In Southeast Michigan, more than 305,000 free, or reduced-fee breakfasts and lunches are served daily to kids during the school year. What happens during the summer months when school is out?

       The Children’s Hospital of Michigan Annual Cereal Drive began in June, 2010, collecting 160,757 servings of cereal. Every year this annual  Cereal Drive continues to exceed the previous years’ totals. Over the past thirteen years, 12.2 million servings of cereal have been collected for the children of southeast Michigan!

       Ranked as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country, the Children’s Hospital of Michigan takes seriously their role as stewards of children’s health. Hunger affects health. With a proven connection between nutrition and good health, their mission is clear.

       We’re asking for your help to improve the lives and the health of our community’s children. Cereal will be collected from May 1 through June 5. Look for the special collection box in Weir Foyer. Collected cereal will be donated to Gleaners Community Food Bank, who will distribute the cereal collection to children and their families over the summer.

       Any size box of cereal is welcome! Thank you for your help because now, more than ever, kids need breakfast!

Plans are being made for an “Afterschool Club” for elementary age children! The club will meet on Monday afternoons from April 17 through May 15 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm. Each week the club will feature a snack, music, ice-breakers,  a hands-on service project, and more! . All children in second through fifth grade are welcome. Please help us spread the word!

We have several exciting things planned! For more information, please speak with Anna Dewey or Rev. Mark Phillips.

The Property Committee has set the annual spring outdoor cleanup day for Saturday, April 30, beginning at 9:00 am.  All are invited to assist with this cleanup of the grounds.  There will be dirt and mulch that needs to be spread, dead leaves and other debris to be cleaned up, and several other tasks! Please bring your own gardening tools, rake, etc.  Refreshments will be provided! All are welcome!

     Unlike most books of the New Testament, the letter of James is best known for the people who don’t like it! It’s viewed as a scalawag among the obviously Christ-centered letter of Paul and love-concerned writings of John. People like love. They like Christ. They don’t like James! James is harsh and dogmatic. We feel the sting of his words even today: “Don’t be deceived,” “You foolish person,” “You adulterous people,” Now listen!” James can be hard to take for good reason.

     Of all the people who do not like James, Martin Luther is probably the most famous. Compared to the other solid New Testament writings, James, he felt, was full of straw – empty, hollow. Because of Luther’s feelings and those of others like him, Protestant Christians have tended to ignore this book.

     Yet the early church saw James as a book bearing apostolic authority and, more importantly, as a book that bore God’s authority. James spoke a needed and empowering word to the churches. Thus it was included in the New Testament canon alongside Paul and John, carrying equal weight with their writings. Because it has been avoided and because it bears the full force of God’s Word, James deserves careful study.

     All are invited to be part of the Sunday Morning Bible Study group as the explore James this winter. The group gathers at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings in Memorial Parlor beginning Sunday, January 8. Bob Jones will lead the discussion. Copies of the book, Getting the Most Out of James” are available for $5.00 per copy.

       Jesus taught that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. He also taught that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This study examines the seven deadly sins and how they can hinder us from loving God as well as our neighbors. These are the sins of:

             Pride – February 27                       Slothfulness – March 20

             Envy – March 6                               Greed – March 27

             Anger – March 13                           Gluttony & Lust – April 3

       While none of us like to think of ourselves as capable of such sins, all of us have exhibited them to one degree or another. Nothing moves the Christian life forward more quickly than dealing with these sins. Rev. Mark Phillips will lead the discussion. Copies of the book, The Seven Deadly Sins and How They Rival God’s Love, are available for $5.00 per copy. All are welcome!

Maundy Thursday, April 6, 2023

   7:30 pm     Maundy Thursday Communion Service in the Chapel

       Follow Jesus and the disciples to the Upper Room to recall their final meal together and then follow them into the night of betrayal, desertion, and arrest.

Good Friday, April 7, 2023

   12:00 Noon     Worship service in the sanctuary

       This Noon service will center around the traditional “Stations of the Cross.” Visual depictions of each station and meditations will recall Jesus walk to Calvary. Those who wish will be invited to move around the sanctuary.

   7:30 pm     Tenebrae Service in the sanctuary

       This “Service of Shadows” commemorates the suffering and death of Christ and is based on the ancient order of Tenebrae. Music, readings, and a gradual growing darkness in the sanctuary dramatically portray the fading “Light of the World” as Christ was leaving it.

Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023

   9:00 am     Easter Continental Breakfast in Fellowship Hall

       Begin your Easter morning with Cherry Hill members and friends.

   10:15 am     Festive Celebration of the Resurrection in the Sanctuary

       Our Easter worship celebration will include music for brass quintet, choir, and congregation. Rev. Mark Phillips will share the Easter message, “The Five Word Easter Sermon.”

