Huron River Methodist Church sits on the south bank of the Huron River in Dexter, Michigan, where it has been gathering people under one roof for 194 years. From that long history the congregation today describes itself in three words: love God, love people, and serve the world, for Jesus Christ. The church has grown into a multi-generational community anchored by two Sunday services, a year-round children and family ministry, a standalone youth building called The Edge, and a deeply layered set of small groups, care ministries, and local and worldwide mission partnerships.

Two Sunday Services, One Sermon

Sundays at Huron River Methodist run on a twin rhythm designed to give the same message in two very different settings. The early service at 9:00 a.m. is the more traditional gathering, led by a piano and choir, with hymns and liturgy carrying the room. The 10:30 a.m. service is contemporary, anchored by a full worship band, and is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel so anyone who cannot be present can follow along.

A service runs about sixty minutes. The band leads music first, with lyrics projected on screens so newcomers can sing along or simply listen. After the music, one of the pastors steps up to share what the church describes as an encouraging, hope-filled message about Jesus. The dress is casual. The vibe, in the church's own words, is exciting, relaxed, and welcoming: come as you are and expect to feel greeted as a guest.

First-time visitors are pointed toward reserved parking near the sanctuary, with additional parking around back when those spots fill. A digital plan-a-visit form on the website asks for a name, the date of the visit, and which service is preferred, along with whether children will be coming; it also offers the option of having a pastor reach out personally before Sunday.

Children and Family Ministry

Children are central to life at Huron River Methodist, and the church describes its approach with three sentences the children themselves are taught to carry: God loves them, they can trust God no matter what, and they should love others like Jesus loves them. Denise Kasischke serves as Pastor of Family Ministry, overseeing faith formation from birth through fifth grade and supporting the parents who do most of the everyday work.

On Sunday mornings during the school year, the 9:00 a.m. nursery serves infants through age four, and a 9:00 Sunday School class welcomes children ages four through fourth grade. At the 10:30 a.m. service the nursery is for infants through two-year-olds, and Sunday School runs from age three through eighth grade. Children in third grade through sixth grade check in at the children's desk in the Atrium; seventh and eighth graders check in at the Edge. In the summer the lineup shifts slightly so that sixth through eighth graders worship with the rest of the congregation.

Sunday programming includes a Children's Bell Choir for young kindergarten through second grade and a Children's Choir that extends through sixth grade. Both choirs ask participating families to commit to attending roughly three-quarters of the rehearsals. Beyond Sunday mornings, the church runs a Faithful Families milestone program that walks children through stages of spiritual growth at every grade, from the New Baby Visit in infancy and a baptism class in November through 3rd Grade Bible Class, 5th Grade Money and Me, 6th Grade Technology and Media, and beyond. Parents have their own supports: Faithful Mamas, a Bible study for moms that meets on alternating Thursday evenings and follows books such as Habits for a Sacred Home, and Faith and Fatherhood, a Bible study for young dads that meets on alternating Monday evenings.

Stepping Stones Play and Learn is the church's weekday preschool, meeting Tuesday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to noon for children ages one to four, with a stated goal of providing a loving, developmentally appropriate Christian atmosphere. In the summer, Camp Newkirk offers additional children's and family programming.

The Edge: A Youth Ministry with Its Own Building

The Edge is the standalone youth building on the southeast corner of the church property, and the name is more than a label - the building really does sit on the edge of the lot. It houses the entire 5th through 12th grade ministry under the direction of Joy Hook, Director of Youth Ministry, and Matthew Cook, Associate Director of Youth Ministry. The Edge includes a student-led band, practical teaching, and gender- and grade-specific D-Groups (discipleship groups) that meet each Sunday night with trained adult leaders.

The weekly schedule at the Edge is built around Sunday evenings. Club 56 runs from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. for fifth and sixth graders during the school year; Edge 78 runs the same hours for seventh and eighth graders. At 6:00 p.m. everyone gathers for Chow Time, a shared dinner that bridges the middle and high school programs. The High School Edge then runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The week continues with a Tuesday morning Bible study at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast provided and rides to school, and an Edge 78 Hang on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Special events layer on top of the weekly rhythm. Nerf Club, billed as the largest community outreach, alternates Friday nights for younger students and an overnight session for high schoolers. Other annual touches include a fall retreat called Converge for seventh and eighth graders, a trip to a local corn maze, and a fall Trunk or Treat afternoon on the church property.

Adult Discipleship and Small Groups

The core of adult life at Huron River Methodist is small groups, organized around the conviction that following Jesus happens best in community. Pastor Dusty Pauken oversees adult discipleship and runs a 30s and 40s Bible study Sunday mornings in Room 205. Dozens of other groups meet throughout the week, both on the church campus and in homes across Dexter, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and Whitmore Lake.

Examples of the rhythm include Serendipity, a Sunday morning group led by Pastor Tom Snyder that follows the sermon series; the Sunday Night Guys Group for young men in their twenties and thirties, which uses The Chosen as a launching point; Bereans, an in-depth Monday evening men's Bible study; the Tuesday morning walking group of men that loops the B2B Trail; a Tuesday evening Young Professionals group; a Wednesday noon and Wednesday evening group, both studying the current teaching series; two women's Explorer's Bible Studies, one Tuesday morning and one Wednesday evening; the Whitmore Lake Home Group on Wednesdays; and the Chelsea and Ann Arbor/Dexter Home Groups on Sunday evenings. Specialized gatherings include Faithful Flyfishers, where participants learn to tie flies and fish together with prayer and devotionals on alternating Mondays, and a four-week Being Christian in America series.

