Where Faith Meets Action on Pleasant Valley Road
Lord of Life Lutheran Church sits at 5051 Pleasant Valley Road in Brighton, Michigan, in Livingston County. The congregation describes itself as Christ-centered and lives out its calling through the well-known Lutheran tagline, "God's Work. Our Hands." Worship gathers on Sunday mornings, but the rhythms of the week at Lord of Life are also shaped by Fish & Loaves community meals, Bible studies, a livestreamed service, Vacation Bible School, school supply drives, and a long list of outreach partnerships that reach into every corner of Livingston County and beyond.
The congregation belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is a member of the Southeast Michigan Synod. Its mission statement says simply that Jesus Christ, the Savior, frees from sin and offers forgiveness and new life through God's grace and the gift of faith. From that center the church points outward: to neighbors in need, to children and youth, and to anyone looking for a place to belong. Lord of Life describes its people as a community that includes people in every stage of life with no pressure to be perfect, and a church that does not just gather but goes out and serves.
Sunday Morning at Lord of Life
Sunday worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and runs about one hour. The format is liturgical, drawing on the historic shape of Lutheran worship. Each Sunday includes Holy Communion, Confession and Forgiveness, Passing the Peace of Christ, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. Visitors will not find hymnals, songbooks, or printed bulletins. Everything appears on a large screen at the front of the room, and the only book in each chair is a Holy Bible.
Music is led by a volunteer praise band under the direction of Nancy Rice. The band blends traditional and contemporary Christian songs, so the same Sunday might move from a classic hymn to a newer worship song without missing a beat. A nursery is available during the service for the youngest children, and Children's Sunday School for ages 3 to 11 meets afterward, running from September through May. Youth and Adult Bible Study are also offered as special sessions during the Sunday school hour.
Fellowship follows the service at about 10:30 a.m., when coffee and conversation fill the gathering space. Greeters meet visitors at the door, ushers help people find seats, and the entire morning is designed so a first-time guest feels at ease. Parking is free and easy, with accessible spots close to the entrance. The building has a wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating throughout the worship space. The dress code is "come as you are"; most people attend in casual or business-casual attire. Worship is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, so anyone unable to attend in person can join online.
Growing Together: Children, Youth, and Adults
Lord of Life walks alongside every stage of faith, and its programming reflects that breadth. The Children's Program for ages 3 to 11 uses creative, age-appropriate teaching to plant God's Word in young hearts. Linda LaPlatt leads Children's Sunday School. The Youth Program for grades 7 through 12 offers interactive lessons that guide teens toward personal faith and community impact, with Craig Johnson leading the Youth Bible Study. Adult Discipleship takes the form of Bible studies, prayer teams, and small groups designed to deepen spiritual maturity and build supportive relationships, and Gloria McCracken leads the Adult Bible Study.
Doug Rice serves as the church's live-stream producer, ensuring that the Sunday service reaches far beyond the walls of the building on Pleasant Valley Road. Other volunteers round out the ministry roster, including those who assist with hospitality, outreach, finance, community meals, and property management, many of whom have asked not to be publicly named.
The church also marks the milestones of life. Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings, Funerals, and Memorials are all offered, with no membership required. Couples and families looking for a venue can inquire about weddings at the church, and the fellowship hall is available to reserve for community events.
Fish & Loaves: 77,465+ Meals and Counting
The signature outreach of Lord of Life is its Fish & Loaves Community Meal program. Each month, volunteers gather at the church to prepare a free, nutritious dinner, then hand the meals out drive-through style to anyone who pulls up. Volunteer food prep begins at 4 p.m., and food distribution starts at 5 p.m. The drive-through format makes it easy for individuals and families to receive a meal without leaving their cars.
Over the years, Fish & Loaves has served more than 77,465 meals to neighbors in Brighton and the surrounding communities. The program runs entirely on donated food and volunteer labor. The church posts a sign-up for donations and volunteers before each monthly dinner, and the impact is felt across the wider Brighton area, reaching people in Brighton, South Lyon, Howell, Hartland, Milford, Pinckney, Wixom, Whitmore Lake, Novi, Ann Arbor, and the surrounding Livingston and Western Oakland County communities.
For people who need food assistance at other times of the week, the church points them to local partners. Magdalen's Kitchen serves meals on Mondays, Bountiful Harvest serves Tuesday through Saturday, Cornerstone EPC serves Wednesday, the St. Joseph Food Pantry is open weekly, and Love INC and Gleaners Food Bank through PantryNet help fill in the gaps.