   11:30 am     Easter Egg Hunt

       Join our Christian Education Committee and a “special visitor” for our annual Easter Egg Hunt on the front lawn!

This fall will mark the return of our “Music at Cherry Hill Concert Series” after a two and a half year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.  

There is an exciting schedule of concerts featuring new artists as well as some past favorites. Included in this year’s offerings is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Cherry Hill’s Boar’s Head Festival.

“Music at Cherry Hill” had its beginning in 2016 as an outreach ministry of Cherry Hill Church presenting renowned local and national artists, choral groups, and ensembles in concert.

Please download and read the brochure to learn more about the upcoming season. Music at Cherry Hill 2022-23 Concert Series

Since its inception, the series has been fully funded by the generosity of sponsors and our audiences.  If you would consider being a sponsor for this year’s series, please contact the church office at 313-563-4800.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

VANGUARD VOICES & BRASS SPRING CONCERT

Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 4pm

SONGS OF THE HEART

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 7:30pm

WEDNESDAYS DURING LENT

March 1 through March 29

12:00 Noon Lenten Worship in the Chapel

       Each Wednesday during Lent, a 45-minute Lenten service will be held in the chapel. Each service will include a brief meditation, hymns, and the Lord’s Supper.

6:00 p.m. – Pot-Luck Dinner

6:45 pm – Mission Presentation

     Cherry Hill’s Lenten Dinners are back this year! Join us each Wednesday during Lent in Memorial Parlor for a delicious, pot-luck dinner in Memorial Parlor at 6:00 p.m. Signup sheets will be available in Weir Foyer each week for those planning on attending.

     Each week we will welcome a representative from a local agency or organization who will speak on the mission and purpose of their organization. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to learn firsthand about some of the life-saving and life changing ministries in our community. The presentations will begin at 6:45 pm and will be finished by 7:30 pm. The schedule is as follows:

March 29 - Mr. Bill Winkler,  Gleaners Community Food Bank

       Music at Cherry Hill is pleased to present organist Charles Miller in concert on Tuesday evening, March 21, 2023 at 7:30 pm. The concert will celebrate the 338^th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach and will feature many of his best known works for the organ.

       Charles has served as Cherry Hill’s Director of Music and Organist since January 1, 2020.  A native of Traverse City, Michigan, Charles graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Michigan in the class of Robert Glasgow, and his master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Connecticut. Prior to his appointment in Detroit, Charles served as the interim  Associate Musician and Organist, Cathedral of All Saints (Episcopal), Albany, NY. From 2006-2013 he was Minister of Music and Organist at National City Christian Church in Washington D.C. and from 2001-2006 Associate Organist and Director of Music at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, CT. Earlier positions include Director of Music and Organist, First Church of Christ in Hartford (Center Church), Hartford, CT, Organist/Choirmaster, Trinity Episcopal Church, Tariffville, CT,  Assistant Organist, Christ Church (Episcopal), Grosse Pointe, MI, and  Organist, First United Methodist Church, Farmington, MI

       Charles has been featured in solo recitals at the National Cathedral and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., St. Thomas Church and the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City, York Minster, England and St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. He performed three times for the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina and his 1995 performance there was featured on NPR’s Pipedreams.

       In addition to his position at Cherry Hill, Charles continues to serve as President and Owner, Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists (booking & PR agency for concert organists.

       The program on March 21 will feature Bach in many forms: toccata, prelude, fugue, fantasia, trio sonata, and choral prelue. Repertoire will include Tocatta in F, BWV 540; Trio Sonata in G, BWV 530; Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582, Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543; The “Jig” Fugue, BWV 577; and the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565.

The works of Johann Sebastian Bach are timeless and always elevate the spirit! Join us for this very special evening of music and invite family and friends to join you. A Bach Birthday Bash reception will follow the concert.

Due to expected inclement weather, we have reluctantly, but out of an abundance of caution, postponed both of the Ash Wednesday services scheduled for today. There will be one service on Thursday, February 23 at Noon in the chapel followed by a simple meal of soup and bread in Star Theater. The service will included the imposition of ashes and the celebration of the Lord's Supper. All are invited to join us.

MONDAY STUDY GROUP

Mondays at 3:00 pm - The Oberammergau Passion Play

with Rev. Mark Phillips

With few exceptions, the Oberammergau Passion Play has been presented by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany every 10 years since 1634. The play is a staging of Jesus' Passion story, covering the final period of his life from his visit to Jerusalem to the journey to the cross. In his book and study, “The Passion Play: Living the Story of Christ’s Last Days,” author and pastor Rob Fuquay follows the biblical story of the Passion and how it has been experienced through the centuries against the backdrop of this amazing play. Each week, we will “travel” by video featuring author Rob Fuquay filmed on location in Oberammergau, Germany. Copies of the book are $5.00 per copy. Please contact Rev. Mark Phillips if you are interested in participating. 

