On Coit Avenue, North of the River
North Park Baptist Church sits at 3365 Coit Avenue NE on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The congregation describes itself as "a group of flawed people who daily experience God's grace" and gathers under a simple motto: Be Disciples. Make Disciples. For the Glory of God. Visitors stepping onto the campus on a Sunday morning find a self-contained ministry complex with a sanctuary, a children's wing, classrooms, and gathering spaces that bear names like The Peak, The Underground, and Room 303, each one signaling a different stage of the discipleship journey the church has mapped out for its members.
The church is affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches and shares fellowship with The Gospel Coalition. Pastors also maintain encouragement partnerships with several local outreach ministries in Grand Rapids, including Alpha Men's and Women's Centers, Life Matters Worldwide, Hand2Hand Ministries, and L.E.A.D. (which houses the Women at Risk ministry). Together, these partnerships shape a church that is local, evangelical, and broadly engaged with the surrounding community and the world beyond it.
What They Believe
North Park organizes its teaching into three categories: essentials, doctrines, and preferences. The framing quote on the church's statement of faith, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity," sets the tone. Essentials are the doctrines the church holds as universally Christian and binding on every believer; doctrines are positions the local church holds as biblical and significant but distinctively Baptist; preferences are matters of style and taste that are not binding.
Under essentials, the church affirms the authority of the Bible, declaring the sixty-six books fully inspired by God, without error in the original manuscripts, and the divine rule by which all people will be held accountable. North Park teaches that God is triune, one in essence and three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in power and authority. The church confesses the absolute deity and full humanity of Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, crucified, raised on the third day, and coming again to earth as He left. Humankind, in this teaching, was created in God's image but fell into sin through Adam, leaving the human race spiritually lost and in need of salvation. Salvation, the church holds, comes only by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The statement of faith closes with the literal return of Christ, a future judgment, heaven for those who have accepted God's promises, and hell as a place of eternal torment for those who have rebelled.
The full statement of faith is available as a downloadable PDF, with extensive Scripture references attached to every article.
Seven Core Values
The church's teaching and culture are organized around seven stated core values, each one rooted in specific passages of Scripture.
Gospel-Centered means the death and resurrection of Jesus is not only the entry point of faith but the daily substance of it. Members are expected to rely on the Gospel every day, to extend grace and forgiveness quickly, and to be known for the love and unity Jesus gave as markers of His followers.
Biblical teaching means the Scriptures guide every belief and behavior. Sermons, Life Groups, and other ministries teach the Bible clearly. Elders guard the church from false doctrine by vetting teachers, writing curriculum, and reviewing outside materials before they are used.
Discipling is the engine of everything else. The home is treated as the primary place where faith is nurtured, and the church supports parents, couples, and grandparents with resources. Marriage ministries help couples before and during marriage, intentional D-groups foster deeper spiritual growth, and the church comes alongside those who have lost loved ones.
Serving recognizes that spiritual gifts exist primarily for the benefit of others and the glory of God. Members are encouraged to find places to serve, to be trained for leadership, to bear one another's burdens, and to meet the tangible needs of those they pray for.
Welcoming means that every person who walks through the door is valued. The church seeks to be a community of hospitality, practicing the "one-anothers" of the Bible so that newcomers and longtime members alike encounter the love of God through the actions of the body.
Missional frames every believer as a disciple-maker. Members are equipped to reach their sphere of influence, the church partners with ministries and other local congregations across greater Grand Rapids, and it supports missionaries who go to the nations.
Generous giving is the final value. Members are called to be generous with their time, leadership, resources, finances, and teaching, including sharing the children's ministry curriculum with other churches that need it.
Sunday at North Park
The week at North Park has a clear rhythm. Sunday Worship begins at 9:30 am, gathering the whole church family in the sanctuary for congregational singing in a variety of musical styles and clear, expository preaching with teaching that aims at life application. The 9:30 am service is also the time when children meet for their Sunday-morning programming in the children's wing.
At 11:00 am the Discipleship Hour begins. Most Life Groups meet on the church campus at this hour, and young adults gather in Room 303. Middle school students (grades 6-8) meet in a space called The Peak, while high school students (grades 9-12) meet in The Underground. Children are welcomed into Kids Connection during this hour as well.
On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, the building fills up again. Kids Connection runs from kindergarten through fifth grade, with games, music, a Bible lesson, memory work, small-group time, and a skit, all designed to tie into the same devotional passages being taught on Sundays. Students in grades 6 through 12 meet together in the Auditorium for youth group. Bible 101, an in-depth Bible study walking through roughly thirty passages from Genesis 1 to Revelation 21, also meets at 6:30 pm on Wednesdays so that parents can drop their children off in the nursery, children's classes, or youth group while they attend. Friendship Club, the ministry for adults with cognitive disabilities, meets Wednesdays at 6:30 pm from September through May. And GriefShare, the church's grief-recovery support group, meets Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:00 pm.
