George Hendrie contributing $600 toward the price.
The first two-story building was dedicated on October 29, 1916. A new sanctuary, built to seat 625 worshippers, was dedicated on April 17, 1955. Where the original 1916 sanctuary had stood, Fellowship Hall was constructed in 1962 and later renamed Kirkman Fellowship Hall in honor of a generous supporter. The latest landmark moment came on October 6, 2013, when the Centennial Organ, Reuter Opus 2241, was dedicated - an instrument of 54 ranks and more than 4,000 pipes that has become the centerpiece of the worship space.
Sunday Morning at 10:30
Worship at First Presbyterian takes place each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, and the service is livestreamed on Vimeo, YouTube, and Facebook for those joining from home. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month, with all welcome at the Lord's Table regardless of denomination or affiliation; a gluten-free option is provided, and those watching at home can use bread or a cracker with juice, wine, or water. Worship bulletins are available in advance online so anyone following along at home can participate fully.
Inside the sanctuary, an usher hands each arriving worshipper a bulletin. A Friendship Pad is passed from pew to pew so neighbors can learn each other's names, and visitors who leave contact information receive a small welcome gift later in the week. After a brief Time with the Children, students in kindergarten through fifth grade leave for Sunday school, while younger children may stay in worship with their families or head to the nursery.
The Prayground, a tucked-away area within the sanctuary, is set aside for young families. Comfortable seating, quiet activities, and faith-based toys give children room to absorb the service in their own way while parents worship nearby. Childcare is provided in the nursery for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers throughout the 10:30 service; parents are given pagers, and diaper-changing tables are available in the narthex bathroom, the girls' preschool bathroom near the nursery, and inside the nursery itself.
Music as Worship
Music is called a hallmark of worship at First Presbyterian, and the program is led by Director of Music Ministries and Organist Joseph Jackson and Chancel Choir Director Kent Wattleworth. The Centennial Organ anchors the service - a Reuter Opus 2241 with 54 ranks of pipes installed across three manuals and pedal, the product of a multi-year restoration completed in 2013. Its story stretches back to 1936, when a small fifteen-rank instrument was built by Aeolian-Skinner for Detroit radio station WWJ; it has lived and grown through five decades of additions and rebuilds before reaching its present form.
Surrounding the organ, an accomplished professional quartet of soloists - soprano Audrey Frieberg, soprano Olivia Donnel, tenor Kayvon Kashani-Gharavi, and baritone Bryan Clinthorne - alternate in leading the Offertory each week. The Chancel Choir welcomes all singers, with rehearsals on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The Jubilate Hand Bell Choir rehearses on Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. and welcomes new ringers at any time. The Choral Scholar program, now in its fifth year, brings talented high school and college-age musicians to sing alongside the Chancel Choir and receive mentorship from the music staff.
For younger voices, Sunburst Singers is the children's music program, directed by Audrey Frieberg. Children from preschool through early middle school gather on the first and third Sundays after worship, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., to laugh, sing, and play. The fall 2026 season runs September through June.
Children, Youth, and the Backyard Playroom
First Presbyterian treats the formation of children as a central part of its ministry, not a satellite program. Joyful Journeys, the Sunday school program, walks alongside children from kindergarten through fifth grade using the Living the Word curriculum, which follows the same scripture explored in worship so families can continue the conversation at home. The fall season of Sunday school begins each September, and volunteers - teachers and helpers alike - are always welcome.
For the youngest children, Sunflowers Christian Preschool has been a beloved Royal Oak tradition since 1972. The half-day, Christian-focused program serves three- and four-year-olds through a play-based, pre-academic curriculum that includes gym classes, music activities, and trips to the church library. Three-year-olds attend on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:15 to 11:45 a.m., and four-year-olds attend Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:15 a.m. to noon. The preschool puts on Thanksgiving and Christmas concerts each year and culminates the four-year-old program with a graduation celebration. Jessica Kerfoot serves as preschool teacher and Sarah Gibson as preschool director and teacher.
Older students are served by S.T.A.G.E. Youth Ministry - Somewhere To Ask God Everything - a collaborative youth ministry partnership among four congregations in Royal Oak and Berkley. Directed by Jessica Gibbs, S.T.A.G.E. hosts weekly gatherings on Sundays for students in sixth through twelfth grade, along with service projects, an annual summer mission trip for high schoolers, and Confirmation classes each winter for ninth grade and above. The Confirmation program uses the Big God, Big Questions curriculum and invites youth to express their Statement of Faith through writing, music, photography, or other creative forms.
The Backyard Playroom, run by BYP Coordinator Ashleigh McKnight, extends the church's reach to families with children up to age five throughout the wider community. Open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, the indoor play space is free to access and follows the snow-day closures of the Royal Oak School District. Parents and guardians must be present, snacks are kept to a check-in room across the hall, and a once-a-year liability waiver is required. The space, which moved across Woodward Avenue to its current home in 2024, also hosts birthday parties and family celebrations on weekends.
The Good Book Nook
Just inside the church building, the Good Book Nook is a small, welcoming library stocked with more than 300 brand-new hardcover and board books chosen for their welcoming message. Open to the public during weekday office hours - Monday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - the Nook invites babies through early elementary students, parents, grandparents, caregivers, nannies, and babysitters to settle in with a stack of stories. The collection reflects the church's diversity of family configurations and its Matthew 25 commitment to a more just and welcoming world. The Good Book Nook was created with a grant from an anonymous donor.