Pathway Partners is a one-on-one mentoring program that pairs newer Christians with longer-tenured ones. New Members Class meets on Sunday evenings in Room 220 for a seven-week run that walks attendees through who the church is and where they fit.

Caring Ministries: From the Hospital Bed to the Funeral Home

Care Ministries are coordinated by Pastor Tom Snyder and a Care Ministry team, with the stated mission of responding to physical, emotional, and spiritual concerns through service, prayer, and presence. The Care Meals ministry provides food for people recovering from surgery, a hospital stay, or any other need. Stephen Ministry offers one-on-one Christ-like listening and encouragement during times of difficulty or crisis. The Prayer Chain gathers prayer across the congregation for serious life situations.

Two long-running video-based support groups anchor the care calendar. DivorceCare meets on Tuesday evenings in The Hub for a 13-week fall session, and a parallel DivorceCare for Kids runs at the same time for children ages five through twelve. GriefShare runs for thirteen weeks during the spring season. Celebrate Recovery gathers on Sunday late mornings and is open to anyone struggling with alcohol, anger, anxiety, depression, drugs, family problems, gambling, job loss, overspending, overworking, and other hurts, providing a Christ-centered recovery community. Helping Hands offers non-emergency practical assistance to church and community members needing temporary help.

The church also partners with Faith in Action, a community-funded nonprofit that works to alleviate hunger and poverty in Dexter and Chelsea through supplemental food, financial help with housing and utilities, and seasonal programs such as Christmas gifts, back-to-school backpacks, and Easter baskets. Hunger Hampers at the church collect food for Faith in Action year round, and a regularly updated list of most-needed items (currently items like flour, sugar, cereal, canned chicken, body wash, diapers, and toilet paper) is posted on the church's Faith in Action page.

Senior Connection, Spiritual Grandparenting, and Veterans

Three specialized ministries round out adult life. Senior Connection is a group of active, engaged adults aged sixty and older that gets together for monthly potluck dinners, seasonal events, and road trips. Spiritual Grandparenting focuses on helping grandparents pass Christian faith to their grandchildren through gatherings, classes, and Bible studies; it hosts a monthly Fearless Grandmas coffee on the first Thursday of each month in the Fireplace Room.

Veterans Ministry recognizes, honors, and supports local veterans and those currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Activities include clothing drives, Valentines for Vets, visits to the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, a Veterans Day Dinner, and a Memorial Day flag display in the Memorial Garden. The group meets quarterly in Rooms 205 and 206 and points members to a network of partner organizations, including Team Red, White and Blue, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310, the American Legion Post 46, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 423, and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 13.

Serve On Campus, Locally, and Worldwide

Serving is built into the church's stated strategy of a balanced faith walk that moves from worship and prayer, into Bible study and Christian fellowship, and out into service. Opportunities to serve are organized into three concentric circles.

On campus, current openings include Communion servers, Nerf Club volunteers, a Parking Lot Team, Red Cross Blood Drive helpers, Stitches of Love (a knitting, crocheting, and sewing group that makes items for children in need locally and worldwide), Sunday Hospitality, and the Sunday Worship team. Locally, the church partners with Alpha House, an emergency shelter for homeless families; Angel Tree Ministry, which connects parents in prison with their children through Christmas gifts; Cass Community Social Services in Detroit; Faith in Action; and GradCru, which ministers to international students on local campuses. Worldwide partnerships include Omega Ministries in Belize; China Outreach, which builds relationships with exchange students at local universities; Feed My Starving Children; Red Bird Mission in Kentucky; Operation Christmas Child; and Service Over Self (SOS) in Memphis, Tennessee.

What Huron River Methodist Believes

The church's mission is love God, love people, and serve the world, for Jesus Christ. Its vision is to be a multi-generational church of disciple-making disciples of Jesus Christ, equipped with love and scripture. The strategy is a balanced faith walk that begins in worship and prayer, moves into Bible study and Christian fellowship, and flows outward into service.

In its own statement of belief, the church teaches one triune God - God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit - who is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, and the creator of all things. Salvation comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; by grace, new life is received through repentance and faith in Christ. The church affirms the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, as the inspired, authoritative written revelation of God. Humanity is created in God's image and, because of the broken covenant, is marred by sin. The church is described as the global, historic community working for the reconciliation of the world. The church points to the Global Methodist Church Book of Doctrines for its fuller doctrinal position.

Leadership and Practical Notes

The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Matt Hook and includes Rev. Tom Snyder (Missions and Caring Ministries), Denise Kasischke (Family Ministry), Rev. Dusty Pauken (Adult Discipleship), Executive Pastor Jeremy Hannich, Worship Pastor Freddy Wachter, and Pastor Emeritus Rev. Steve Bringardner, who continues to serve in pastoral care. Pastoral Resident Sam Melvin is being formed across the church's ministry areas. Joy Hook directs youth ministry and Matthew Cook serves as associate director; Brian Rose leads worship for the traditional service; Katherine Kuzma leads the Next Step Rec sports, fitness, and recreation ministry; and Sallee McCleskey and Marci Palajac direct the nursery and preschool and elementary programs.

Worship services meet Sundays at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. at 7643 Huron River Drive in Dexter, with first-time visitor parking near the sanctuary. Nursery and children's programming are offered at both services during the school year. The 10:30 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube, and sermon series and an AfterWords blog accompany the preaching. Giving is handled online through Pushpay, and the church keeps an active Facebook and Instagram presence alongside a Spotify account for worship music.