Royal Palm Christian Church in Coral Springs is an embracing Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation at 9600 Royal Palm Blvd, on the south side of Royal Palm Boulevard just west of University Drive. It is known for a single Sunday service that pairs traditional hymns with contemporary praise, weekly participation in the Lord's Supper, and an inclusive approach to discipleship. The congregation's life also extends through a preschool founded in 1976, a weekly food pantry, youth and adult ministries, and partnerships addressing hunger, racism, incarceration, displacement, and poverty.
One Sunday Gathering on Royal Palm Boulevard
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 a.m. and is the congregation's one morning service. The atmosphere is casual and energetic, and the messages are described as relevant. People are invited to come as they are and to participate as fully as they feel comfortable. The service includes prayer, singing, scripture reading, and a message.
The music is a beautiful blend of traditional hymns and contemporary praise songs. Live musicians and some progressive elements support a meaningful worship experience. There is order to the service, but its overall style is casual rather than formal. The gathering can be overtly joyful while remaining a personal experience. Its focus is not on applauding a nation, race, gender, or personal accomplishment, but on giving honor to God and welcoming all people as one new humanity.
Communion is not treated as a membership test. The Lord's Supper is offered every week, and all who desire to participate are welcome. A short period of fellowship follows the service, giving worshipers a natural time to greet one another and continue the conversation.
For people who cannot be in the room, the 10:00 gathering is also described as accessible worship through Zoom, Facebook, or YouTube. Zoom participation is arranged by sharing an email with the church office, while the Facebook and YouTube options can begin when needed. The in-person and remote gatherings share the same worship rhythm of prayer, singing, scripture, a message, and an open invitation to Communion.
The church building is at 9600 Royal Palm Blvd. in Coral Springs. Adults and young people also gather for Sunday School from 9:40 to 10:30 a.m. Children's Church is designed for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Children initially sit with the congregation before joining youth-targeted messages, curriculum-based games, and other activities created for their age. The church office can be reached at (954) 753-2383, while the preschool office is at (954) 753-2445.
Faith That Welcomes People and Equips Them for Ministry
Royal Palm's welcome is explicit. It includes people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, personal history, age, ethnicity, physical or mental ability, family status, or whether they identify as Christian. The congregation celebrates the diversity of creation and respects each person's level of spiritual development. Its vision is to live in the way of Jesus by loving, valuing, and embracing all people, then expressing that welcome through worship, connection, learning, and service.
The community confesses Jesus as the Christ, Son of the living God, and Lord and Savior of the world. The life and teachings of Jesus are the measure for living. The Bible is accepted as uniquely authoritative, with priority given to the New Testament in matters of God and faithful living. The church takes the Bible seriously without insisting that every passage be interpreted literally. Each follower is responsible and free to study the Bible prayerfully and reach conclusions for himself or herself.
That theology shapes participation. Royal Palm holds that all members are called by God to be ministers and that ministry is not reserved for clergy. Clergy and members, guided by the Holy Spirit, share responsibility for the congregation's work. The church also works for unity across denominations and nations, understanding unity in Christ as extending to the human family.
The congregation treats faith as both personal and public. Poverty, injustice, war, and peace are understood as spiritual issues that deserve attention. Royal Palm seeks to use the varied talents and resources within its congregation to promote compassion, peace, and justice. It recognizes that distress is complex and widespread and that responses to adversity must be equally varied. Publicly, the congregation stands with Muslim neighbors against hate and fear.
As a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation, Royal Palm is autonomous. It is one of about 70 congregations in the Florida Region and shares the denomination's emphasis on diversity and inclusion, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, Christian unity, racial reconciliation, social justice, and world peace. The church describes the denomination as moderate to progressive and notes that Disciples hold a variety of viewpoints while sharing that central conviction.
Autonomy does not mean isolation. Royal Palm joins in covenant with other Disciples congregations, supporting church-related colleges and seminaries, nursing and assisted-living facilities, and overseas and domestic missions. Its local work and these wider partnerships express a shared conviction that unity in Christ leads to service in the world.
Thursday Night Groceries at the Gateway Food Pantry
Every Thursday evening, Royal Palm hosts the Gateway Food Pantry in its Fellowship Hall. The pantry is cosponsored by Gateway Community Outreach. It opens at 5:45 p.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m.; visitors are asked not to arrive before 5:15 p.m. and to be present by 6:55 p.m. First-time visitors must show photo identification. On an average evening, about 40 families come for grocery bags.
Most provisions are nonperishable, with a small selection of fruit or vegetables, bread, and sweets. Hygiene items are available occasionally. The pantry does not have the resources to provide rent or utility assistance. Its core needs include peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, tuna, canned chicken, soup, beans, rice, cereal, canned goods, toilet paper, bath soap, feminine products, and paper or plastic grocery bags. Fresh produce, including food from gardens and area trees, is welcomed too.
Volunteers meet roughly from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and can help with setup, cleanup, intake, sorting, shelving, packing, collections, and deliveries. New volunteers are asked to arrive at 5:00 p.m. Food donations may be left at the church or preschool entrances during regular business hours, while financial gifts can be made through the church's online giving. Royal Palm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and donors may request tax-deductible receipts. Local businesses, including Panera and Publix, have also supported the pantry.
Food is only one part of the outreach network. Royal Palm supports Bread for the World in efforts to end hunger, and Global Ministries in work for justice, reconciliation, and peace with global and local partners. It assembles hygiene items for Mission Hope's Hope Totes, a ministry that provides basic personal-care items to people experiencing homelessness. It supports Prison Fellowship, including the Angel Tree program for the children of incarcerated people, and contributes to Reconciliation Ministry's work against racism and toward racial reconciliation. Week of Compassion and Church World Service connect the congregation to people uprooted by war, environmental catastrophe, famine, and natural disaster. The Disciples Women also help provide meals for pantry clients and direct support toward people experiencing homelessness and older adults.
