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

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

--Pastor Chris Grapentine

A Brief History

Founded in 1956 as Northside Baptist Church, the congregation later changed its name to reflect the diversity of its members' denominational backgrounds. We continue our affiliation with the American Baptist Churches, USA.

Our congregation is served by a professional pastor part-time and two volunteer seminary-trained ministry associates. We depend greatly on our lay leadership.

We strive to minister to those who join us for worship and to those outside our own church family through local, national, and international mission projects.

Music is a large part of our church life with many extraordinary musicians working and volunteering their time to provide music for worship that will minister to everyone.

We pray that you will find our worship service and music uplifting and that you will experience the warmth and friendliness that our congregation is known for.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Mission of the Northside Community Church is to be a witness to the revelation of God's love in Jesus Christ. We witness through worship, study, fellowship and service. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we seek to embody Christ's example.

At Northside Community Church we seek to grow in our faith relationship with God through Christ and to bring others to a transforming encounter with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As an American Baptist Church we are Bible-centered, democratic, autonomous and respectful of diversity.

As a loving congregational family we work to create an environment in which we are free to try, test, learn and grow.

We support missions here and abroad, through prayer, contributions and active participation.

We shed the light of service into the darkness of poverty, ignorance, injustice and loneliness by addressing targeted social concerns.

Staff & Officers

Ministers: All the members of the Church
Staff:
Pastor....................................Chris Grapentine
Ministry Associate for Congregational Care
& Parish Nurse.........................Sheree Clark
Ministry Associate....................Dennis J. Carter, Sr.
Senior Musician-in-Residence.....Kathryn Goodson
Assistant Musician-in-Residence..Xavier Suarez
Chancel Choir Director...............Paul Clark
Bell Choir Director....................Sheree Clark
Church Office...Elizabeth Kitchens, Loumar Sondeen
Building Use Administrator.........Esther Yost

Church Officers:
Advisory Board Chair...............Andy Block
Clerk....................................Gloria Taylor
Financial Secretary..................Stephanie Hesson
Treasurer...............................Elizabeth Kitchens
Historian...............................Esther Yost

Advisory Board Members:
Christian Education................Holly Perry
Fellowship............................Anne Daws-Lazar
Exterior................................Steve McTaggart
Finance................................Sue Wurster
Interior................................Wynda Arthur-Carter
Missions/Good News..............Carolyn Grapentine
Music & Worship....................Dennis J. Carter
Pastor/Staff Relations............Andy Block
At-Large...............................Lloyd Kitchens

Chris Grapentine

  • Pastor
  • A graduate of the University of Michigan with Bachelor & Master of Music degrees, Chris went on to receive his Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Chris has also served as pastor at churches in Champaign and Bourbon, Illinois and Lansing, Michigan.
    Chris is also a working musician, having traveled extensively throughout the country singing everything from opera and oratorio to Broadway and vocal jazz. He has taught at Lake Michigan College, Hillsdale College, Concordia University-Ann Arbor, Lansing Community College, and Madonna University as well as teaching privately.
    Chris has been choir director at five churches as well as conducting several choral workshops and choir festivals. He also maintains a piano tuning practice here in the Ann Arbor area.

Sheree Clark

  • Ministry Associate for Congregation Care & Parish Nurse
  • A long-time member of Northside and ministry volunteer, Sheree has recently been given this position as a recognition of her gifts for loving care and her expertise in nursing.
    A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Sheree has had many years of experience as a hospital nurse as well as a private care and physician's office nurse. She has acted as a consultant to many people on their personal health care issues.

Kathryn Goodson

  • Musician-in-Residence
  • Kathryn received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in Collaborative Piano. Having also received degrees from Oberlin University and in Germany, Kathryn has collaborated with singers and instrumentalists throughout the United States and Europe.
    Kathryn is also "Ann Arbor's First Lady" as the wife of Mayor John Heiftje.