Welcome Visitors

Thank you for visiting us. We invite you to come and worship with us at the Church of Christ in Livonia. We know it is sometimes difficult coming to a new place with strange people who do things differently from what you are familiar. Let me tell something about who we are and what you will find on a typical Sunday worship.

  We are part of the church of Christ, a fellowship of churches that began here in the United States and are now all over the world. Our early leaders began what is known as the Restoration Movement with a call for all believers in Jesus to be Christians only and not be divided by denominational loyalties. Our goal is to follow Jesus by being faithful to his example and the teachings of his followers in the New Testament. We believe the Bible is God’s word and so we study it and look for ways to apply that word to our lives.

  Let me describe what you will find if you worship with us some Sunday.

Where We Meet …

  Our building is located at 15431 Merriman Road in Livonia, Michigan. It is a simple building without elaborate adornment. As you enter you will be greeted by some of our members. They will show you where Bible classes are meeting or where we worship. Please feel free to look around. There is coffee available Sunday morning in the kitchen area. As you enter our worship area you will find chairs arranged for worship. There are no reserved seats so please sit anywhere you choose. You will receive a bulletin as you enter the worship area. The bulletin contains news and events at our church. On the back page is an order of worship with the songs listed and the sequence of the worship.

Singing

  Our worship begins with singing. There are books in the pockets of the chairs in front of you or the words to the songs will be projected on a large screen at the front of the worship hall. One thing that guests often notice is that we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. This is a choice and tradition in churches of Christ. We believe it is in line with the simplicity of worship seen in the New Testament. We encourage everyone to sing and worship. If the songs are unfamiliar feel free to just listen but we encourage you to sing with us. At various times selected members will lead prayers or read scriptures either from the front or from where they are sitting.

Preaching

  At some point in the worship I will get up to preach. We do not believe in special titles so I am not referred to as “pastor” or “reverend”. I may be referred to as “brother” or “mister” but most people just call me “Larry”. The preaching is taken from the Bible so please bring your Bible when you come. If you come without a Bible there are Bibles in the pockets of the seats in front of you. In my preaching I explain what a part of the Bible is saying. I try not to use religious language that is unfamiliar to so many people, even church people, but to preach using common English. If I say something you don’t understand please ask me to explain further after the worship. You can talk with me directly or email me your question. My desire is for people to hear God’s word, understand it, and to become more like Jesus in their life and character.

The Lord’s Supper and the Collection

  Another part of our worship each week is when we eat “The Lord’s Supper”. It is not really a meal but a time to remember the great sacrifice and gift given in Jesus. A tray with small pieces of bread is passed and people take one piece or sometimes break off a small piece from a large cracker. This bread symbolizes Jesus’ body. A tray is then passed with small cups of grape juice. Those who are participating will drink one of the cups, replace the empty cup in the tray and pass it to the next person. The juice represents Jesus’ blood. We welcome everyone who is a Christian, whether they are a member of our church or not, to eat this memorial meal with us. If you do not want to participate just pass the tray to the next person.

  Usually after the Lord’s Supper we pass trays and collect money from the congregation. This collection is for our members who financially support the different works of our church. As our guest you are not expected to put anything in the tray. Feel free to do so if you wish but there is no obligation.

Just People

  When you visit us please realize we are people just like you. We aren’t perfect; we don’t have all the answers. We try not to pretend to be something we are not but sometimes we do. When we face hardship or loss we cry and hurt. We are weak and sinful at times but very thankful for the grace God extends to us. We are constantly trying to be like Jesus in how we treat each other. You will meet some who have been Christians for years and others who are young in their faith. However, we are all on the same journey, we are all trying to help each other to grow and become what God intends for us to be. We hope you will join us in that journey but even if you don’t, we hope we can be friends. God bless.

Thank you for visiting,

Larry Stephens
Minister of the Word
Livonia Church of Christ

Larry was a full-time missionary in Kenya for 23 years. Graduate of Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas, and Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee. He has been married for 31 years to Diane. They have 3 children.