Oxford Community Church has a new home, but the same message ? everyone is welcome.
The 4?-year-old non-denominational Christian church is now located at 2750 N. Baldwin Road (between Shipman and Oakwood roads) on the same property as Little Scholars of Oxford, a day care facility.
To celebrate its new home, the church is hosting a ‘grand re-opening? throughout the month of April.
‘We’re inviting people to come out, try us one time, and see if we can be a benefit to them,? said Pastor Larry Hayward.
Boasting a congregation of 75-80 members, Oxford Community Church is ‘specifically designed? to ‘target people who have given up on traditional church services,? according to Hayward.
‘We’re looking for the person who grew up in church or had to go to church, but didn’t get anything out of it, so when they went out on their own, they just stopped coming,? he said.
Hayward said many of those people now have children they wish to expose to Christianity.
‘We get a number of people who come initially just for their children,? he said.
Hayward himself is an example of someone who grew up in a denominational church, but went looking for something else, something different later in life.
The pastor said he was raised in a ‘very loving Christian home? and attended a Methodist church. But during his college years, he started attending independent churches.
In his late 20s, Hayward ‘felt the call? into the ministry and went to Bible school in Oklahoma. He then moved to Michigan, where he served as an associate pastor at Bloomfield Hills Christian Church (now called Oakland Christian Church) for 17? years, before establishing a church in Oxford.
But you needn’t have any religious background to attend Oxford Community Church.
‘We’re also looking for people who have never been to church before, but something inside of them is wondering about God,? Hayward said. ‘Or maybe they saw the movie The Passion of the Christ and they’re wondering about some of the background.?
‘We do everything we can to make everyone feel welcomed, not out of place,? he said. ‘We try to talk in everyday terms people can understand. We put all the Scripture references in teaching outlines, so people don’t have to bring a Bible if they don’t have one or worry about looking something up.?
The ‘relevancy? of the Bible to people’s everyday lives is a central focus of the church, according to Hayward.
‘Our message, the whole service, is very Bible-oriented,? he said. ‘The Bible is so practical about how to live a fulfilled life.?
Hayward said the Bible can help strengthen and guide relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, with others and with God.
Oxford Community Church services are described as ‘upbeat,? ‘fast-paced,? and ‘very contemporary.?
‘We use drama, video clips, power-point, singing, live music and speaking, all centered on the central message of the day,? he said. ‘If there was an 11th Commandment, it should be something like, ‘Thou shalt not be boring.??
Holding people’s interest is particularly important with the children.
‘We really emphasize families around here, specifically high quality ministry to children,? Hayward said. ‘If their children don’t like the service, if they’re bored with the children’s ministry, then the parents are not going to come back.?
Oxford Community Church offers Sunday school to children which takes place at the same time as the hour-long Sunday adult service, which begins at 10 a.m.
However, children are not mandated to attend.
‘Children are welcome to attend the adult services too,? Hayward said. ‘Whatever the parents and children are comfortable with.?
The church’s children’s ministry is headed by Lee Mazzara and offers a monthly activity (in addition to Sunday school), which combines fun, fellowship and Bible study.
For more information call (248) 969-3000 or log-on to the church’s website www.oxfordcommunity.org.