Greenfield Presbyterian Church Opens its Doors to the Community

If you ask members of , the celebration of Holy Week is two-fold: It’s a chance to come together in worship, and reach out in ministry.

For the better part of 20 years, the church has been hosting community Easter activities, like the annual egg hunt happening this Saturday, brunches for locals and musical performances – all of which are free for their guests, many of which aren’t part of the congregation.

“We offer events for the whole community because that’s why we exist. We’re only here to share God’s love with the world, not just among our own little faith community,” said The Rev. Peter Moore.

Moore says Easter, like many other holidays, is a chance for everyone to come together and feel the power behind unity.

“The world sees too much of Christianity divided. When we can come together to worship on special occasions like Good Friday, Thanksgiving, Ash Wednesday, we all benefit.”

And their mission doesn’t stop at holidays, nor is it bound by a Presbyterian doctrine.

 “We’re big on doing cooperative ministries and services with churches of other denominations – and, whenever possible, with other faiths.”

This philosophy is nothing new to the congregation or to the city. Just last year, Greenfield Presbyterian .  It was part of the church’s free Annual Mission Potluck speaker program, which offers up perspectives on current events involving justice and peacemaking.

Yoga and AA meetings, in addition to Bible studies, choir programs and missionary events, are just a couple of the types of activities the church regularly hosts.

Moore, who has led the 200-member congregation since 1992, has a background not just in ministry (though he is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and Westminister College), but in working with programs like South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless.

He quick to give credit where due, though, just like with the youth ministry S.T.A.G.E. – “Somewhere To Ask God Everything” -- that has local high schoolers volunteering in Detroit right now.

“This week we have a wonderful group of senior high youth from four different churches in Berkley and Royal Oak, who are spending their entire spring break doing mission work in Detroit,” he explained about the ecumenical youth program sponsored by , and Greenfield Presbyterian Church.

“Now that's a Holy Week story.”

For services this week, Greenfield Presbyterian’s community celebrations continue with Maundy Thursday today, which involves a simple dinner and a “traveling worship service” to commemorate Jesus’ last days.

Here’s the full schedule:

Maundy Thursday

6:30 p.m.: “A Walk Through Holy Week”

7:15 p.m.: Soup dinner and “A Moving Worship Service”

Good Friday

Noon: "Service of Jesus' Seven Last Words,” Ecumenical Community Service at Berkley First United Methodist Church

Saturday

10:30 a.m.: Community Easter Egg Hunt for toddlers through fifth-graders

Easter Sunday

8:45 a.m.: Contemporary service

10 a.m.: Easter brunch

11 a.m.: Traditional service

For more information about Greenfield Presbyterian Church or the programs hosted there, call 248-544-1800.