At the corner of West Eleven Mile Road and Middlebelt in Farmington Hills, Nardin Park United Methodist Church opens its doors each Sunday morning to two very different expressions of the same faith. At nine o'clock, the praise band Hundredfold leads a come-as-you-are, modern worship experience. At eleven, organ music, hymns, and pulpit preaching fill the sanctuary in a service grounded in the long rhythms of Methodist tradition. The members describe their calling with two simple sentences: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can," a line borrowed from founder John Wesley, and a brisk "Do Good. Show Love." that frames nearly every program offered here.
Two Services, Two Styles of Worship
Sunday mornings at Nardin Park are built around two distinct services that share the same pulpit and the same open communion table.
The 9 AM contemporary service is led by Hundredfold, the church's resident worship band. Casual and conversational, the gathering is designed for those who prefer to step out of the traditional format to strengthen their relationship with God. Modern songs, opportunities to engage in new ways of worship, and a relaxed feel make this the natural starting point for first-time guests and families with younger children.
The 11 AM traditional service holds the roots of classic Methodist worship. Hymnal singing, organ music, and pulpit preaching anchor a more structured rhythm of praise, prayer, and reflection. Both services include an invitation to reflect on how a life of faith changes the way one lives, and both are livestreamed on YouTube so that members at home or in the hospital can worship alongside those in the pews.
Holy Communion is offered on the first Sunday of every month and on special worship occasions including Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Christmas Eve. The table is open to everyone, regardless of church membership or affiliation, and the cup is filled with unfermented grape juice so that anyone recovering from alcohol dependency can fully participate. Children are welcome at the table under the guidance of their parents.
Welcome, Inside and Out
Nardin Park begins its welcome before anyone walks through the door. A volunteer driver network picks up members and friends who need a ride to Sunday worship; riders add their names to a list by calling the church office during weekday hours. Reserved parking near the main entrance on the east side of the building is set aside for first-time guests, and the Sanctuary doors on the east side, along with the Park Place doors on the south side, are the only doors unlocked on Sunday mornings. The sanctuary and surrounding spaces are wheelchair accessible, and hearing assistance is available through a Wi-Fi assistive listening system that connects directly to many hearing aids.
The congregation takes seriously its identity as an open community of faith. "Nardin Park UMC celebrates that everyone is created in God's image and is of sacred worth," the church writes. "We welcome all into full participation in our church without regard to age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, family configurations, religious background, socio-economic situation, citizenship, language, and/or ability." No guest is asked to stand, to wear a name badge, or to identify themselves as a visitor; those who wish can fill out a connection card at the Welcome Center after worship and receive a small gift as a thank-you.
A Detroit Congregation That Moved to Farmington Hills
The story of Nardin Park is essentially a Detroit story that found its second chapter in the suburbs. The congregation was formed in 1927 through the merger of two large Detroit churches, the Grand River Avenue Church, established in 1891, and the Ninde Church, organized in 1886. The merged body began with about 3,000 members and was named for the Nardin Park subdivision and the park beside it, where its first building was erected in 1928 at 5151 West Chicago Avenue. The Depression delayed construction of a sanctuary on that site for a decade, and the completed building was dedicated in 1943 with the help of a $50,000 gift from the Kresge Foundation.
By the early 1960s the congregation had outgrown its Detroit location. Twenty acres were purchased in Farmington Township, ground was broken in 1963, and the members met at East Junior High School on Middlebelt Road while the new church was being built. The present building at 29887 West Eleven Mile Road was ready in September of 1965 and dedicated on October 17, 1965. Building additions in 1972 added Sunday school rooms, a youth room, parlor, choir room, expanded fellowship hall and kitchen, a stage, and a Scout Room. A 1989 addition brought an elevator, a Children's Worship Center, a multi-purpose room, a chapel, a music complex, a courtyard, office space, and offices for the Samaritan Counseling Center, which has shared the campus ever since.
Behind the bricks, the church keeps one of the more extensive congregational archives in the Michigan Conference. Virtually every Sunday worship bulletin from the first services is preserved, alongside newsletters, board minutes, photographs, conference reports dating to the early 1860s, and local church records from the 1880s. The collection is maintained by volunteers in a storage room off the conference room.