A Congregation That Goes Out and Serves
Service at Lord of Life extends well beyond the Fish & Loaves dinners. The church's "Get Involved" page invites people into outreach, worship teams, hospitality, facility maintenance, and ministries for children, youth, and adults. A few of the partnerships and projects that have shaped recent years give a sense of how the congregation puts faith into practice.
On a Saturday morning in late October, more than 50 volunteers gathered in partnership with Kids Against Hunger to package 10,239 meals, each one feeding a family of four, for a total of more than 40,000 servings going to children and families around the world and right here in the local community. Volunteers of all ages worked side by side, packing bags and sharing smiles. No special skills were needed; just willing hands and open hearts.
In mid-July, the church collected school supplies for the Livingston Educational Service Agency's Backpacks for Kids program. Backpacks, pencils, notebooks, crayons, and more filled a large bin that was delivered just in time for the August 7 distribution event, helping local students walk into their first day ready to learn and thrive.
A donation drive for Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing gathered clothing, household goods, and hygiene products for people in transition. The team at Cristo Rey was deeply appreciative of the contributions.
For the Livingston County United Way's Day of Caring, the church's youth group joined 866 volunteers across 79 worksites. They attached a deck board, trimmed overgrown bushes and trees, moved two large couches from a basement to the curb, repaired broken kitchen drawer tracks, and built a new railing for deck stairs at a local homeowner's house, guided by Colossians 3:23. Across the county, volunteers logged 3,258 hours and contributed more than $113,000 worth of service in a single day.
Other initiatives fill the calendar: a Red Cross Blood Drive held on campus, an annual Chili Cook-off after worship, family sponsorship during the holidays, care kits for those in need, and seasonal giving drives that change with the church year.
Vacation Bible School: True North and the Rainforest Adventure
Vacation Bible School has become a centerpiece of the church's ministry to children. In 2025, the building was "transformed into a vibrant wilderness adventure" for VBS, themed "True North," guiding kids to Jesus as their one true compass. The week of June 23 through 27 included energetic worship, hands-on crafts, engaging Bible stories, outdoor games, and snacks, all held even during an intense summer heat wave.
The following summer, the theme shifted to a "Rainforest Adventure." Twenty-five children were welcomed for a week of faith, fun, learning, music, crafts, games, and new friendships. The rainforest came alive as kids explored God's love through engaging activities and memorable experiences. VBS Coordinator Ruthie shared that "all the children, and I think even the adults, enjoyed themselves."
The program runs because of volunteers who decorate, donate supplies, lead stations, walk children between activities, and lend a hand in whatever way is needed. Michelle LeFeve, who serves on the Church Council and coordinates outreach and youth group activities, has been a key voice in telling the story of these VBS weeks on the church's Voices of Faith blog.
Voices of Faith: Reflections From the Congregation
The church's blog, called Voices of Faith, is published regularly and gathers Christian content from several writers across the congregation. Posts are organized into four categories: Faith In Action, Faith Reflections, Pastor Messages, and Through Their Eyes.
Craig Johnson, who describes himself as "Teaching Lutheran stuff since 1975," contributes faith reflections. His piece "Do You Love Me? Then Let's Roll Up Our Sleeves" draws on John 21 and the story of Peter's restoration by the Sea of Galilee to call the congregation into service, listing everyday acts of faith: making coffee, teaching Sunday school, welcoming a visitor, joining a choir, serving on a committee, and inviting a neighbor to church. "Rooted in Faith" connects Red Skelton's famous 1969 Pledge of Allegiance monologue to Martin Luther's Small Catechism, while "Our Citizenship is in Heaven" reflects on Philippians 3:20 during election season, encouraging prayerful voting, gracious disagreement, and ultimate hope in Christ. "Faith From the Roots of Our Ancestors" explores family lineage and Hebrews 12's "great cloud of witnesses," while "Transition to Transformation" uses Acts 2:44-47 and Acts 6 to show how shared ownership and voluntary service can strengthen a church in a season without a settled pastor.
Ronald J. Chewning writes under the heading "12 Months of Congregational Stewardship." His posts include "Have a Heart," which draws on Deuteronomy 6:5, Isaiah 29:13, and Ezekiel 36:26-27; "A New Year, New Opportunities," which uses the Parable of the Talents to encourage faithfulness in small things; "Overjoyed by the Star," a Christmas reflection on Matthew 2 and the Magi; "Humble Stewards," about the danger of forgetting God as Creator; "The Exalted State of Servanthood," on Martin Luther's teaching that a Christian is "a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none" and "a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all"; and "Giving a Cup of Cold Water," about how the disciples were sent out to depend on those they served.
