At 12400 23 Mile Road in Shelby Township, Michigan, Shepherd's Gate Church is known for contemporary Sunday worship in its gym, a family-friendly culture and a broad pattern of care and service. Its story began in 1980 with seven families meeting in one another's homes. The church's mission is direct: We exist to impact the world with the love of Jesus. That love shapes its worship, teaching, relationships, outreach and mission.
Seven Homes Became a Shelby Township Church Family
Shepherd's Gate was formed in 1980 when seven families began meeting in one another's homes and celebrating life together. From that start, the congregation grew into a church that continues to gather in Shelby Township, learn about Jesus and walk alongside people through all seasons of life.
The language of home runs through the church's life. Visitors are valued exactly as they are, friendships become like family, and spiritual growth is connected with worship, honest conversation, care and service. The welcome is intended for people who are exploring faith, asking questions or looking for a place to belong.
The Love of Jesus Shapes the Mission
Shepherd's Gate describes itself as a community of ordinary people joining together to share the extraordinary love of Jesus. Its mission is to love one another, make disciples and be people of God on earth, carrying that love into homes, workplaces, neighborhoods and the wider world.
- Value every[one]. Every person who enters the church should feel welcomed, valued and loved, with a place for individuals and families to belong.
- Influence every[where]. The love of Jesus should be lived out at home, work, restaurants, coffee shops, sports fields, in backyards and throughout the community.
- Live generously with every[thing]. Gifts, abilities and physical and financial resources are used to serve others, spread hope and express gratitude for what God has given.
Together, these statements give the church a practical shape. Fellowship is not separated from discipleship, and generosity is presented as part of everyday Christian life rather than an isolated project.
Sunday Worship in the Gym and Online
Sunday worship begins at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. ET. Both services are offered in person in the gym and online, with a live chat for those joining from home. The live stream carries the same worship gathering hosted by the church.
- Energetic music intended to uplift and encourage.
- Bible teaching explained in straightforward terms and connected with everyday life.
- A hope-filled message and prayer.
The contemporary services last about 60 minutes. Dress is casual, and the church emphasizes coming as people are. Jeans, T-shirts, shorts, dresses and business-casual clothes are all part of the normal Sunday mix. Archived messages are organized for people new to SG, books of the Bible, Christian living, and holidays or special services.
The Plan a Visit experience gives families a preview of the worship rhythm, the children's programs, coffee and the warm greetings that await them.
Parking, Arriving and Finding Your Way
Because worship takes place in the gym, visitors follow signs toward the Gym entrance and park in the West Lot. Every lot has designated guest parking. Families using the nursery or SG Kids should park near the Family Entrance for easier check-in and pickup. Volunteers with lanyards and the Welcome Center help people find their way. Those bringing infants or Pre-K children are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early so nursery check-in can be completed without rushing.
Children Learn in Their Own Classrooms and at the Family Entrance
At both Sunday services, the nursery serves infants and toddlers, while SG Kids uses intentional, age-appropriate teaching for children from pre-K through fourth grade. Lessons are designed to help children experience God's love, build friendships and connect faith with school, home and ordinary life. Fifth- and sixth-graders also have age-specific Sunday programming that bridges the children's and students' ministries.
Safety procedures are built into the check-in process. SG Kids uses classroom check-in and check-out, and every volunteer or staff member working with children must complete a background check. Nursery caregivers are screened, follow safety protocols and receive CPR and first-aid training. Families enter through the Family Entrance doors to check children in and out.
Children with special needs are welcomed through an inclusive program that can include a caring one-on-one buddy and a quiet place to reset. This support is intended to help children participate safely while allowing parents to attend worship, connect with others and recharge.
Students Move from Belonging to Owning Their Faith
Seventh- through twelfth-graders join the main Sunday worship services at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Fifth- and sixth-graders join their age-specific gathering during those same services. This places older children within the wider church family while giving them teaching and relationships designed for their stage of life.
Wednesday Student Night runs from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. for grades five through twelve. Fifth- and sixth-graders have dinner, games and small groups. Seventh- and eighth-graders explore big questions, build friendships and discover their identity in Christ. The ninth- through twelfth-grade program emphasizes authentic worship, meaningful Bible study, honest conversations and opportunities to put faith into practice.
A two-year First Communion and Confirmation program can begin in seventh grade. It includes three seminars and a retreat each year, with First Communion in the spring of the first year and Confirmation in the spring of the second. Parents participate in the seminars, students attend a Junior High Retreat, observe worship throughout the school year, and complete three service events of their choice.
