An LCMS Congregation on Ann Arbor Road
Risen Christ Lutheran Church sits at 46250 Ann Arbor Road in Plymouth, Michigan, just west of the city, where it has served the western Wayne County area for more than fifty years. The congregation belongs to the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and is organized under the English District, and members describe its purpose in a single hope: that people come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their Christian faith. Sundays at Risen Christ have a steady rhythm, and the church is known for being a small, warm place where first-time visitors are quickly introduced to the pastor, the building, and the coffee that follows the service.
Sundays at 10:00 am
The Sunday gathering begins with a Bible study led by Pastor Rennie Kaufmann, meeting from 9:00 am to 9:45 am. The principal service of the week follows at 10:00 am and is open to everyone, with Communion celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. All parts of the service - the songs, the prayers, the sermon - are grounded in Scripture, in keeping with the Lutheran commitment to the Bible as the authority for what is taught and sung.
Worship is livestreamed through a Vimeo player, and recordings of recent services are archived so members who are traveling, ill, or otherwise away can keep up with the sermons. Printed bulletins for each Sunday are available as PDF downloads, which lets families prepare together during the week.
Welcome for First-Time Visitors
Risen Christ expects that newcomers may not know where to go when they arrive, so a greeter meets each visitor at the door. The greeter will walk someone to the nursery, the restrooms, the sanctuary, or the coffee that follows the service, and will help orient anyone who is unfamiliar with a Lutheran church. The congregation is open about the kind of people it hopes to see: long-time churchgoers and people who have not stepped into a sanctuary in decades, families with young children, and anyone who simply wants to hear the Gospel preached and pray.
After the service, the coffee hour is treated as part of the welcome. Members and visitors gather, meet the pastor, and share a little of their stories. The pastoral staff encourages newcomers to come as they are, noting that the people of Risen Christ enjoy the company of people of all sizes, shapes, and colors.
A Lutheran Identity in the Missouri Synod
As a member congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), Risen Christ shares the doctrinal and liturgical commitments of that body. The church teaches that faith comes through the Word and the Sacraments, and the weekly service reflects that conviction. Communion on the second and fourth Sundays is a regular rhythm, and the preaching is centered on the biblical text for the day.
The congregation is part of the English District of the LCMS, the regional body that organizes and supports congregations in the eastern United States. Risen Christ's connections to the wider LCMS show up in the resources it points members toward: Concordia Publishing House for Bibles, catechisms, and hymnals; Issues, Etc. for daily Lutheran talk radio; Lutheran Hour Ministries for global Gospel outreach; Lutheran Life for print and digital Lutheran reading; Lutheran Public Radio and KFUO Lutheran Talk Radio for music and devotional programming; the Lutheran Women Missionary League (LWML) for women's mission work; and The Word Endures, a daily verse-by-verse Bible study hosted by Pastor Will Weedon. Each of these is an LCMS-affiliated ministry, and they are listed as resources the church actively recommends.
Meet the Team
Rennie Kaufmann serves as pastor of Risen Christ. He leads the 9:00 am Bible study, preaches at the 10:00 am service, and is available for pastoral conversation through the Ask the Pastor page on the church's site. Visitors and members can send him a question online, request a visit, ask for prayer, or arrange for private communion at home. The church phone - (734) 453-5252 - reaches the office, and Pastor Kaufmann returns calls as soon as he can when a message is left.
Esther Kaufmann leads the Youth Ministry. The church has a nursery available during services for the youngest children, and the youth ministry gives older children and teenagers a place in the life of the congregation alongside the adults.
Ask the Pastor
The Ask the Pastor page is a way for anyone - member or not - to put a question, a request for a chat, or a prayer need in writing. Pastor Kaufmann reads each message and replies personally. He also notes that he can arrange private visits and private communion for those who cannot make it to Sunday worship, a service especially valued by shut-ins and people recovering from illness or surgery.