Gloria McCracken, who leads the Adult Bible Study, contributed a series of short Advent stories under "Through Their Eyes." "The Turning of the Year" introduces a series imagining the prelude to Christ's coming through the eyes of the people who lived it. "Happy New Year for Elizabeth" unfolds in four parts, from Elizabeth's quiet waiting to the birth and naming of John the Baptist. "Joseph's Dilemma" follows in two parts, as Joseph discovers Mary's pregnancy, wrestles with what to do, and then receives a vision that prompts him to marry her and travel with her to Bethlehem.
Colleen Hedblad has shared recaps of VBS and the LESA Backpacks for Kids program, while Michelle LeFeve has covered Kids Against Hunger, Easter giving for a family in need, and the most recent VBS. The pastors also write monthly messages that walk the congregation through the church year, from Advent and Christmas through Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and ordinary time.
A Pastoral Transition Rooted in Trust
Lord of Life is in the middle of a pastoral transition, a season the church has embraced with grace and intentionality. Pastor Dale Hedblad, who joined Lord of Life in 1999 and served the congregation for 26½ years, has stepped into retirement. His farewell message, "A Season of Waiting, A Season of Thanks," reflected on his long ministry and the hope he places in the next chapter. Earlier messages from Pastor Dale include "Faith That Endures: Giving Thanks in All Things," a Thanksgiving reflection grounded in Hebrews 11:1, and "From Pentecost to Purpose: Living the Gospel," which uses Acts 2:47 and Luke 19:10 to remind the church that "the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." His fall kickoff, "Aloha to a New Church Year," launched a season themed around the Hawaiian greeting of welcome, adventure, and new experiences, with Sunday school resuming for all ages from age 3 through grade 12, including adult Sunday school.
Pastor Kristin Vander Ploeg has come on board as interim pastor. With more than 15 years of ordained ministry in the ELCA and a 20-year career as a U.S. Air Force chaplain, from which she recently retired, Pastor Kristin has served in congregational and chaplaincy settings across the country and overseas. Her introduction, "A New Season at Lord of Life," looks forward to listening, learning, and exploring where God is leading the congregation. Her pastoral messages include "Entering a New Season," "Lenten Journey Invitation," "A New Thing," "Come Holy Spirit," "Growing As the Body of Christ," "Freedom For..." (a Fourth of July reflection on Christian freedom that uses the Reformation's semper reformanda idea), "Tell Me a Story" on why Jesus taught through parables, and "Be Strong and Courageous," which draws on Joshua 1:9 to steady the congregation through the wilderness of transition.
The congregation has responded with characteristic energy. Phase 2 Focus Groups during late September 2026 invited members to prayerfully explore Lord of Life's purpose, mission, and priorities for the future, building on the Transition Team work that has shaped the year.
Walking With People in Hard Seasons
The church's care ministry gathers several strands of pastoral support under one roof. Members of the community can meet confidentially with the pastor for prayer, spiritual guidance, grief counseling, or simply a conversation. Prayer needs can be submitted online or in person, and the prayer team lifts up all needs weekly and offers confidential support. The church is connected to area counselors, therapists, recovery groups, and housing services, and when direct help is not available, it connects people to someone who can. For those who are grieving or navigating major life changes, comfort, conversation, and referrals to support groups are offered. Anyone who would like a visit, communion, or prayer at home or in the hospital can request one. These ministries are offered without membership requirements and are part of the church's broader commitment to walk alongside people through every season of life.
Volunteer Leaders and the Church Council
Volunteer leaders are the backbone of the congregation. The Church Council includes Chris Elsey (President), Jon Unruh (Vice President), Karen Schmidt (Treasurer), with Secretary and Facilities Manager positions currently vacant, plus Rob LeFeve and Michelle LeFeve as members. Among the named ministry leaders, Doug Rice produces the livestream, Nancy Rice leads the praise band, Gloria McCracken leads the Adult Bible Study, Craig Johnson leads the Youth Bible Study, and Linda LaPlatt leads Children's Sunday School. Many more volunteers in worship, hospitality, outreach, finance, community meals, and property management keep the ministry running week after week.
Giving, Streaming, and Staying Connected
Online giving is available through a secure giving platform, and donations support community care and food outreach, programs for kids and youth, mission work, the body of Christ, and the maintenance of the church's sacred space. The weekly worship service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where sermons are also archived for later viewing. The church can be reached by phone at (810) 227-3113 or by email at lordoflifeelca@gmail.com, and the office is open during the week for questions, prayer requests, or a simple hello.
Lord of Life Lutheran Church is a community that gathers for worship, sends its members out to serve, and welcomes anyone who walks through the door on Pleasant Valley Road.