Adults Grow Through Fellowship, Study and Shared Interests
Small groups meet twice a month at different days and times so people can find a rhythm that fits their lives. They are places to discuss faith and everyday matters, ask questions, share what is happening and build friendships with people who want to grow. The church emphasizes that participants do not need to have everything figured out before joining.
Bible studies and Shepherd's Gate University classes typically meet weekly under a facilitator. Studies may focus on a topic or a book of the Bible and are designed not only to increase biblical knowledge, but also to strengthen relationships with Jesus and with the church community.
Activities such as camping and book clubs give adults another way to build friendships around shared interests. The Young Adult group for ages 18 through 29 meets Mondays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for conversation, community and a short devotional or Bible study. The church also provides access to RightNow Media, a streaming library of Bible-study teaching for personal and family use.
Care for Loss, Divorce, Illness and Recovery
Shepherd's Gate's Care Program offers free, in-person support for adults and children facing difficult circumstances. Its groups provide biblical teaching, practical discussion, encouragement and community, with many sessions meeting Tuesdays:
- DivorceCare helps adults address the emotional, physical, financial and spiritual effects of divorce or separation.
- DivorceCare for Kids serves children ages five through nine through stories, music, activities and peer support.
- GriefShare offers practical skills, encouragement and discussion for adults grieving the loss of a loved one.
- Encouragement Through the Cancer Journey creates a supportive setting for people living with cancer and those caring for them.
- Strength in Sobriety uses a faith-based 12-step format to support people working to break free from alcohol addiction.
- Boundaries teaches biblically based communication and boundary-setting for healthier relationships and greater personal freedom.
- Healing Is a Choice offers methods for healing and personal growth for people carrying current or past hurts.
- Lost Love Survivors offers compassion and support for people recovering from the suicide loss of a loved one.
- Building Bridges gives parents of LGBTQ+ children a setting to examine faith and unconditional love together.
- A Caregiver's Heart offers practical tips, emotional support and fellowship to people caring for a loved one over time.
For many evening groups, a complimentary dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. before the class or group meets from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. Childcare for children age four and younger is available for many groups. Daytime GriefShare and A Caregiver's Heart sessions meet from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Pastoral care is available for people facing surgery, hospitalization or homebound circumstances through the church's main line and option 0. The Prayer Team also prays for the church, community and world, with teams focused on personal prayer support, pre-service prayer, monthly prayer and missions prayer.
Counseling is provided through a partnership with Midwest Behavioral Clinic and Amy Smolski, a licensed clinical social worker. Her faith-based counseling currently focuses on adult women, accepts most insurance plans and offers a private-pay rate. Shepherd's Gate members receive their first counseling session free.
What Shepherd's Gate Believes
The church believes there is one God, who exists as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It acknowledges that this truth is difficult to understand fully but holds to it because it is taught in the Bible. God's love is described as unconditional, unending and freely given, even when the surrounding world feels shaken.
The Bible is believed to be true and is called God's Word. The church teaches that it was spoken through 40 people who wrote as God inspired them over approximately 1,500 years. Scripture is understood as God's way of revealing himself and speaking with power into human hearts and lives.
Sin is not denied or minimized. Shepherd's Gate teaches that everyone struggles with sin and that it damages relationships with God and other people. Honest acknowledgment of sin is followed by confidence in the solution God has provided.
That solution is Jesus. He was born as a human being, lived a perfect life, died on the cross and rose three days later. His sacrifice makes a relationship with God possible and offers life in God's love. The church emphasizes that nothing a person says or does can stop God from loving that person.
Communion, Baptism and Life Events
Holy Communion is celebrated approximately twice a month. Shepherd's Gate believes Jesus' body and blood are present in the bread and wine and that receiving Communion brings forgiveness of sin. Baptized people who have received biblical instruction about Communion are invited to participate.
Baptism is described as a gift from God that connects water with his Word and changes hearts and lives. The church teaches that baptism is something God does for a person, not something a person does for God. People of every age, including infants, are welcome to be baptized. A baptism class is offered, and the church recognizes any baptism given in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so no one needs to be baptized again.
Shepherd's Gate also hosts weddings for couples who want their relationship founded on God's Word with Christ at the center. Its funeral planning materials offer suggested Scripture, program and music choices intended to help families create a meaningful service that honors the person who died.
Stepping Out Across Metro Detroit
Serving is described as a way to live out church purpose rather than another obligation. Volunteers can serve in areas such as the nursery, worship, children's ministry, communications and community outreach. A short-term trial allows someone to shadow a team or try a role without making a long-term commitment.
