West Lansing Church of Christ sits along a stretch of West St. Joe Highway on the west side of Lansing, Michigan, a short drive from the I-96 and I-69 interchange. Since 1951 the congregation has gathered at 5505 W St Joe Hwy, where Sunday mornings bring two identical services at 9 and 10:45 a.m., complete with children's programming from nursery through sixth grade. Visitors are told up front that the dress code is casual, that friendly faces and open arms are the norm, and that "you will feel known, wanted, and like you belong."
A Heritage Rooted in the Restoration Movement
West Lansing Church of Christ carries the heritage of the broader Churches of Christ and Christian Churches, a fellowship with roots in nineteenth-century Scotland. That movement rose out of a desire to call the church back to the authority of Christ and the pattern of the New Testament rather than rely on human tradition or denominational structures. Today there are some 5,000 like-minded congregations around the world, each locally governed by its own elders, a model WLCC follows as well.
WLCC does not call itself a denomination. In its own words, "We believe we are not the only Christians, but Christians only," and the prayer of Jesus in John 17 that all of God's people would be one shapes the congregation's identity.
The local story began in 1951 when the First Church of Christ on Holmes and Eureka Streets, working with evangelist Virgil Felton, planted what became West Lansing Church of Christ. The first worship services met at 4025 West Saginaw Avenue. By 1953 the growing group needed more room and moved to the campus of Great Lakes Bible College while land was being sought for a permanent home. In the spring of 1964 the congregation moved again, this time into the building that still anchors the property at 5505 West St. Joseph Street. A 1983 addition on the east side of the building added the multipurpose/fellowship hall, kitchen and classrooms that now host much of the congregation's weekly life.
Weekend Services at WEST
Two Sunday morning services are the heartbeat of the church. Both share the same format and run consecutively at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m., giving families flexibility about when to attend. Children's programming for nursery through sixth grade runs during both services, so parents can drop their children off before the service begins.
Worship is participatory and warm. The service is built around uplifting music, prayer, the weekly observance of communion, and scripture-based preaching. The aim is praise and worship of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, inviting the Holy Spirit into the room. Casual dress is the norm, and visitors can expect a low-key, family-style atmosphere.
Services can also be followed from home. The church livestreams every weekend on Facebook Live, and a YouTube channel archives past messages for those who miss a Sunday or want to revisit one. Online giving is set up through the church's Breeze platform.
Life Groups: Small Communities Across Lansing
The catchphrase "you were designed to live in community" introduces WLCC's small-group ministry, called Life Groups. These groups meet weekly to study, pray, encourage one another, serve together and share meals, with some gathering at the church campus and others in homes spread across the Lansing area.
Life Groups are not a side program but a primary environment the congregation points people toward for growth beyond Sunday morning. The church publishes a set of expectations for those who join: keep the focus on relationships that help each person grow in Christlikeness; be a contributor rather than a consumer of the group's life; resolve conflict in a way that builds others up; commit to showing up; keep conversations about self, brief, clean and free of gossip (a code the group calls "ABC + GAG"); and "keep an open hand" on disagreements that are not essential to the Christian faith. What is shared in the group stays there, except where something must be escalated to a pastor or there is concern for someone's safety.
The Next Steps Pathway
WLCC walks new people through a clear three-step pathway of belonging and growth.
The first stop is the Welcome Party, a brunch gathering with childcare provided, where newcomers meet other newcomers and several of the church's ministry leaders. Preaching Elder Gary Kennedy shares a bit about the church and answers questions. The morning is informal, aimed at anyone who is "new (or new-ish) to WEST."
From there the path leads to Foundations, a one-night class that takes a more detailed look at who WLCC is. Participants learn about the history of the Restoration Movement and where West Lansing sits within it, review the church's core beliefs, walk through the congregation's process for maturing believers, and discover how Life Groups and serving fit into the life of the body.
A third layer is the Rooted experience, a guided small-group journey offered through the Rooted Network. Rooted groups meet weekly for a set period and are designed to build a stronger foundation in prayer, scripture and Christian community. The church runs new Rooted groups periodically.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
Children are described by the church as "the church's future." Programming is offered for nursery through sixth grade during both Sunday services, in a secure environment where solid biblical teaching and the name of Jesus are lifted up.
