An Independent Congregation on Fort Street
Since 1925, the Lincoln Park Church of Christ has gathered at 2957 Fort Street in Lincoln Park, Michigan, a Downriver suburb south of Detroit. The congregation is independent, self-governed, and rooted in the Bible-centered tradition that defines the Churches of Christ. Members describe themselves as "simply Christians seeking to honor God as we worship and praise Him and serve Him in our daily lives." Sunday morning brings Bible classes for every age and a worship service built on the New Testament pattern of prayer, a cappella singing, the Lord's Supper, giving, and preaching. Sunday evenings on the second and fourth Sundays of the month bring a second service. The rest of the week gathers ladies and men around the table, opens a food pantry for neighbors in need, and supports a network of mission points across the country and around the world.
Sunday Morning: Bible Class for All Ages at 9:30
Before the service, the building hums with Bible classes from 9:30 to 10:15 AM. The Sunday School wing is bright and cheerful, and teachers greet the children with a smile before leading them in the day's lesson. The curriculum runs from a Cradle Roll class for the youngest through high school students, with a comprehensive program to help parents teach their children about their origin, purpose, and destiny. Adults meet in the main auditorium and in the basement fellowship room. The classes rotate with the quarter, and across the year they include young adult classes, marriage enrichment classes, parenting assistance, ladies and men's classes, special classes for senior women, and an introductory class for new Christians that helps ground them in their faith. Video-based classes on a variety of topics round out the schedule from time to time.
Worship Service at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium
At 10:30 AM the whole congregation gathers in the auditorium for the Sunday worship service. The leaders call it simple and heart-felt, built around five acts patterned on the New Testament: prayer, singing, the Lord's Supper, giving, and preaching.
Prayer is offered at several points during the service. Different men in the congregation lead the prayers, conveying thanks for God's blessings and bringing requests before Him. Members generally bow their heads and close their eyes as a sign of reverence.
Singing is a cappella, without any instrumental accompaniment. The practice reflects the church's reading of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, and it means every voice in the room is part of the music. A song leader announces each number and the words appear either in the songbooks in the pew racks or on the projection screen up front. Visitors are welcomed to sing along or simply to listen.
Communion sits at the heart of the service. Unleavened bread and grape juice are passed from row to row every Sunday as a reminder of Christ's death, following the example in Acts 20:7. Members sit quietly for a few minutes and reflect on the love that moved God to give His own Son. Paul wrote, "we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). Guests are not asked to participate, but no one is excluded either.
Giving follows the Lord's Supper. Collection baskets are passed to the pews so members can express their gratitude to God for what they have been given. Because the Lincoln Park Church of Christ is an independent congregation, all the funds collected are used to further the work of the church, for evangelism and benevolence both locally and around the world. Visitors are not asked or expected to give. Online giving is also available through the giving page.
Preaching runs about thirty minutes. The sermon opens a Bible passage and explains what it means and how it applies. Most Sundays the church's preaching minister guides the lesson; occasionally a guest speaker steps in. At the close of the message an invitation is extended: anyone who wishes to be baptized, or who would like to have the church pray for them, is welcome to walk to the front of the auditorium during the closing song.
Evening Worship on the Second and Fourth Sundays
The Sunday rhythm continues that evening for those who can return. On the second and fourth Sundays of each month, the auditorium opens again at 6:00 PM for an evening service that mirrors the morning in its five acts of worship, giving members and visitors a second opportunity to gather around the Lord's Table and the preached word in a single weekend.
Wednesday Nights at 7:00 PM
Mid-week, the church gathers again on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM for Bible study and a devotional. Bible classes are offered for all ages and run about forty minutes. The Wednesday night is set aside to study God's Word and to encourage each other in the daily walk of faith. At least one adult class runs each Wednesday in addition to the youth and children's offerings.
Helping Hands: Ladies Who Sew, Pack, and Send
Helping Hands is the church's ladies' service ministry. The group meets monthly to put their God-given talents to work, blessing others in the community and abroad. Locally, they sew decorated fabric bags for area hospitals, filled with books, paper, crayons, and small toys that are delivered to Children's Hospital of Detroit for children in the Emergency Department. Beyond the metro area, the ladies assemble Safe Birthing Kits for medical missions in Africa and Haiti, and sew dresses and shorts for Little Dresses for Africa. All ladies are welcome and encouraged to join, regardless of skill level.