The church's local partnerships span practical needs across the region:
- Feeding the hungry: Family of God brings faith into inner-city Detroit and serves people experiencing homelessness, addiction, illness and aging needs. Micah6 Community works with neighborhood children, community gardens, meals and shower access. Samaritan House operates a food and household-goods pantry for low-income families in several northern Macomb County communities.
- Foster care and new mothers: Macomb Foster Closet provides clothing and essentials for children in foster care, while Friends of Foster Kids provides a Christmas celebration for foster children. Abigayle Ministries supports pregnant women and their children, Compassion Pregnancy Center offers help and education for unexpected pregnancies, and JJ's House provides care for foster children and pregnant girls.
- Homelessness: Hearts for Homes helps homeless families obtain permanent housing, Operation Love Our Homeless serves people experiencing homelessness in Detroit and surrounding communities, and WAVE Project provides mobile showers in Macomb County.
- Human trafficking: Elli's House builds relationships, offers safe shelter and provides education for young women and girls in Detroit who have been trafficked or forced to run away. The Michigan Anti-Trafficking Project works to prevent trafficking and change the culture that sustains it.
- Youth: Good News Gang supports children facing poverty, violence, abuse and hopelessness, while New City Kids offers after-school music and academic opportunities for local children living with low incomes.
- Poverty and community stability: Macomb Charitable Foundation assists children and families with food, clothing, rent, utilities, vehicle repairs and personal mentoring. Camp Restore, Habitat for Humanity and Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers address neighborhood development, affordable housing and support for older or disabled adults.
Shepherd's Gate volunteers also meet monthly to turn plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness. The work includes cutting, preparing and crocheting the plastic yarn at the church or assembling materials from home.
Mission15 and a Heart for the World
Mission15 is a team of church members that directs a substantial portion of financial giving toward local and global needs. Recurring and one-time gifts can be made through online giving, helping the church share physical, financial and spiritual resources with partners serving people in need.
Key of Hope in Durban, South Africa, serves children who have been orphaned or affected by HIV and AIDS through Saturday Kidz Klub, home visits and school support. Mission of Hope in Honduras emphasizes education and supplies school materials, library books and other resources for children in impoverished regions.
Belize mission opportunities include construction, intergenerational outreach and work at a local orphanage. Adults and students from seventh grade onward can participate. During summer, ninth- through twelfth-grade students are encouraged to serve people across the United States, living out faith through practical service and learning from leaders they look up to.
The SG Path from Exploring to Impact
The SG Path is a personal roadmap for life with Jesus. Its four stages are designed to move with each person rather than follow one identical route:
- Explore. Learn about Jesus and Shepherd's Gate through worship or the Explore SG experience, which introduces the church and can serve as a prerequisite for membership. Membership remains a personal choice.
- Engage. Build friendships and find a place within the church through baptism, service and relationships with other people.
- Expand. Deepen faith through worship, Communion, Bible study, prayer and generosity.
- Extend. Carry love into family, work, neighborhood, community and the wider world through local service and global mission opportunities.
For children and students, the same path can grow through SG Kids, Student Night, baptism, First Communion and Confirmation, mission opportunities and friendships with people of different ages.
Faith Forward for the Physical Campus
Faith Forward is the church's long-term physical-campus initiative. Its campus plan centers on a new worship center and gathering space, along with roof work and other essential repairs. The goal is to create a practical, welcoming environment that can support the church's ministry and community connections into the future.
The Team Shepherds the Community
Lead Pastor Tim Bollinger joined Shepherd's Gate in 2004 and has served as Student Director, Family Director and Executive Pastor before becoming Lead Pastor in 2017. Discipleship Pastor Eric Shanburn focuses on helping people grow in faith, while Executive Director Jim Jensen oversees ministry strategy, leads the staff team and champions major projects. Jensen joined the staff in 2020 as Worship Director before becoming Executive Director in 2023.
Ministry leaders include Worship Director Jeff Cartwright, Kids Director Regina Weichel, Student Director Brant Wilson, Nursery Manager Diane Himmelsbaugh, Prayer Coordinator Lynn Zuzanek, Care Director Venus Graydon and Local Missions Coordinator David Carter. Chris MacCourtney and Joe Gittler serve as lay deacons. Together, these leaders oversee worship, discipleship, children, students, care, prayer, facilities and the church's local and global service work.
A Church Built Around Value, Community and Service
From seven families meeting in homes to a congregation serving across Shelby Township, Metro Detroit and several international mission partners, Shepherd's Gate Church remains centered on the love of Jesus. Its identity is expressed through contemporary worship, family-centered learning, honest community, care during hard seasons, generous giving and service that carries faith into everyday life. That is the heart of Shepherd's Gate: people known and valued, relationships formed across generations, and a community that puts the love it has received into action.