What to Expect on a First Visit
The church takes seriously the awkwardness of a first visit to any church. Conveniently located visitor parking sits close to the main entrance. Greeters wearing name tags meet visitors at the doors and, if a family has children, will walk them to the children's ministry wing for check-in. Ushers inside the sanctuary help find seats. During the service, music is sung in a variety of styles and the sermon is described as clear Biblical teaching with application for daily life.
After the service, programming continues for all ages during the Discipleship Hour from 11:00 am to noon. Visitors are encouraged to stick around for a Life Group, where the church says they will find a warm, smaller-group setting where real people help each other work through the struggles and challenges of life.
Children's and student programming is built around safety as well as fun. Every volunteer passes a background check and receives ongoing specialized training. From nursery through Senior High, young people are taught by carefully chosen, godly, loving role-models. In the nursery through kindergarten classrooms, each child wears a name tag with a Family ID number, allergies, and any special instructions, and parents receive a matching card required to pick the child up. A published child safety plan is available as a downloadable PDF.
Kids Ministry: From Nursery Through Fifth Grade
North Park treats the discipleship of children as one of its central tasks. The Kids Ministry is divided into three tiers.
Nursery serves babies and crawlers together, with toddlers separated from the littlest ones, and is available during all Sunday and Wednesday services so parents can worship and attend classes with confidence.
Pre-K and Elementary classes run from preschool through fifth grade. Dedicated teachers partner with parents to teach "the praiseworthy deeds of God" in the Bible and to show children their need of trusting Jesus Christ. Classes are grouped by age so children can worship and develop spiritually at their level, and they are gradually introduced to the adult worship services.
Kids Connection, which meets Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, is for kindergarten through fifth grade. It connects kids with God, with one another, and with adults who care about them. The teaching in Kids Connection ties directly into the daily devotionals distributed by the church and the lessons taught on Sunday mornings, so the same passage of Scripture is being studied at home, in the car, and in the classroom.
The church also equips parents with free discipleship resources. Bible Talks offers five-minute studies and discussion guides walking families through 79 of the Bible's biggest questions. Eat Your Bible Devotionals breaks the big stories of Scripture into kid-friendly, bite-sized chunks sized for a phone, so families can work through the Bible's grand narrative together.
Student Ministry: Breakaway for Middle and High School
Students in grades 6 through 12 are served by a ministry that calls its youth gatherings Breakaway. On Sundays at 11:00 am, middle schoolers meet in The Peak and high schoolers meet in The Underground for the Discipleship Hour. On Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, all students in grades 6 through 12 come together in the Auditorium for youth group. The Student Ministry also maintains its own Facebook page and email list for ongoing updates. Jarrod Swarr, the Director of Student Ministries, oversees the work.
Young Adults in Room 303
For young adults, North Park offers a community that meets Sundays at 11:00 am in Room 303. The group gathers for book studies, video series, topical curriculum, and other teaching formats designed to help members become wise and faithful followers of Christ. Outside of Sunday mornings, the group plans regular activities and welcomes anyone who simply wants to show up.
Life Groups: Smaller Communities for Real Life
Life Groups are the backbone of adult ministry at North Park. The church describes them as life-changing communities where members belong in a welcome and accepted group, believe by getting to know Jesus better through His Word and His people, and become the person God designed them to be. Most Life Groups meet on Sunday mornings at 11:00 am at the church building, though others meet at various times throughout the week in homes and at the church.
Friendship Club: A Place for Adults with Cognitive Disabilities
One of the distinctive ministries at North Park is Friendship Club, a Wednesday-evening ministry for adults with cognitive disabilities. The club meets at 6:30 pm from September through May and exists to share God's love with people who have cognitive disabilities and enable them to become active members of God's family. The underlying convictions are simple: every person is created in God's image and deserves love, friendship, and justice; redemption is a gift from God that is not dependent on a certain level of intelligence; and the church is complete only when it includes all of God's children. A separate registration form is available for new clubbers.
GriefShare and Waiting in Hope
For those walking through grief, the church hosts GriefShare, a video-based grief-recovery support group that meets Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at the church building. The program is part of a nationally known network of grief-recovery groups.
For couples navigating infertility, the church offers Waiting in Hope, a seven-week small-group study that meets from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the evenings. The current study focuses on prayer in the waiting. A sign-up form is available.
Discipleship Pathway: Know, Share, Learn, Love
North Park has organized its ministries into a four-step Discipleship Pathway designed to take members from a first decision all the way to active disciple-making. Step one, Know God, happens through worship and teaching each Sunday. Step two, Share Community, happens in Life Groups. Step three, Learn Discipleship, happens in D-groups, smaller, intentional gatherings for accountability and the cultivation of spiritual habits. Step four, Love the World, happens through evangelism, missions, and service in the church, the local community, and the world.
