A United Methodist Church in Downtown South Lyon
First United Methodist Church sits at 640 South Lafayette Street in South Lyon, Michigan, a town in Oakland County northwest of Detroit. The congregation combines traditional and contemporary worship on Sunday mornings, supports an unusually long list of mission partnerships across southeast Michigan, and runs a medical equipment lending ministry that serves people well beyond its own pews.
Sunday at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00
Visitors who arrive on a Sunday morning will find three distinct hours of programming. At 8:30 AM, the Sanctuary hosts the earlier service in a quieter, more reflective style. At 9:45 AM, Sunday School opens for every age group, making Christian education the bridge between the two worship services. At 11:00 AM, the later service fills the Sanctuary with a fuller congregation and a livestream on YouTube. The 11:00 service is led by a band under the direction of Band Leader Jen Liskey, while the 8:30 service and special services are accompanied by the Traditional Music Leader, a position the church is currently hiring for. Pianist and organist Vera Burns supports worship from the keyboard throughout the morning.
Communion, a clergy-led liturgy, and congregational singing shape every service. The Worship Design Team works with Lead Pastor Nick Bonsky to plan music, media, visuals, and rituals, and to recruit the lay liturgists, ushers, communion servers, and acolytes who lead from the pews.
The Five Marks of the Logo
The church's logo contains five elements. First, the congregation is united: "in a time when people are often polarized, we want to be a place where people come together - to love God and each other." Second, the church is Methodist, drawing on the Wesleyan approach that weaves personal devotion together with social justice. Third, it is a church, a community of believers who worship, study, and serve together. Fourth, it serves South Lyon, and the town's presence shows up on the church's grounds: neighborhood youth play on the basketball hoops, and the building hosts Alcoholics Anonymous, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Capernaum Health Clinic, T.O.P.S. (Take Pounds Off Sensibly), and the South Lyon Co-op Preschool. Fifth, the cross at the center of the logo points to unity in Jesus Christ, with a red flame representing the Holy Spirit's power that inspires the congregation and sends it into the world.
A Welcome Statement That Names Every Person
The congregation's welcome statement reads: "We welcome, cherish, and celebrate that all persons are created in God's image. As a church we honor and worship God, while ministering to and embracing all ages, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic situations, marital status, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, and religious backgrounds or any other label placed upon people. We are united through Jesus Christ." Members and visitors are invited to come as they are and to find a place in the life of the church regardless of background or identity.
Faith Formation Across Every Age
Director of Faith Formation Katy Doyle-Hohf oversees Christian education from the nursery through adult small groups. Her work connects directly to the 9:45 AM Sunday School hour, where classes meet for every age group and where the Education Team recruits and trains teachers, secures curriculum, presents Bibles to children of the congregation, and plans mid-week family events. Conference summer camp opportunities and scholarships are coordinated through the same team. Nursery Coordinator Katy Luce opens the nursery before and during both Sunday worship services so that parents of young children can attend.
Youth Ministry and a New Youth Leader
The church is currently hiring a Youth Group Leader, a sign that the congregation is investing in the next generation. The job description frames the role around cultivating "authentic relationships and a vibrant youth ministry where young people grow in faith, build meaningful community, and discover their gifts for service and leadership." Faith formation, fellowship, mission trips, and service opportunities are the pillars of the work, and success is measured through student engagement, spiritual and character growth, participation in service, and the development of youth as peer leaders.
Music Ministry in Two Streams
Music is one of the most visible dual ministries at First United Methodist. The Traditional Music Leader, a hiring position at the time of writing, is described as the principal accompanist for worship services, funerals, weddings, and special events, coordinating volunteer musicians across a variety of styles. The Band Leader, Jen Liskey, directs the contemporary ensemble. Pianist and organist Vera Burns anchors both services from the keyboard, while choirs and instrumental ensembles rotate through the year. Together, these roles make it possible for the church to offer traditional and contemporary services in the same Sanctuary around the same altar.
The Medical Supply Loan Closet
One of the church's most tangible local ministries is the Medical Supply Loan Closet. The closet loans out gently used and clean equipment at no cost to people in the South Lyon area: wheelchairs, walkers with or without seats, shower chairs and benches, knee scooters, canes, commodes, and hospital beds. Donations of equipment are accepted on Tuesdays between 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM, and the building's exterior doors are not a drop site. The closet can be reached through the church office during office hours or by emailing medicalcloset@southlyonfirstumc.org for a response within 24 hours.