The Samaritan Ladies Group on Thursdays
The Samaritan Group meets weekly on Thursdays. The ladies in the group devote themselves to reaching out in love by sharing cards of happiness, sympathy, encouragement, and congratulations for all kinds of achievements. That includes people putting on Christ in baptism, members placing membership with the Lincoln Park family, birthdays, marriages, and anyone who simply needs a little extra care. The first hour is given to fellowship over lunch; the second hour is spent on outreach.
Men's Breakfast on the First Saturday
On the first Saturday of each month, the men of the church meet for breakfast at Christoff's on Allen Road in Woodhaven at 9:00 AM. The gathering runs until 11:00 AM.
The Food Pantry on Fort Street
The Lincoln Park Church of Christ operates a food pantry to assist residents of Lincoln Park. The pantry opens on Fridays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and provides non-perishable food. To make an appointment, residents call the church office at 313-928-5810; a photo ID with a current Lincoln Park address is required. Volunteers in this ministry help by purchasing food for the pantry. The congregation's hope is to reach the spiritual needs of many by meeting their physical needs.
Walk 4 Water, MAGI Boxes, and House to House
Beyond the local Downriver area, the Lincoln Park Church of Christ supports a long list of mission efforts. The most visible is Walk 4 Water, an annual walk through Healing Hands International in Nashville that raises money to drill and repair wells in Haiti and other countries.
M.A.G.I. - Making a Godly Impact is the church's signature outreach. MAGI boxes are given to local churches and missionaries for distribution in impoverished communities in places like Zambia, Honduras, and Mexico. Each box is delivered in person along with a Bible and an invitation to learn more about Jesus. The House to House Heart to Heart program is a teaching tool: for one dollar, three families can be reached with the gospel in a loving, conversational way. Orphan's Lifeline brings hope to the world's orphans.
Mission Points From Mexicantown to Strasbourg
Domestically, the church supports a Hispanic ministry in the Mexicantown area of southwest Detroit. In northern Michigan, missionary Dale Duverney works with the Rogers City Church of Christ and the Harbor Springs Church of Christ. The Oscoda Church of Christ is a sister congregation, and Escanaba, Michigan hosts a TV ministry that has long carried Lincoln Park's teaching into homes across the Upper Peninsula.
Internationally, the church partners with the church of Christ in Strasbourg, France, established in 2001 and meeting in a rented space near the Civil Hospital and in members' homes. The congregation also supports Bibles for China, providing God's Word to Christians in rural China, and India Missions, helping missionaries find their place from their own homes while maximizing the impact of every donation.
A Sermon Archive That Goes Back Decades
The preaching ministry has produced a deep archive that goes back many years. Hundreds of sermons are searchable by topic, series, book of the Bible, speaker, and date. Topics range across baptism, prayer, the Holy Spirit, marriage, prophecy, parenting, anxiety, leadership, repentance, end times, the cross, and many more. Series have walked through Matthew, John, Acts, Luke, Revelation, Hebrews, Proverbs, and other books of the Bible. The same lessons are uploaded to the church's YouTube channel, and the audio is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Pocket Casts.
What the Church Believes
Christ is the focal point of all that the church does and teaches. The Bible is the church's textbook, studied and taught at every meeting, from the Cradle Roll through adult classes and always in worship. Members affirm that they live by faith, not by sight, walking by the commandments the apostles gave in Christ's name, since without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Worship is offered in spirit and in truth, built on prayer, a cappella singing, the Lord's Supper every Sunday, the giving of thanks, and the preaching of the Word. The church's plan of salvation in its teaching outlines the steps found in scripture: hearing the gospel, believing, repenting, confessing Christ, and being baptized for the remission of sins.
First-Time Visitors on Fort Street
Anyone walking in for the first time will find a friendly, family-oriented congregation. Members come from every race, educational background, and economic level, and the ages in the pews run from newborn babies to senior citizens. No one is asked to stand up and introduce themselves, and there is no dress code; some come casually dressed, others more formally. The church wants visitors to feel comfortable, and every member makes it their goal to be the friendliest church you have ever attended. A personal Bible study can be arranged at the building, in a home, or over Zoom by filling out a contact form online. As the church writes, the seat is already saved.