The church also runs a Bible Reading Plan each year, with selected passages to be read together as a congregation, along with a printable HEAR Journal available in the foyer and online for those who want a simple method of studying the passages as the preaching series moves through them. Sermon Leftovers, a podcast hosted by Lead Pastor Phil Severn, continues the conversation from each week's sermon and responds to follow-up questions sent in by the church family.
Reaching Out: Missions Near and Far
The missions program is built around a long list of missionaries and partner organizations the church supports financially and in prayer. Active missionaries include Robert Blazer (Colombia), Tim and Andrea Blazer (Brazil), Ryan and Amparo P. (Southeast Asia), Jordan and Joci Salisbury (Philippines), David and Emily Stroup (Ecuador), and Jonathan and Hannah Victor (Tamil Nadu, India). Missionaries serving in the United States include Paul and Geri Briggs, George and Debra Collins, Doug and Sharon Martin, Jeff and Deb Minniear, Jon and Kris Shepherd, Elaina Southwell, Randy and Sarah Southwell, and James and Beth Wittenberger.
The church also partners with several ministries and camps, including Alpha Grand Rapids (a local pregnancy and parenting resource), Life Matters Worldwide (promoting sanctity-of-life initiatives across Michigan), Urban Transformation Ministries in Grand Rapids, Baptist Children's Home in Valparaiso, Indiana, and two camps: Lake Ann Camp in Lake Ann, Michigan, and Lincoln Lake Camp in Greenville, Michigan. A retired missionaries list includes Don and Pat Block, Ken and Sharon Floyd, Larry and Pat Groat, Doug and Sharon Kreeger, Carl and Lori Kresge, and Marilyn VandenAkker.
The Team Behind the Ministry
Phil Severn serves as Lead Pastor, hosts the Sermon Leftovers podcast, and preaches most Sundays. John Nixon is Executive Pastor and oversees the Life Groups ministry, also preaching regularly. Tom Rohrer serves as Pastor Emeritus. Andy Doane is Pastor of Family Discipleship. Jarrod Swarr is the Director of Student Ministries, with Alyse Swarr as Student Ministries Assistant. Ben De Leeuw directs congregational worship. Bev Frueh is the Office Manager. Darris Desgranges is the Maintenance Director, supported by Andy Summerfield.
The church is governed by a board of elders that includes Phil Severn, John Nixon, Andy Doane, Tom Rohrer, Joe Dakoske, Keith DeBoer, Caleb Bryant, Larry High, and Carl Kresge. Two teams of deacons serve the congregation. The Admin Deacons are Mike Lockard, Andy Adomaitis, Chris McCahill, David Larson, Dylan Desgranges, John Livezey, Eric Frandsen, and Ben Furey. The Mercy Deacons are Eric Looman, Ben De Leeuw, Jericho Emmons, Luke Martin, Dave Van Stensel, Mark Waters, and Dennis White.
Baptism, Membership, and the Next Steps
For those who want to take the next step of publicly identifying with Jesus Christ, the church practices baptism by immersion as a beautiful picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Prospective members are invited to a five-week New Connections Class that meets at various times throughout the year. The class is a no-obligation opportunity to learn about the church's mission and vision, meet the pastors, and understand the doctrinal foundation, the same foundation laid out in the Statement of Faith PDF.
Sermons, Podcast, and Giving
Sermons are posted weekly and are available both to watch and to listen to, with audio downloads for each message. Recent series have included Joshua: Walking in the Promises, working through the book of Joshua chapter by chapter; I AM: Jesus in His Own Words, a study through the "I am" statements in John's Gospel; 1 Timothy: God's Design for the Church; Men and Women: God's Design for the Church, the Home, and the World; and a year-long Foundations series walking through the Bible from start to finish. The Sermon Leftovers podcast continues the discussion after each message.
Members and visitors can give through Church Center online, by check or cash during any weekly service, by mail to the church office, by automatic bill-pay through most banks and credit unions, or by text message. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and personal giving envelopes are available at the Welcome Desk.
The church maintains an active Facebook page, an Instagram account, and a YouTube channel that streams services and hosts the Sermon Leftovers podcast. A Church Center platform manages giving, event registration, and sign-ups.
From the Coit Avenue campus, North Park Baptist Church opens its doors each Sunday to a city it has served for decades. It teaches a Bible it calls fully inspired, sings in many voices about a God it calls triune, and sends its members out into Grand Rapids and beyond, to Life Groups, to classrooms, to Bible studies, to camps, to mission trips, and to neighbors, with the same commission that has framed the church from the beginning: Be Disciples. Make Disciples. For the Glory of God.