About Our Worship

Our mission and vision statement give some glimpse into our worship life.

The mission of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is to worship God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. . . . As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be energizing in worship and welcoming to all.

Christian Worship: Worship at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is Christian worship: it is done in the name of the Triune God who created us, redeemed us through Jesus Christ, and who sustains us through the Holy Spirit. We believe this God is attested to by the Bible and revealed in the life of the community of faith, so both Scripture and our members are important elements to worship.

Reformed Worship: As part of what is called the Reformed family of faith, worship at GPMC is also Reformed worship. In the Reformed tradition, worship is centered around the Word of God revealed in Scripture, proclaimed in song and through the sermon, and enacted in baptism and communion. All else that we do is either in preparation to hear and see the Word of God or as a response to it. Music, whether sung by the choir or the congregation, is always intended as an offering to God and not as a performance. The choir, using the primary instrument for music – the human voice – is cast in the role of lead singer for the entire congregation. For more information about Presbyterian and Reformed worship, Click Here.

Lectionary Based: One of the tools that we use to plan worship is a lectionary. A lectionary is a collection of readings from the Bible. For every Sunday of the year, the Revised Common Lectionary provides 4 readings from the Bible to be used in church: one general Old Testament reading, one psalm, one general New Testament reading, and one passage from a gospel. It is a 3 year cycle. We usually read at least two of these aloud, with one of them serving as the text for the sermon. Grosse Pointe Memorial Church has been using this lectionary for a number of years. For more information about the Revised Common Lectionary, Click Here.

Sunday Celebrations: Every Sunday is a celebration of God's love for us, but some Sundays stand out in the life of our church. For a PDF listing of our special Sunday Celebrations, please Click Here

Worship Survey: In 2007, the Session of GPMC made a worship survey a priority in order to help insure our congregation was living into its vision of a community of faith where worship is central and energizing.  In the fall of 2008, the Worship Council administered this survey over the course of 8 weeks.  The results of the survey were tabulated over the course of early 2009 and have since served GPMC in several ways.  First, the music portion of the survey was at the heart of the "listening phase" of our search for a new mirector of music.  Second, the Worship Council has identified areas to explore further for worship planning in 2011.  Third, it formed the basis for our 2011 survey about music style and worship times.  Finally, the survey has become a wonderful springboard to conversations about worship in our diverse congregation. For the full results of the survey, click here.