Imagine yourself walking into a big family reunion. People stand around the room in little groups, talking and laughing. Some are beginning to line up at a long table filled with an incredible array of homemade food. They fill their plates, walk to tables, and begin dining. As you look around, you see folks you simply do not recognize. There are others that you recognize but are unable to place with certainty of the family tree and still others who prompt you to think, “Are you sure I’m related to them?” Inevitably, some of those in attendance will be quite different from you. Still, as you make your way around the room, you will get to know your family and hear their stories while at the same time, learning something about yourself.

This fall, all are invited to join other Cherry Hill friends for a “family reunion” as we study our family in the faith. There are several branches on our family tree – Methodists, Catholics, Baptists, etc. As we get to know our extended Christian family, we may encounter some strange cousins in whose presence we will initially feel a bit uncomfortable. We may even wonder what our connection is to these folks. By the time our family reunion is finished, we will come to see that we share one Creator God, one Lord and Savior, and one Holy Spirit. We will know in a deeper way that we are family. And if we take the time to listen to our family, we will come to know God, and ourselves a bit better.

This study group will meet at 12:00 Noon on Wednesdays.

We are honored to welcome clergy from each denomination who will share with us their history, traditions, and beliefs. We hope that some of their members will join in the group each week. Please note on the schedule below that some weeks we will be in Memorial Parlor or we will visit other churches as well.

For those who wish, copies of Adam Hamilton’s book,  Christianity’s Family Tree: What Other Christians Believe and Why are available to purchase for $12. If you would like to purchase a copy, please contact Rev. Mark Phillips. The book is not required for the class, but is a helpful resource.

Please join us for any or all of our family reunion this fall. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, November 9       Catholicism

                                                              Father John Dudek, Associate Pastor,

                                                              Church of the Divine Child

                                                              Meeting at Divine Child,

                                                              1055 North Silvery Lane, Dearborn

Wednesday, November 16      Summary and Wrap Up

                                                              Meeting in Room 222 at Cherry Hill

Sunday Morning Bible Study – 9:00 am – Memorial Parlor

Getting the Most Out of James

     Unlike most books of the New Testament, the letter of James is best known for the people who don’t like it! It’s viewed as a scalawag among the obviously Christ-centered letter of Paul and love-concerned writings of John. People like love. They like Christ. They don’t like James! James is harsh and dogmatic. We feel the sting of his words even today: “Don’t be deceived,” “You foolish person,” “You adulterous people,” Now listen!” James can be hard to take for good reason.

     Of all the people who do not like James, Martin Luther is probably the most famous, Martin Luther is probably the most famous. Compared to the other solid New Testament writings, James, he felt, was full of straw – empty, hollow. Because of Luther’s feelings and those of others like him, Protestant Christians have tended to ignore this book.

     Yet the early church saw James as a book bearing apostolic authority and, more importantly, as a book that bore God’s authority. James spoke a needed and empowering word to the churches. Thus it was included in the New Testament canon alongside Paul and John, carrying equal weight with their writings. Because it has been avoided and because it bears the full force of God’s Word, James deserves careful study.

     All are invited to be part of the Sunday Morning Bible Study group as the explore James this winter. The group gathers at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings in Memorial Parlor beginning Sunday, January 8. Bob Jones will lead the discussion. Copies of the book, Getting the Most Out of James” are available for $5.00 per copy.

Monday Afternoon Study Group – 1:00 pm – Memorial Parlor

Signs & Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus

     Beginning Monday, January 9, the Monday Afternoon Study Group will embark upon a six week study of the miracles of Jesus as they are recorded in the gospels. The class will be using the book, Signs and Wonders: A Beginners Guide to the Miracles of Jesus  by Amy Jill Levine. Dr. Levine is professor of New Testament  and Jewish Studies at Hartford Seminary.  Until recently, Dr. Levine, who describes herself as an “unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue,” taught New Testament in a Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible belt.

     In Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context. With brilliant insight and trademark wit, Dr. Levine reveals wondrous details of the most prominent miracles in the Gospels. For each miracle, she discusses not only how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today’s readers can draw meaning from Jesus’s words and actions.

Chapter topics include:

Giving sight to the blind: Metaphors of understanding (Mark 8, John 9)

“Take up your pallet and walk” (the paralyzed man): On the role of caregivers

A bleeding woman and a dead girl: The importance of women’s bodies

Walking on water and stilling the storm: Ecological readings of the Gospels

The feeding of the 5,000 (or more): The centrality of bread

The raising of Lazarus: Taking death seriously

     All are invited to join the group on Monday afternoons beginning Monday, January 9. Copies of Dr. Levine’s book are available for $10.00 per copy. Rev. Mark Phillips will serve as group leader.