The Summer Lunch Program
Each summer, the church hosts a free mid-day meal on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1:00. Originally begun as an outreach to families who participate in the school lunch program, the program has expanded to include fun activities and learning opportunities. Volunteers also deliver meals to three mobile home communities in the area, extending the reach of the lunch program beyond the church's doors.
The Church Has Left the Building
On one designated Sunday each September, the congregation cancels regular worship and Sunday School in favor of "The Church Has Left the Building." Members fan out into South Lyon to provide a variety of needed services throughout the community, with the Mission and Outreach Team helping plan the day and the year's mission calendar around it.
Mission Partners Near and Far
First United Methodist supports a long list of mission partners. In South Lyon, members volunteer with Active Faith Community Services, an agency that provides long-term and temporary assistance including a food bank, clothing closet, utility assistance, case management, and counseling; members stock shelves, deliver meals, tutor students, donate funds, and serve on the Board of Directors. The congregation also supports the Capernaum Health Clinic, a mobile clinic that provides free medical and dental care for the uninsured and under-insured multiple times per year in the South Lyon area.
In Detroit, the church partners with Cass Community Social Services, an agency providing meals, a community garden, jobs through Green Industries, free medical clinics, and housing ranging from shelters and warming centers to tiny homes. The church is currently sponsoring a tiny home in Detroit through its South Lyon First UMC Tiny Home Project on Facebook.
Every summer, a team travels to the God's Country Community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where seven churches work together in an area marked by isolation and poverty. The trip is one week each summer and is open to youth and adults.
The congregation also supports the Sparrow Freedom Project, a South Lyon-based organization assisting survivors of human trafficking with food, clothing, emergency housing rental costs, transportation, and other basic needs; Kingdom Home, founded by Detroit Tiger Matthew Boyd and his wife Ashley, which provides safe housing for children at risk of entering the sex trade in Uganda and currently runs four homes, one for boys and three for girls; and the Samaritan Counseling Center, with offices across southeast Michigan that offer individual, couples, and family counseling including addiction recovery, grief, transgender, and pre-marital assessment.
Additional ongoing efforts include Blessings in a Backpack, the Good Samaritan Fund, Angel Tree and Christmas Baskets, Versiti Blood Drives, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, a Talent Auction that raises money for mission projects, and contributions to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the United Methodist Retirement Communities.
A Building That Hosts the Community
Beyond its own ministries, First United Methodist opens its building to outside groups that need space. Alcoholics Anonymous, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Capernaum Health Clinic, T.O.P.S. (Take Pounds Off Sensibly), and the South Lyon Co-op Preschool all meet on the property. The Fellowship Hall is again available for outside groups as of recent updates, and requests are reviewed through the building use process.
Giving in Many Forms
The church accepts gifts in cash or check (in the offering plate, in the drop box at door #4, or by mail), electronically through the aGive program, the WebGive program, or the Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement app for Apple or Android devices, and as gifts of stock, mutual fund shares, or IRA distributions. Stocks are transferred through a Raymond James account administered by Andrea Kotch Duda; donors must notify the Administrator of Generosity that a donation is on its way. A Special Donation Form handles IRA-related gifts, and an annual Estimate of Giving card invites members to plan their giving for the year ahead.
Pastoral and Ministry Leadership
Lead Pastor Nick Bonsky shepherds the congregation. Director of Faith Formation Katy Doyle-Hohf oversees education ministries. Vera Burns serves as pianist and organist, Jen Liskey directs the band, and Katy Luce serves as Nursery Coordinator. The wider staff includes the Administrator for Communications, the Administrator of Finance, Office Manager Chad Stuckey, and Custodian Janis Norton, who keep the church running day to day.
Visiting First United Methodist Church
The church building is at 640 South Lafayette Street, South Lyon, MI 48178. The church office is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and closed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The phone number is 248-437-0760. Sunday worship is at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary, with Sunday School for every age at 9:45 AM, nursery care available during both services, and the 11:00 service livestreamed on YouTube. A Building Map shows where each Sunday morning program meets.