Central Woodward Christian Church

About Us

A Community of Wholeness in a Fractured World

We seek to be a loving family and community.
The message of Jesus is one of love -- love of God and love of neighbor. As followers of Jesus we are seeking to become a truly loving community. Becoming a family or commuinity takes patience and commitment.? We fall short, but are raised up through God's gracious love.

We seek to walk together in relationship with God
The life of faith is a journey in the presence of God. The mission of the church is to provide an opportunity for God's people to share together in this journey of faith. In pursuit of this mission, this congregation seeks to offer encouragement, counsel, talteaching, and a safe place to follow in the ways of Jesus Christ.

We seek to be a welcoming people.
Jesus welcomed any and all who would come to him. As his followers we seek to throw open the doors and invite all who would come. Our creed is simple -- we confess faith in the God revealed to us and embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. We seek to welcome all who would come, no matter their age, ethnicity, theology, or sexual orientation.

We come together at an open table.
As Disciples we believe that the Lord's Table (also known as the Eucharist or Communion) is the center of our worship. It is here that we most fully encounter the risen Christ as we remember his offering on the cross. Therefore, we share each Sunday in the service of Communion. Because Christ is the host, the table is open to all who would come.

Vibe: Casual, Traditional Liturgy, Down to Earth, Progressive, Inclusive, Historic, Multigenerational

Programs: Community Service, Social Justice, Faith and Work, Young Adults, Choir, Adult Education, Children's Ministry

Music: Passionate Reverent, Traditional Hymns, Contemporary, Organ, Jazz, Praise and Worship

Denomination: Disciples of Christ

Size: Small

Language: English

Founded: 1926

Contact Information

Phone

248-644-0512

Website

http://centralwoodward.org

Social

Our Services

Service Times

Sunday

10:30am: Blend of traditional and contemporary with weekly communion

What to Expect

What are services like?
Worship at Central Woodward is a blend of traditional and contemporary. We sing simple praise songs and hymns that may be hundreds of years old. We have a wonderful organ and piano, but on occasion there will be guitar accompaniment. We have an excellent volunteer choir that helps lead our signing. Most services include a sermon and will always include the celebration of the Lord's Supper. The weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper is a very important part of our worship. We believe that this is the table of Jesus and not our table. Because it was his practice to invite everyone to share in meals with him, everyone is invited to participate in communion. It is our general practice – though we might be doing it differently when you come – to pass through the congregation trays that contain small pieces of gluten-free bread and and small cups of grape juice. Take and eat the bread, and then take the cup to share together with the congregation.

What is the community like?
We are a smaller, multi-generational, Mainline Protestant congregation. Central Woodward Christian Church was established in Detroit in 1926 as the merger of two congregations. We have been in Troy since the late 1970s. Because of our roots, our members come from all over metro-Detroit, but we are also committed to serving the Troy community. Theologically we are centered in following Jesus, but because we are non-creedal, there is great freedom to interpret how God is present in and with Jesus. We are progressive in our social engagement, but you'll find a wide variety of political positions as well. Again there is freedom. What we seek to be is a Christian community that follows Jesus' own practice of welcoming all who would come to him. As his followers we seek to throw open the doors and invite all who would come. Our creed is simple -- we confess faith in the God revealed to us and embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. We seek to welcome all who would come, no matter their age, ethnicity, theology, or sexual orientation.

What if I'm not a Christian?
We are unapologetically Christian, but in seeking to being a place of welcome, our hope is that persons who come from other faith traditions or no faith tradition will find this to be a place of welcome and safety. As a sign of this, we have been active participants in local interfaith efforts, including the Troy-area Interfaith Group, for which our pastor has been a leader.

Leadership

Robert Cornwall

Dr. Robert Cornwall (also known as Pastor Bob) came to Central Woodward in July 2008 from First Christian Church of Lompoc, CA. Pastor Bob is married to Cheryl and father to Brett. A graduate of Northwest Christian University in Eugene, OR, and Fuller Theological Seminary of Pasadena, CA (M.Div. and Ph.D. in Historical Theology), he is editor of the journal Sharing the Practice and the author of a number of books and articles, including several recent books, including: Worshiping with Charles Darwin, (Energion, 2013), Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening (Energion, 2013), as well as Ultimate Allegiance: The Subversive Nature of the Lord's Prayer (Energion Publications, 2010) and Faith in the Public Square: Living Faithfully in the 21st Century (Energion, 2012). Pastor Bob has a special commitment to ecumenical and interfaith ministry, serving as the Chair of the Ecumenism Commission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Michigan, serves as Convener of the Troy-area Interfaith Group, and is President of the Metropolitan Coaltion of Congregations. He is also an active member of the Troy Clergy Group. Before coming to Michigan, Pastor Bob served as President of the Greater Santa Barbara Clergy Association, the University Religious Conference at UCSB, and was founding convener of the Lompoc Interfaith Group. He is excited about leading Central Woodward into a new era as it seeks to become a missional congregation, committed transforming the community and world.