Hands-On Mission Across Royal Oak and Beyond
First Presbyterian calls itself a Matthew 25 congregation, joining a Presbyterian Church (USA) initiative that calls disciples to dismantle structural racism, eradicate systemic poverty, and build congregational vitality. That promise takes shape in a year-round schedule of partnerships and hands-on projects.
The Little Free Pantry, installed in August 2019, stands on the church property and offers non-perishables, canned goods, and personal hygiene supplies to anyone who needs them, at any hour of the day. Neighbors help neighbors by donating small items on their way past. Members regularly pack SnackPax bags for the Song and Spirit Center's local children's snack initiative and turn plastic grocery bags into plarn mats for people experiencing homelessness. Periodically the congregation joins Rise Against Hunger and Days for Girls in packaging meals and assembling hygiene kits for women and girls abroad. Common Ground (now part of Lighthouse) is supported through donations of household goods for young people moving into their first apartments.
Funding from the congregation flows to a wider network of partners: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for survivors of crises across the country and around the world, the Arab-American Chaldean Council (which has helped the church support an Afghan family it sponsors), Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners, Open Hands Food Pantry, and Westminster Church of Detroit's Thanksgiving dinner program. The Mission in Service Committee also channels a portion of giving through Shared Mission for Presbytery to local missions not covered by Per Capita gifts.
Adult Faith Formation and Small Groups
Adults at First Presbyterian have a variety of ways to dig deeper. A Sunday Morning Bible Study meets at 9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room, offering a chance to grow spiritually through shared study. In recent seasons, Rev. Emma Nickel has led a Bible in a Year journey, with participants listening to a weekly podcast episode and gathering once a month on a Sunday evening to discuss what they've read. A fall Spiritual Formation Series runs through mid-November, with a focus this year on The Lazarus Life by Stephen W. Smith and the practice of contemplative prayer.
For women of the church, the Naomi-Ruth Circle meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room from September to June, beginning with fellowship and snacks, sharing joys and concerns, and concluding with Bible study using the current Horizons Bible Study produced by Presbyterian Women.
The 5Fs Small Group Ministry is a long-standing tradition. Each group of ten to twelve people gathers around a shared interest or life stage for fun, food, fellowship, friends, and faith, usually meeting once a month at the church or someone's home for a meal and conversation. Members describe their 5Fs group as a steady presence through life's ups and downs.
Care Through Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministry complements pastoral care with one-on-one companionship from trained laypeople. Stephen Ministers complete fifty hours of training in distinctively Christian care and then walk alongside a person experiencing a hospital stay, chronic or terminal illness, bereavement, a job crisis, disability, homebound isolation, loneliness, spiritual crisis, or divorce or separation. The relationship is strictly confidential, and referrals can be initiated by the person, a family member, or a friend. To request a Stephen Minister, members can speak with one of the pastors or a Stephen Leader.
Joining the Congregation
The only requirement for membership in the Presbyterian Church is a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. First Presbyterian recognizes the baptisms of all Christian denominations and welcomes everyone to communion at the Lord's Table. New Member Classes - three Sunday-morning sessions at 9:00 a.m. offered several times each year - introduce visitors to the Christian faith and to the life of this congregation, with childcare provided at every meeting. The third session includes a brunch with the elders and a reception into membership during the 10:30 worship service.
Visitors coming for the first time will find a relaxed atmosphere. God's house does not have a dress code: worshippers arrive in everything from casual clothes to dresses and suits. The church offers two parking lots and pull-in spaces along Hendrie Boulevard. The main lot, bordered by W. 6th Street and S. Pleasant Street, includes accessible spaces for those with mobility challenges, with additional accessible spaces at the second lot along the northeast side of the church on S. Pleasant Street. A receptionist in the Christian Education Lobby greets visitors on Sunday mornings and can direct them to the sanctuary, where greeters offer a further welcome.
Giving and the Sunburst Stewards
First Presbyterian offers a range of giving options to fit different circumstances. Online giving is available through PayPal, recurring gifts can be set up by automatic bank withdrawal, and checks or cash may be placed in the offering or mailed to the church office. Gifts of stock, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and memorial or honor gifts are coordinated through Kari Peruski, the church administrator.
Looking further ahead, the Sunburst Stewards program invites members and friends to include First Presbyterian in their estate plans - through a will, trust, retirement account, life insurance policy, or charitable gift annuity - building the congregation's endowment fund and the future of its mission. The sunburst, visible over the communion table in the sanctuary, is a reminder to carry the light of Christ into the world.
The Forging Faith Podcast
Pastor Emma Nickel hosts The Forging Faith Podcast, a series exploring what happens when spirituality collides with the realities of life. Episodes have covered a cancer diagnosis, immigration and faith, family struggles with depression, building an employee-owned company, rebuilding life after divorce, a law enforcement officer's path from Buddhism back to Christianity, and a final conversation with Pastor Emma reflecting on the first season. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Office and Pastoral Leadership
The pastoral staff is led by Rev. Emma Nickel, an ordained Presbyterian minister who grew up in southwest Virginia, graduated from the College of Wooster and Princeton Theological Seminary, and has served churches in Warren, Michigan, Greensburg, Kentucky, and Louisville, Kentucky. Joelle Jarrait directs the Christian Education program. Kari Peruski serves as church administrator, Sally Gilreath as administrative assistant and wedding coordinator, Derek Helenberger as interim facility manager, Todd Crawford as evening receptionist and security, and Abby Pochron as nursery care worker.
The building is open Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The church can be reached at 248-541-0108 or fpcro@fpcro.org.