Grow

 “We learn and teach about God through the story of the Bible. This story is a special revelation from God about who God is and who we are. In its Old and New Testaments, we are shown that we belong to a loving God and are told the story of redemption, grace, and peace. This story is also our story.”
– Our values: the Bible is our story

Our community is committed to walking with one another in our faith journey. Young and old alike are growing as Jesus-followers, committed to growing our faith walks together. Any time we gather is a time where we can grow in community, but our main focus on faith formation happens Sundays in worship and faith formation hour and on Wednesday evening program nights.

Growing up our youth

Sundays and Wednesday evenings are when youth faith formation happens for our community. On Sundays our youth find space to grow in faith during faith formation hour and during worship. Children’s Messages, worship bags, and interactive children’s bulletins help parents guide their children is learning about worship. Our youngest leave worship for Children in Worship, a lovely program that uses story and multi-sensory participation to build good worship habits, as they learn about God. Wednesday night programming (creatively happening at different times right now) twice a month provides another space for youth to learn more about Jesus.

House Groups and other small group opportunities

House Groups are small groups of 6-14 people who meet regularly in the Fall and Winter on Sundays to explore a book or faith topic related to our current congregational theme. You can join at any time! These groups learn together and commit to walking together in their faith lives.

There are also other small group opportunities for growth, as we are committed to growing in Jesus in community with one another, oftentimes around food! If you are 20-something you might enjoy Tuesday Night Dinner at the Lindquists or Sunday Soup Group, casual opportunities to share a meal, share life, and explore faith (suspended for now due to the pandemic). If English isn’t your first language, then the BESEL Sunday morning small group is a spaces where you will find newcomers to Ann Arbor from around the world who want to explore and grow their faith. Men’s Bible Study opportunity is also available.

“We are committed to being a liberating community that encourages and helps people to grow in personal holiness and to live in the power of God’s Spirit; that encourages a spiritual lifestyle that is attuned to the presence of the Holy Spirit; that encourages people to bridge differences; and that encourages people to learn and practice new habits that are life-giving and life-nurturing.”
– Our Values: covenant connects us

Growing together

Big House Sundays are large group learning opportunities that happen during Faith Formation Hour on Sundays, with special speakers and topics that challenge us to grow in our faith walk, both personally and as a congregation. If you are retired or available during the day, then Gray Matters is a senior group that meets monthly for thought-provoking and fun activities.

“We are committed to learn about each other, to explore complex questions and seek answers under God’s guidance, to celebrate our God-given differences, and to center our lives in Jesus Christ as our Lord and teacher.”
– Our Values: Covenant connects us

Caring for our whole selves and one another

We care for one another in many ways here at AACRC. Our Health Ministry is focussed on helping us to see the many dimensions of the renewal God calls us to, seeing the spiritual and physical selves as being integrally connected. Our Stephen Ministry is a place where those who are hurting can be paired with a Stephen minister committed to walking alongside them. When big life events happen, our Meals that Heal program provides food for the family in need. The Social Justice Committee helps us see wholeness as a community process and worldwide challenge.

Wholeness is all about tending to the many different aspects of our being. The Craft Group is a casual, creative space where women gather to craft and share life.

“We are a community founded on the principle that every person is created in God’s image and thereby endowed with inherently equal worth. In this context we commit to a covenant of fidelity to each other. We commit to fully live life together: a life of healing, love and care for one another. We are committed to being a healing community where all, members and nonmembers, can find healing for hurts, pains, addictions, and dysfunctions and move towards wholeness of body and soul.”
– Our Values: Covenant connects us, excerpts paragraphs 1,3