Drive down Gratiot on your way into Detroit and you will pass through a community with a long history. Eastpointe, once called East Detroit, is a community that goes back to the pioneer days of our nation. St. Peter’s has been a part of this community since 1847. As we prepare to celebrate our 180th anniversary, St. Peter’s is looking to begin a new chapter in her long life of service to the Gospel. Over the last two years we have been striving to become a faith community that brings the love of Jesus into the messiness of life.
As we continue to share the Gospel, St. Peter’s has seen an average weekly attendance grow from 178 to 250 each Sunday. Some have joined through our Early Childhood Center and day school. This new generation is being grafted onto the St. Peter’s legacy. We have also taken in many families who once belonged to other congregations that have closed. These new families have added their own rich heritage and traditions to St Peter’s. Many more have come to us having had no church background at all. With these new members, St. Peter’s is getting a small taste of what the church must have been like in the book of Acts. What a joy it is to see the Holy Spirit calling and gathering 37 children and 14 adults in Baptism since 2022, with many more being scheduled for the fall.
Into the messiness of life, the people of St. Peter’s have seen how the grace and greatness of Jesus can restore souls. The Christ-focused services, the fellowship opportunities, and a focus on a living faith have helped us understand that we are part of God’s family. This family we call St. Peter’s continues to grow and reach out to our neighbors in need. In the next several months we will be starting seven new ministry opportunities ranging from new adult Bible studies, member care, a renewed children’s ministry, and several community outreach programs. Jesus said, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Believing this, the members of St. Peter’s have joyful renewed their calling to let the light of Jesus shine in the midst of Eastpointe.
This belief in sharing the Gospel has led St. Peter’s to see that Jesus’ love and compassion are for everyone. It is wonderful to see the pews beginning to fill with a beautiful diversity that mirrors the surrounding community. Bible studies continue to grow; our day school has 115 children enrolled; the ECC is growing as we work to provide Christ-centered childcare to the community. The congregation is in the process of converting an apartment complex into a community center providing a food pantry, counseling center, and rooms for community outreach. God’s people are joyfully sharing with their neighbors the love of Jesus in the messiness of life.
Like so many of our communities, people in Eastpointe in many ways are hurting, hungry, and are overcome with a sense of hopelessness. The people of St. Peter’s believe that Jesus has put us here to bring eternity to Eastpointe. We are a people of hope; a hope that comes from Jesus’ cross and empty grave. A hope that we are seeing firsthand here at St. Peter’s, beginning to transform people’s lives in Christ.
So, if you’re driving down Gratiot, stop by St. Peter’s. We would love to show you around; to share with you the hallways full of children’s laughter and the hearts of God’s people being filled with hope. Come visit the family we call St. Peter’s; the place where so many are calling home. Where real people grow in real relationships, learning to live in the messiness of life filled with the hope of Jesus Christ.
Photos courtesy of St. Peter’s, Eastpointe