Volunteering in the Fellowship Hall and Around the Church
Volunteering reaches well beyond the food pantry. Sunday School and Children's Church leaders use a provided curriculum, while assistants help supervise children, prepare snacks, and facilitate games. Church work days focus on practical needs such as cleaning, organizing, and repairs. Vacation Bible School volunteers help with registration, setup, dinner, crafts, games, Bible-story activities, and cleanup.
The congregation also invites people to share practical skills. Painting, dusting, repairs, and other forms of hands-on help are valued alongside pantry shifts and youth leadership. This makes service an ongoing congregational practice rather than a collection of isolated projects.
Bible Study, Shared Tables, and Supportive Groups
Christian education at Royal Palm is intended for people who want greater biblical understanding and spiritual dedication. Its program includes weekly Bible studies, individual events, and discussion series. A Hybrid Bible Study meets Tuesday morning at 10:30, either in person or through Zoom. A public bereavement support group meets every other Thursday at 2:00 p.m. Additional classes occur intermittently and often run four to six weeks, with topics that include forgiveness, discipleship, and social justice. People considering baptism are invited to take a course that explores the meaning of the opportunity.
The Disciples Women meet monthly on Monday at 7:00 p.m. Their gatherings include a shared meal, laughter, support, devotion, and prayer, with Zoom used for some meetings and in-person gatherings used on other occasions. Their service extends beyond the table. Projects include Hope Totes, meals for food pantry clients, support for Week of Compassion, outreach to people experiencing homelessness and older adults, yard sales, and assistance with other church ministries.
The Disciples Men also meet monthly on Monday at 7:00 p.m. Their pattern combines food and fellowship with discussions about faith and life, followed by planning for church ministries. Work days, cook-offs, barbecues, and outreach are among the kinds of activities they have used to serve the congregation and community.
Several recovery and mutual-help groups are hosted as well. Into Action, an Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship, has three weekly gatherings: Sunday at 6:30 p.m. and Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary, and Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Al-Anon, a group for friends and family of people with drinking problems, meets Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Celebrate Recovery has a women's open group on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.; the final Wednesday of each month includes a medallion celebration and a night of worship that everyone may attend.
Social connection also includes Pizza and Game Night on the third Friday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The group alternates between the Fellowship Hall and a home, making room for a mix of food, games, and casual fellowship. These recurring gatherings create regular opportunities for relationships alongside the church's worship, learning, and service.
From Toddlerhood Through High School
Royal Palm Christian Church Preschool began in 1976 with 14 students and has since provided early learning and care for local families. The school welcomes children from toddler age through 5 years old and offers part-time and full-time schedules between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The part-time program follows the Broward County School calendar with a few exceptions. The preschool emphasizes skills, self-esteem, confidence, and a love of learning within a caring environment where children can recognize their God-given gifts.
A typical day includes art, music and movement, gardening, playground time, social development, and sharing time with the pastor. The children also meet dramatic storytellers, entertainers, police and fire department personnel, and community helpers, giving the curriculum experiences they can recognize from their wider world. The school participates in Florida's state-funded VPK program, which provides 540 hours of school-year instruction for eligible four-year-olds. Its VPK program is state certified and monitored by the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County.
Class placement is structured around age and readiness. Toddlers must be at least 12 months old and steady walkers. The two-year-old class is for children who are two by September 1, the three-year-old class for children who are three by September 1, and the four-year-old VPK class for children who are four by September 1 and potty trained. A 10 percent tuition discount applies to church members who have belonged for at least six months, siblings, and military personnel.
For elementary-age children, Kidz Prayz welcomes kindergarten through fifth grade on Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in classroom 7. The weekly gathering combines Christ-centered curriculum, games, fellowship, and snacks. Kids Choir, also for kindergarten through fifth grade, meets from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, where children rehearse musicals and songs for camp while enjoying music together.
D-Unit is the church's designated middle and high school youth group. Its established program has centered on discussion, team-building activities, and snacks, with additional experiences such as volunteering, car washes, beach outings, bowling, overnight gatherings, camping, and Christian music events. Support for youth also includes scholarships for camp, field trips, and mission trips.
Vacation Bible School is another recurring summer program for preschool through fifth grade. It uses games, crafts, Bible stories, snacks, singing, and movement in a week-long format. The congregation's youth also participate in summer camps organized through Florida Disciples of Christ at The Retreat at Silver Springs near Ocala, and scholarships are available.
Pastor Steve Blinder and the Florida Disciples Connection
Dr. Steven Blinder, known in the congregation as Pastor Steve, is Royal Palm's minister. A retired school principal with experience in public and private schools, he earned graduate degrees in human resource management, curriculum, and leadership and studied toward a Master of Divinity at Phillips Theological Seminary. He serves as personnel chair and as a trainer in anti-racism and racial reconciliation for the Florida Regional Church. He also serves on the council of the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance and facilitates a national support group for LGBTQ+ Christians who come out later in life.
His work reflects priorities already visible in the congregation's life: education, welcome, reconciliation, support, and the active participation of people beyond the ordained clergy. At Royal Palm, clergy and members share responsibility under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, while the Florida Region and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) provide a wider covenant for education, mission, justice, and unity. Royal Palm Christian Church brings those strands together in one Coral Springs congregation committed to living the way of Jesus, loving and valuing all people, and becoming agents of God's love in the world.