Children, Youth, and the Nursery
Children are not an afterthought at Nardin Park; they are a vital part of the family of faith. Sunday school for children from Pre-K through fifth grade meets during the 9 AM service; the children begin in worship with their parents, are dismissed after the offering, and walk together to a single classroom setting where the curriculum is built around the church's season. During summer months the same program continues, with children ages four through fifth grade gathering at 9 AM and dismissed after the Children's Message.
Youth in sixth through twelfth grade meet for Sunday school during the 11 AM service. Teens are dismissed as a group after the offering and head to Park Place, the church's youth space, where weekly Youth Group gatherings run through the school year. Recent mission trips have carried the youth to Motown Mission and Henderson Settlement, and confirmation classes have included visits to neighboring faith communities to learn about Judaism. Off-campus events such as movie nights and scavenger hunts are offered periodically.
Newborns through toddlers and two-, three-, and four-year-olds have their own age-appropriate rooms on the main floor, with guided learning experiences each week for children who are at least two. Every volunteer who interacts with children has signed the Nardin Park Policy for the Protection of Children, completed a background check, and had their references checked, so parents can drop off their children knowing that every staff member and helper has been screened and trained. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade also have Sunday school classes, and a youth-led Sign-In form is filled out each Sunday to ensure that, in case of emergency, parents can be reached quickly.
Music at the Heart of Worship
Music has been central to Nardin Park's identity for nearly four decades. The church's Music Series, founded in 1987, has brought professional and semi-professional concerts to the Farmington Hills community for more than thirty years, supported entirely by donations from Music Patrons whose names are printed in every concert program. The summer series and special concerts fill the sanctuary with performances that range from choral and classical works to the kind of community-choir showcase that has made the series a Farmington Hills tradition.
Inside weekly worship, three ensembles carry the music of the church. The Chancel Choir, open to college-age singers and beyond with no audition required, sings most weeks at the 11 AM service and offers special performances throughout the year; rehearsals are held on Sundays at 12:30 PM and Thursdays at 7:30 PM. The Nardin Park Ringers, the church's handbell ensemble, is open to college-age students and adults, with prior experience helpful but not required; the ringers perform every four to six weeks and over the holidays, rehearsing on Tuesday evenings. Hundredfold, the contemporary band, rehearses on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 PM and an audition is required to join. Together these ensembles serve the two Sunday services and the broader Music Series concerts that have given the church a reputation beyond its own walls.
Sacraments of Welcome
United Methodists recognize two sacraments, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, and Nardin Park practices both with an open door. Communion, also called the Eucharist or the Last Supper, is offered on the first Sunday of every month and on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Christmas Eve. The bread and the cup are served by the pastors with frequent help from lay members of the church, and grape juice stands in for wine so that no one is excluded.
Baptism is offered at every age. Because baptism is understood as God's initiative in loving us before we can respond, infants may be baptized, with their parents speaking on their behalf and pledging to nurture them in the faith. Extended families are encouraged to be present. The congregation also welcomes older youth and adults into the waters of baptism, and a Confirmation Class is offered each year for teenagers who decide to claim for themselves the promises made at their infant baptism. The validity of baptisms performed in other Christian traditions is recognized, and no one is asked to be baptized twice in order to join the Nardin Park family of faith.
Twenty-Five Mission Ministries Beyond the Church
Nardin Park runs one of the more extensive lay-led mission structures in the Michigan Conference. Every member of the church is invited, though not required, to join one of twenty-five Mission/Ministry groups under the umbrella title "Mission/Ministry Beyond the Church." Each group is made up of three to seven people, who prayerfully commit to serving outside the church for the transformation of the world. Assignments are made by random draw to give equal access, and each group meets for prayer before and after its activities. Progress is reported quarterly.