Sunday, December 25 - Christmas Day

           10:15 am     Christmas Day Worship in the Chapel

A special gift of worshiping together on Christmas morning in our chapel.

Please note: Christmas Morning Worship will not be Live Streamed but we will re-post a special celebration from December 2020.  The Order of Worship for that Service may be found here: 

 Sunday December 25 Lessons and Carols Bulletin

Beginning on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27 through December 18, we will receive the annual “Christmas Joy Offering,” one of the four special offerings of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Through the Christmas Joy Offering, we reflect on God’s perfect gift to us, with generous support of church leaders among us – past, present, and future – who have pointed us to God.

We honor and celebrate leaders like retired pastors, church workers, and their families who have faithfully guided us and led us but who now find themselves in critical financial need because of changing health or emergency circumstances. Our gifts restore hope and stability through the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions.

We honor and celebrate emerging leaders like students in schools and colleges equipping communities of color, who develop leadership skills as they pursue their education to prepare to bring their gifts in service to the world God loves so much. Our gifts support a bright future with enhanced opportunities for students to grow and build lives of faith, honoring talents and skills to serve God, the Church, and the world for years to come.

Jesus’ example as a child born to be among us and lead us to eternal life provides a pattern for us to follow as we celebrate those who have led us in the past and will lead us in the future. Through the Christmas Joy Offering, we come together to support the past, present, and future leaders, embodying God’s perfect gift to us, Jesus Christ.

More information on the work of the Christmas Joy Offering will be shared throughout Advent and special offering envelopes will be in the bulletin on Sunday, December 18. Thank you for your generous gifts – for when we all do a little, it adds up to a lot!

An Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, December 4, 2022

3:00 pm and 5:00 pm

Steven Errante, conducting

Vanguard Voices & Dearborn Chamber Orchestra

     Join us for an hour long walk down memory lane and hear the sublime and thrilling music of this beloved Christmas festival which was immensely popular-offered as a gift to the Dearborn community for decades by several hundred of the church's members, young and old. 

     We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this festival's creation and composition with a semi-staged performance with orchestra, soloists, and the Vanguard Voices. 

     Revel in the majestic music composed by Steven Errante, watch as the church is decorated end-to-end as the music washes over you, hear the Christmas story told by the Herald, and admire the amazing parade of costumes, the procession of the Boar's Head itself, and the stately appearance of the Three Kings. 

      Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Suggested donation is $15.00 per person.

                               Boar's Head Festival Flyer

Worship is regularly at 10:15 am on Sundays.  Wednesdays will usually have some sort of planned meditation, Prayer Service, or other gathering.  We frequently have Bible Study on Mondays.  Most Committees will meet once a month, sometime during a given week.

Note: With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, please watch for updates to our COVID-19 Protocols on the Home page as well as in our weekly Worship Bulletin.  If you have any questions, please contact the church office.

Littlefield Action for Social Justice (LA4SJ) invites you to join our monthly discussions with Engage! Book Group and Engage! Movie Group.

Both groups read the selected book and watch the movie independently, then gather for informal discussion, reactions and takeaways. Come as you are, when you are able! No long-term commitment needed. Engage! Movie Group meets on the 3^rd Monday of the month. Engage! Book Group meets bi-monthly on the 4^th  Monday. Previous books include: The Underground Railroad, White Fragility, Homegoing, How to Be an Antiracist, Caste, Parable of the Sower, How the Word is Passed, Braiding Sweetgrass, The Night Watchman, and Just Mercy.  Previous movies include: Malcolm X, The Hate U Give, Blackkklansman, 7th Generation, Dolores, Harriet, 13th, Queen & Slim, American Outrage and 12 Years a Slave. For information, please contact Lorelei Muñiz or Anna Dewey at LPCaction4socialjustice@gmail.com if interested.

At a special called meeting on Sunday, July 24, 2022, the congregation of The Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church voted unanimously to name The Rev. James P. Russell as Associate Pastor Emeritus.

     Rev. Russell, or “Jim” as he’s known to all, came to Detroit in the spring of 1971 to serve on the staff of the Redford Presbyterian Church. In 1973, Cherry Hill called Jim to serve as an Associate Pastor with Senior Pastor, The Rev. Dr. Frank Marvin, and Associate Pastor, The Rev. William Stryker.  Jim served Cherry Hill until he was called to serve as pastor of the Ogden Dunes Community Presbyterian Church in Ogden, Dunes, Indiana, in 1981.

     Under Jim’s leadership, Cherry Hill had one of the best youth programs in the Presbytery of Detroit. