Northside Community Church of Ann Arbor

Mission Statement: to help our weakest, poorest, and most vulnerable neighbors with what they need most and to highlight the work of those organizations that provide help.

Northside Community Church is a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ who seek to share the Good News of God’s Kingdom in Ann Arbor and beyond.

Pastor Chris Grapentine

Northside Community Church of Ann Arbor

Whoever you are...

You are invited to a place where all are welcomed and accepted, and encouraged to be all that God made them to be.

You are invited to become part of a loving Christian community, committed to loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

You are invited to join us for worship, for fellowship, for learning opportunities, and for serving others as we discover what it means to serve Jesus Christ as Lord and, as his followers, to walk in his steps.

Northside Happenings

Next Concert4aCause on May 5
Our next Concert4aCause of the 2012-2013 season will be on Sunday evening May 5 at 7:00 pm, benefiting the Samaritan Counseling Services of Ann Arbor. For more information about this concert or about the series, click on the "Concerts4aCause" button at the top of this page.

Pastor Grapentine retiring on May 5
Sunday, May 5, will be Pastor Chris Grapentine's last Sunday as the pastor of Northside. Below is his letter to the congregation of January 7, 2013:

Dear friends,

It has been my privilege to be your pastor at Northside Community Church for the past 10+ years now. It has been a good time for both me and my family and for the church, but it has become clear to me over the last year that it is time for me to retire. I will turn 61 in a couple of weeks, and while that may seem young to many of you, I no longer have the energy needed to fulfill my responsibilities on a weekly basis.

Northside is financially healthy and full of lots of wonderful people, but there are serious challenges ahead in the coming years with an aging congregation that need to be addressed, and I don't feel up to the task. I had hoped I might be able to persevere for a few more years until Carolyn is ready to retire, but either age or my rheumatoid arthritis or lingering effects from my depression (or all of the above) have made me realize that I no longer have what it takes to lead this congregation into its next phase. That will need to fall to someone else. For me to continue at my present pace would be unfair to the church and detrimental to its future.

It is our plan at this time to return to First Baptist Church, from whence we came, and resume being a part of that congregation. That will allow Carolyn to continue working on the Hunger Meal each third and fifth Tuesday (we hope) with the assistance of the good people of Northside. We also hope that last year's plan for First Baptist joining Northside for VBS will come to fruition this year and we can still help out on that, but we'll have to see how everything works out.

Since I am not in a position to officially retire, I will probably do a number of different things, as I have for most of my adult life. For now I plan to build up my piano tuning business in order to replace my Northside income. Eventually, after taking some time off, I might do some interim pastoral work. There are several other possibilities, but as my life has rarely gone the way I thought it might, I'll just have to wait and see what God is going to surprise me with in the years to come.

Northside was one of the biggest and best surprises of my life. I wasn't looking to go back into pastoral ministry when I came to be your interim pastor for a couple of months in early 2002. Little did I know what great things God had in store for all of us in the years ahead. While I look forward to my future with some anxiety, but mostly with excitement, I am looking forward to the great things God will be doing among you, the people of Northside. This church has many positive things going for it as it faces the challenges ahead of it. It is my fervent prayer that God will lead you into a new and glorious future that I am convinced is possible. God's blessings upon us all.

Your humble servant,

Chris Grapentine

Contact Info

Northside Community Church
929 Barton Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105

(734) 662-6351

NorthsideCCA2@aol.com

For building use information call Esther Yost at (734) 761-6145

Here and Now

Sunday morning classes continue for both adults and children at 11:25. See the "Classes" page for more information.

Bell Choir & Chancel Choir rehearsals also continue each Thursday. Both groups perform as part of most every worship service.

This Month

Preparing & serving the Hunger Meal at First Baptist Church the third and fifth Tuesday of the month - April 16th this month.

We continue to bring in donations for the Second Baptist Food Pantry. Boxed, packaged, or canned food items plus household items (tissues, toilet paper, dishwashing & laundry detergent) are always appreciated.

This Year

2012 was the third year for our Growing Hope Garden. Our harvested vegetables go to Food Gatherers to be given to those in need of fresh foods. We do this along with about 25 other churches in town.

In 2011 we delivered over 200 pounds of beans, tomatoes, and squash from our garden. 2012's harvest finished with almost 300 pounds total taken in to Food Gatherers. We hope that 2013 will be an even better year as we learn what grows well in our spot.