The list of active Mission/Ministry groups reaches from the back yard to the hospital bedside. Neighbor in the Hood tackles yard cleanups and neighborhood beautification. Personal Buddy pairs members with residents of hospitals and rehabilitation centers for Bible reading, conversation, and prayer. The Canteen Team hands out bottles of water in local parks. Community Green plants trees and shrubs. Kitchen if U Can sends volunteers to area food and soup kitchens at least once a month. Two Hour Crew offers respite care to caregivers. Circuit Rider Bible Study launches neighborhood Bible studies in homes that rotate from house to house. Cover Thy Neighbors runs a yearlong blanket drive for the homeless, paired with street distribution. Operation Cover-Up collects hats and gloves. "Sucker for Christ" hands out candy with the church's address and a Bible verse. Hands and Feet shops and does light cleaning for homebound neighbors. The Mail Room writes three prayers a month to strangers. Prison Ministry leads Bible studies for incarcerated men and women after special preparation and training. Have and Hold volunteers to hold newborn babies in local hospitals. Stitches of Love knits, sews, and crochets prayer shawls and lap blankets. P.A.C.K., the Pastor's Army of Christian Kindness, accepts assignments without knowing in advance what the work will be. Cass Community Social Services volunteers serve at the Cass campus and in the wider community. Have Prayer Will Travel sends teams into public areas to pray with strangers on the spot. Personal Cheer Squad shows up to support youth at public school sports, musicals, and cultural events. "Shorts and Sports" supplies basketballs, volleyballs, and soccer balls to neighborhood children. Crossroads of Michigan provides volunteers at the Detroit agency that operates the city's only Sunday soup kitchen. Backpacks and Coats for Kids collect and distribute those basic needs to school-age children. Thank You Cookies bakes small gifts of gratitude for teachers, firefighters, and other public servants.
Beyond the M/M list, longer-running partnerships tie the church to specific organizations. Crossroads of Michigan receives an annual Christmas Dinner Party for 300 of its clients, complete with dinner, entertainment, and gifts of clothing and personal care items. Every other month, a team of five volunteers delivers food through Focus: HOPE to seniors in the Pontiac area. Cass Community Social Services, Crossroads of Michigan, Samaritan Counseling Center of Michigan, the Baldwin Center, and Samaritas, an organization that walks with documented immigrants during their first five years in the country, all carry Nardin Park volunteers into the wider Detroit region.
The Bike Ministry
One mission in particular has rolled far past its original scope. First Kid Wheels was created to put new eighteen-inch bicycles, helmets, and locks into the hands of children in the Farmington schools, ages seven to ten, who have never had a bike. Sponsors can underwrite an entire package for $200; the bikes are assembled and distributed at a church celebration in early summer. In one recent year, thirty-seven bikes went to children in the Farmington schools who had never owned a new bike, and another seventeen bikes went to children identified by the local initiative Operation Common Good.
The Bike Ministry now reaches further. Nardin Park partners with Samaritas, which has requested adult bicycles for documented-immigrant clients who need reliable transportation to work and the grocery store. Used bikes in working condition are collected for repair and redistribution, and the ministry continues to grow under the leadership of longtime chair Pat Lange. Anyone with a bike to donate, a check to write, or a few hours of repair work to share can call the church office to be put in touch.
Pastoral Care and Stephen Ministry
Behind the choirs, the choirs of volunteers, and the programs that reach outward, a quieter network of pastoral care holds the church together. Rev. Dr. Anthony Hood, the Lead Pastor, and Rev. Monica William, the Pastor of Congregational Care, share the preaching and the workload of weddings, funerals, hospital visits, and counseling. The two pastors are joined by a team of Stephen Ministers, laity of the congregation who have completed fifty hours of training and provide confidential one-to-one listening and support to anyone going through illness, grief, divorce, personal transition, or any other difficult season. Stephen Ministry training classes are held periodically, and additional Stephen Ministers are always being added.
Pastoral counseling is also available through the Samaritan Counseling Center of Michigan, which keeps offices on the Nardin Park campus and supports clients across southeast Michigan with therapy, grief support, and other services. The relationship between Nardin Park and Samaritan Counseling has been a part of the church's outreach for decades.
Weddings at Nardin Park
Weddings are described by the pastors as "a covenant, a sacred promise to value the other person in an everlasting relationship as much as we value ourselves." The sanctuary, which seats six hundred, and the chapel, which seats one hundred, are both available for wedding ceremonies along with fellowship halls and conference rooms for receptions, with audio technicians, custodians, and kitchen access available for an additional charge.