A Building Designed to Host
What makes the Risen Christ campus unusual for a church of its size is how much space is available for community use. The sanctuary seats up to 444 people in reconfigurable seating around an elevated stage area. Dual overhead projectors make the room well-suited for presentations, weddings, and concerts. The audio and video equipment available to renters and worship planners includes a voice and instrument mixing board, wired and wireless microphones, a computer with PowerPoint, DVD playback, video clip support, and internet access.
Behind the sanctuary, a fellowship hall accommodates 140 to 200 people with a variety of table and chair configurations. It opens onto a kitchen, which makes the room easy to use for receptions, funeral dinners, family celebrations, and other events where food is part of the gathering. A 63-by-41-foot gymnasium sits nearby with floor markings for full-size volleyball and three-quarter-size basketball, college and high school backboards, and a cold water drinking fountain. A lounge area, roughly 23 by 56 feet, holds conversational seating, a television, and a variety of games, and can host up to 80 people. A 26-by-27-foot conference room with large bay windows seats 35 to 45 people, with round or square conference tables available, and works well for piano recitals, small meetings, and training sessions.
Weddings and Facility Rentals
Risen Christ welcomes inquiries about hosting weddings, receptions, family celebrations, memorial services, music performances and recitals, group meetings, training sessions, sports, and conferences. Couples interested in a wedding at Risen Christ are invited to contact the church office for details on availability and rental terms. A rental agreement form is available as a PDF download for anyone planning an event.
The variety of rooms on the campus means an event can move from a sanctuary wedding to a fellowship hall reception to a gymnasium reception for kids - all under one roof - without leaving the property. It is one of the reasons community groups and families use the building throughout the week, not just on Sunday mornings.
Stay, Grow, Reach
The congregation has used the phrase Stay, Grow, Reach to describe its three-part direction. Stay is about remaining a presence in Plymouth, a commitment the church affirmed through a Stay Grow Reach Concert Fundraiser and a GoFundMe campaign after a period of deliberation about its facilities and future. Grow is about deepening members' faith through Bible study, preaching, the sacraments, and the wider Lutheran resources the church recommends. Reach is about connecting with the surrounding community through facility rentals, partner ministries, and personal witness.
Partner Ministries and Outreach Resources
Beyond its own walls, Risen Christ points members and friends toward several ministries with which it stands in fellowship. Gifts For All God's Children is a southeast Michigan organization that connects at-risk children with churches and community groups that provide gifts and events. The AAA Pregnancy Center supports women and men making decisions about family planning. Family Bible Journey is a daily devotional podcast led by Rev. Daniel Lepley. The Luke Project 52 Clinic - Flint is a volunteer-run Christian prenatal and infant care clinic offering exams, lab work, pharmacy services, ultrasounds, doula-led education and labor support, a children's play area, a baby store, insurance navigation, and home visits when medically necessary. Risen Christ keeps a printed wish list for Benjamin's Closet, the baby store at the Flint clinic, so members can donate specific items the clinic needs.
These are partner ministries rather than programs run by Risen Christ itself, but the church treats them as part of its reach into the wider community and makes them easy to learn about from the resources page.
Staying Connected Through the Week
For people who want to keep up with announcements, the church publishes a monthly newsletter called the RCLC Notebook, with recent issues available as PDF downloads. A separate series of issues rounds out additional congregational news and learning. A Google Calendar embedded on the church's calendar page lists upcoming events and is open to anyone who wants to follow the congregation's schedule.
Online giving is set up through a secure Vanco giving portal, allowing members and friends to give electronically on a recurring basis or as they are able. Worship services are livestreamed through Vimeo, with recordings archived for later viewing.
What Visitors Can Expect
A first-time visitor driving along Ann Arbor Road will find a long-standing Lutheran congregation with a clear schedule: Bible study with the pastor at 9:00 am, worship at 10:00 am, coffee afterward. The service is grounded in the Lutheran liturgy and the Bible, Communion is served twice a month, and the pastor is approachable both before and after the service. The building is large enough to host community events throughout the week, and the staff is small enough that the people who walk through the door on Sunday are likely to be greeted by name by their next visit.
For Lutherans in the Plymouth area, for Christians from other traditions curious about the Missouri Synod, and for anyone who has been away from church for a while, Risen Christ keeps the invitation short: come and see.