A Corner Congregation at Lafayette and St. Aubin
St. John's Presbyterian Church sits on a single Detroit corner, the meeting of East Lafayette Boulevard and St. Aubin, in the neighborhood east of downtown. From that corner the church has reached into the surrounding blocks for more than a century, feeding neighbors three days a week, growing vegetables in a community garden, and gathering a congregation that began on April 19, 1919, when thirty-nine people organized in the parlors of the St. Aubin YWCA. The same address that was purchased in 1965 still anchors a small but active ministry that combines Sunday worship with steady, practical service to the neighborhood. As the church puts it, "We aim to share the love of God with all families in our community. Since 1919 St. John's has worshiped for the glory of God and His blessings on the Detroit we love."
From the YWCA Parlors to Lafayette Boulevard
The first home of the new church was the parlors of the St. Aubin YWCA, used until mid-summer of 1919, when the young congregation purchased a small church building with an attached manse at Catherine and Dubois. The church settled into its neighborhood rhythms there for the next four and a half decades.
The land at the corner of E. Lafayette Boulevard and St. Aubin was purchased on January 17, 1965. Ground was broken on January 30, 1966, and the cornerstone was laid on June 19, 1966. The final service in the old Catherine Street building was held on December 18, 1966. On Christmas Day, December 25, 1966, the first worship service was held in the present building, and the congregation has met there ever since. The church marks the move with the words of Psalm 126:3: "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Sunday Morning at Eleven
Sunday worship at St. John's is held at 11:00 AM, both in person in the sanctuary and through Zoom. The service centers on shared scripture, prayer, and a spiritual message, and the church describes worship as a chance to "share in the power of collective prayer." Visitors are welcomed warmly: "We look forward to meeting with you this Sunday morning."
After the service, members are encouraged to reach out by video or voice call to a fellow church member, a friend, or a family member, to share the Peace of God. The church has made a point of this practice especially for those who are still homebound, writing, "Many are still shut in at this time but nothing should separate us from the LOVE of God." The Sunday lectionary walks through the scriptural journey of Holy Week, with Zechariah 9:9-12, 2 Corinthians 2:14 to 3:6, and Luke 19:28-44, the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
The Zoom room opens at 10:45 AM. To join by video, participants use Meeting ID 992 4557 8128. To join by phone, worshipers dial 312-626-6799 (Chicago) and enter the same meeting ID. Anyone who needs help with Zoom or other technology is invited to ask.
Eighty Plates a Week
Three days a week, the doors of St. John's open for a free community lunch. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the Hunger Ministry serves fresh, hot meals prepared on site, feeding an average of 80 neighbors each week.
The work is a partnership. Forgotten Harvest supplies much of the fresh food. The Presbytery lends support. The hands of church members and outside volunteers do the cooking, plating, and serving. "Feeding souls is not just a parable," the church says of the work. "We are dedicated to addressing the real needs in our community." Lunch is as much about a seat at a table as it is about the food itself: "a place of communion with their fellow man," in the church's words. The Hunger Ministry also serves as a place of thanksgiving, as the church gives thanks to the volunteers that make it possible. "No man can do it alone," the church writes. Volunteers are welcomed any of the three days. The ministry is anchored in the words of Jesus, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6).
A Garden at the Corner
Across the lot from the church building, a community garden grows at the corner of E. Lafayette and St. Aubin. The garden is open to neighbors who want to take home fresh produce for their tables, or who simply want to enjoy working the soil. Children from the neighborhood use the space to learn where food comes from and to experience the wonder of farm-to-table produce.
For St. John's, the garden is more than a plot of ground. "There are so many wonders to behold," the church writes, "and in the garden St. John's sows seeds as a reminder of the faith and nurturing of Christ in our lives and our charge to reflect that same care in the world." The corner of E. Lafayette and St. Aubin, the church teaches, is the place where God has a plan.
Presbyterian Women and Women's Day
St. John's has a long-running Presbyterian Women's circle that meets for fellowship, planning, and shared work. In the wider city, the women of the church join with sisters across Detroit for the annual Presbyterian Women Ingathering, a week of sorting, counting, and boxing supplies at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The congregation also celebrates Women's Day In Style, a special service and gathering that honors the women of the church. Presbyterian Women's meetings typically include a shared lunch, and the church's regular Wednesday rhythm of community meals sits naturally alongside this women's work. The fellowship is grounded in the verse at the heart of the church's life together: "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Picnics, Cookouts, and Friends and Family Dinners
Much of the life of St. John's happens around food. Beyond the Tuesday-through-Thursday community lunches, the church hosts Friends and Family Dinners on Saturday evenings, gatherings the church frames as a chance "to spend time and share talents with our friends, families, and neighbors who are not yet friends." All are welcomed to come for a meal, to share a talent, or simply to get to know a new face.
Thanksgiving is a major event. The church serves a free Thanksgiving dinner open to everyone, with home-cooked food and all the trimmings. In summer, the Annual Cookout fills the grounds with neighbors who are invited to "stay for a moment or stay all day." The Annual Church Picnic, "for young and younger," adds Pokeno to the day's mix, and the Women of St. John's coordinate many of these shared meals.
Summer Camp and Vision Boarding
Each summer, St. John's hosts a Vacation Bible School and Summer Camp for the children of the church and the neighborhood. The camp runs for a full week, mornings to late afternoon, with crafts, music, and biblical storytelling. St. John's calls the program "the love of community and God is fun."
For adults, the church has hosted Vision Boarding afternoons with the title "Show Me the Faith: How to Wait for God." Held on a Saturday at the church, the sessions invite people of all walks and faiths to use the practice of vision boarding to reflect on where they are and where God may be leading them. "We believe in the power of seeing God's plan unfold in each of us," the church writes, and the gatherings close with the words of Psalm 27:14: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
A Faith in Scripture and a Wider Family
St. John's describes its calling in simple, scriptural terms. The Sunday service centers on scripture, prayer, and a spiritual message, and the church's life together is woven with Bible verses that frame each season: Zechariah and Luke for Holy Week, Matthew 5 for the hungry, Psalm 27 for those who wait, Romans 8 for fellowship, and Psalm 126 for the gift of the present building.
The wider Presbyterian family to which the church belongs is visible in the partnerships that show up in its daily work. The Presbytery supports the Hunger Ministry. Westminster Presbyterian Church hosts the Presbyterian Women Ingathering. The Stillman College Choir, a touring ensemble from the historically Presbyterian (U.S.A.) college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has visited St. John's to share a free concert, a moment of joyful music in the middle of the week. Stillman College, established by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States in 1875, maintains a historical and covenantal affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), whose Reformed tradition and commitment to the cultivation of the mind correspond well with the mission of the College. These connections place St. John's within the family of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Walking In
St. John's welcomes anyone to walk in on a Sunday morning, log in to the Zoom room, or stop by the community garden. The church is pastored by Caleb Jones, a Commissioned Ruling Elder. The session of lay elders includes members such as Sharon Moore, who has led grief support gatherings for the congregation.
The church office sits at 1961 E. Lafayette Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48207. The phone number is (313) 567-0213. Visitors who need help with Zoom or any technology are encouraged to ask. The community lunch, the community garden, and the Sunday service are the three main doors into the life of St. John's Presbyterian Church.