The church's pastoral staff reserves the right to officiate all weddings held on campus, though exceptions are considered case by case. Premarital counseling of three to six sessions is required for every couple, and a wedding coordinator, whose fee is included in the wedding package, walks each couple through the planning. The standard ceremony includes a gathering, the seating of parents and grandparents, a processional, a greeting, declarations of intent, a response from family and friends, prayers, scripture, a reflection, vows, the blessing and exchange of rings, an optional unity candle or sand ceremony, the declaration of marriage, a blessing, the Lord's Prayer, an introduction, and a recessional.
Weddings are scheduled in a four-hour window with two hours for dressing, one hour for the ceremony, and one hour to clean up and exit the premises. Rehearsals are scheduled between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM the day before, and the marriage license is brought to that rehearsal. Real flower petals, rice, confetti, nails, tacks, and staples are not permitted in the sanctuary. Photography is allowed from five pews from the front before the ceremony and from the rear of the sanctuary during the ceremony, with no flash. Videographers may record from the balcony only. Alcohol, smoking, and vaping are prohibited anywhere on the property, including the parking lot, with the deposit forfeited and the wedding subject to cancellation if any evidence of use is found. Member fees total $1,800 ($300 refundable deposit plus $1,500 in personnel and building fees); non-member fees total $2,900 ($500 refundable plus $2,400). Three to six premarital counseling sessions are included in the pastor's fee, and families enduring financial hardship are invited to talk with the pastor about a simpler service.
Funerals and the Memorial Garden
When a member of the church family dies, the pastors and the Stephen Ministers step into a new role. Families are encouraged to call the church office as soon as possible so that arrangements can begin with the pastors, who will help select scripture readings, hymns, an order of worship, and the special music that mark a Nardin Park funeral. Pastors will officiate at the church or, for members, at a funeral home; outside clergy are welcome to offer prayer, read scripture, or share a musical selection, with the presiding pastor's approval.
Members may use the Sanctuary, the Chapel, Mercer Hall, and pastoral services at no charge; non-members are assessed fees for facilities, pastoral services, musicians, and A/V technicians. A reception in Mercer Hall can be arranged through the Bereavement Committee, and outside caterers are welcome with valid documentation. The Nardin Park Memorial Garden, a tranquil courtyard created for the interment of ashes, is available to church members for a $400 fee that covers the continuing care of the garden; a plaque on the adjacent hallway records the names of all those interred, and a copy of the list is kept in the church office. Memorial contributions to the church are gratefully accepted, and families can direct gifts to outside agencies through the funeral director as well. Grief support continues after the service through Stephen Ministry, Samaritan Counseling Center therapists, and the pastors.
Adult Connecting Groups
Adult life at Nardin Park flows through an active calendar of connecting groups, all listed on a single shared schedule and easy to drop in on. The Saturday Morning Men's Book Group meets in person at the church from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. A separate Men's Group Study gathers on Saturdays from 8:30 to 10:00 AM via Zoom. The Tuesday Women's Study Group gathers every other Tuesday at 10:00 AM in the Conference Room, with books and videos chosen by the participants. Evening Star, a multigenerational circle of Nardin Park women, supports United Methodist Women through monthly evenings of food, fellowship, and a shared program. Stitches of Love, the prayer-shawl ministry, meets in the Multi-Purpose Room on Wednesday mornings to knit, crochet, and sew together. The Nardineer Artisans bread-baking group gathers early on the Saturday before the first Sunday of every month to bake bread and treats for the next day's services, with the youth selling extra sweets after worship to support their mission trip. FilmGoers watches a preselected film at home and gathers for conversation in a local coffeehouse. Stephen Ministers meet regularly after completing training, and a Stephen Leader is available to talk with anyone interested in joining.
Beyond the regular calendar, music programming and seasonal offerings weave through the year. Adult and intergenerational music ensembles include the Chancel Choir, the Nardin Park Ringers, and the Hundredfold band. Music Series concerts, free community performances, and summer concerts in the park round out the programming. A Marriage Ministry and Stephen Ministry walk with couples and individuals through the seasons of life.
Beliefs and United Methodist Connection
Nardin Park's beliefs flow directly from the United Methodist tradition. "United Methodists are not a people of a creed, but of personal experience," the church writes. The two sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion stand at the center of worship, and the work of the church is to invite people to experience the grace of God and to support them as they grow in the knowledge and love of God. Grace is understood as God's active and continuous presence: a gift rather than a reward, a witness through scripture, a claim on our lives through Jesus Christ, a sharing through loving relationships and service, and the means by which the gospel is woven into daily life.