For junior high and senior high students, the church runs two weekly touchpoints. On Sunday mornings there is a Bible exploration time at 11:00 a.m., and on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. youth gather for relationship-building activities and Bible study. The goal is to give young people a place to explore what the Bible says about identity, purpose and culture.
Adults find several additional communities to plug into. A men's group meets Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Media Room. Women's ministry takes the shape of small groups for varying ages and stages of life, through sharing, relationship and Bible study. Adult Education classes meet periodically through the year for anyone wanting to grow in knowledge, understanding and application of God's word.
Worship, Missions, and Outreach
Worship Ministry is led jointly by Kevin and Denise Harrell. The team's goal is to support services that encourage worship of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, inviting the Holy Spirit into the congregation through praise, prayer, weekly communion and scripture.
Outreach is named as a separate track, with the broad aim of reaching the community and the world with finances, time and service. Missions Ministry, led by Aaron Lantzer, organizes mission trips and reflects the church's belief in the power of faith to bring hope and healing. A Greeter Ministry under Angie Nyquist and a Welcome Center team under Emily Wise round out the first-time guest experience.
Bible Reading Plans
For anyone wanting to read scripture more consistently, the church lists five reading plans: a traditional cover-to-cover 365-day plan; a 121-day biographical plan through the key personalities of scripture; a 61-day chronological journey through the major stories; a one-year plan that pulls together Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs each day; and a chronological 365-day plan that reads the Bible in the order events occurred.
What West Lansing Believes
West Lansing summarizes its teaching in a confession that leans heavily on scripture. The Bible is described as "the only adequate guide for living a Christian life," with verses from 2 Timothy 3 quoted to affirm that all Scripture is "God-breathed" and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
At the center is the love and grace of God, made known through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for sin and rose again on the third day. Every person, the church teaches, has worth as a creation of God, yet all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life are available to those who trust Christ as Savior and Lord, repent, openly confess faith, and are baptized into Christ, a conviction anchored in Acts 2:38.
The Church itself is described as the body of Christ on earth, each person empowered by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of loving God, loving one another and doing good works. The closing note of the statement is eschatological: the conviction that Jesus Christ will one day return to judge the world.
Vision, Mission, and Values
The phrase "Jesus Changes Everything" is WLCC's vision. The church wants to see that reality on campus, off campus and around the world. The mission is summarized in three movements: Love God, primarily through weekend services; Love People, through Life Groups and serving side by side; and Serve Both, by discovering God-given gifts and using them for others.
Five values are listed for the congregation to live by: Unchanging Truth, Uncomfortable Growth, Undivided Family, Unceasing Prayer and Uncommon Generosity.
The Team
Leadership at WLCC is a mix of elders and ministry directors. Gary Kennedy serves as Preaching Elder, and Bob Solomon is also named as an elder of the congregation. Jenna Wise leads Young Adult Ministry; Zeke Furst leads Youth Ministry; and Tamie Wise leads Children's Ministry. Worship Ministry is led jointly by Kevin and Denise Harrell. Missions Ministry is led by Aaron Lantzer.
A Word About the Building and Practical Matters
The campus at 5505 W St Joe Hwy houses the main auditorium, classrooms added in 1983, and a fellowship hall and kitchen that are used for meals, small-group gatherings and events. The church publishes an Animal Policy that explains how trained service dogs are welcomed: documentation of need, training, and vaccination must be presented on arrival, and the dog must remain with its handler at all times. No other animals are permitted on the grounds.
For anyone wanting to take a next step, the church invites them to fill out a contact card at the back of the auditorium on Sunday morning, register for an upcoming Welcome Party or Foundations class through the website, or reach out to begin Life Group participation. Information is available at the campus, by phone at 517-323-3691, or by emailing info@westlansingchurch.com. Streaming is available through Facebook Live and the church's YouTube channel, online giving runs through Breeze, and a calendar of upcoming events and sermons is kept on the website.