United Methodism itself is described by the church as the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States, with more than eight million members in this country and another 1.5 million in 165 nations around the world. Methodism's "connectionalism" is structured like a government: the General Conference as the legislative branch, the Council of Bishops as the executive branch, and the Judicial Council as the constitutional court, all governed by the Book of Discipline, which is revised every four years. The Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church is the regional body within which Nardin Park serves, sharing in the support of leadership development, church planting, congregational support, and mission across the state.
Leadership and Governance
The pastoral team is led by Rev. Dr. Anthony Hood, a Detroit native and graduate of Northwestern University, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Ecumenical Theological Seminary. Ordained an Elder by the Detroit Annual Conference in 2004, Dr. Hood earned his Doctor of Ministry from Ecumenical Theological Seminary in 2011, and previously served Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, Berea St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Highland Park, Scott Memorial United Methodist Churches in Detroit, and First United Methodist Church of Farmington before coming to Nardin Park. He can be reached at ARHood@npumc.org.
Rev. Monica William is an ordained United Methodist clergywoman with two decades of pastoral leadership and a recent pastorate at West Bloomfield United Methodist Church. She currently serves as President of the West Bloomfield Clergy-Community Forum and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan, a historic United Methodist campus ministry. Her ministry at Nardin Park focuses on congregational care, weddings, funerals, preaching, and consultation. She can be reached at mwilliam@npumc.org.
The program staff includes Martha Piesko, the Director of Children and Youth Ministries, a retired early childhood educator with thirty years at Detroit Public Schools who most recently directed the children's and youth ministries at Orchard Lake Community Presbyterian before joining Nardin Park. Jack Chefan, the Director of Music and Worship, leads Hundredfold, directs the choirs and handbell ensemble, and coordinates the Music Series. A full administrative team supports the work of the church, and the Leadership Board meets monthly with minutes shared with the congregation. Lay Leader Mike Marks, Board Chair Rachel Leftwich, and Cochair John Gingrich lead the board alongside members Paul Kochan, Pat Lange, Doug Doggett Sr., and Corinne Dowell.
Giving and Financial Stewardship
Generosity is part of Nardin Park's grammar of faith. Electronic giving is available through a secure online portal, recurring gifts can be scheduled and managed online, and members can text a whole-dollar amount to 844-231-1970 to give from a phone. Checks may be mailed to the church office, and an Estimate of Giving card can be submitted to plan a yearly pledge. Statements of contributions are mailed each January for the previous calendar year, with interim statements sent after three, six, and nine months. Nardin Park's stewardship reflects a commitment to wise and faithful management; the church conducts an internal budgeting process and an annual audit, and the financial integrity of the church is reviewed by the Leadership Board.
Estate planning is encouraged as a final act of stewardship, with the church helping members minimize taxes, provide for family and retirement, and grow the charitable gifts that will continue to support the ministries they love. Pastoral staff and the Financial Bookkeeper are available to walk through the options.
Visiting Nardin Park
First-time guests are invited to park in the specially designated spaces near the Sanctuary doors on the east side of the building and to enter through those doors or through the Park Place doors on the south side. The 9 AM contemporary service is a relaxed, family-friendly option, and the 11 AM traditional service is the place to find organ music and the full choir. A nursery is open on the main floor for newborns through four-year-olds, and Sunday school is offered for children from Pre-K through twelfth grade.
Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and the office is closed on Friday. The main phone number is 248-476-8860; the general email is info@npumc.org. Both services are livestreamed on YouTube under the channel NardinParkUMC, where previous services can be rewatched at any time. The church's main social media accounts are Facebook at facebook.com/npumc and Instagram at instagram.com/nardinparkumc, and a weekly e-blast keeps subscribers in touch with everything from announcements and donation drives to the Music Series. A separate Samaritan Counseling Center of Michigan, with its own number at 248-474-4701, shares the campus for those seeking professional counseling. Whatever brings a guest through the door, the pastors and the congregation stand ready to welcome them, walk with them, and invite them to join in the work of doing good and showing love.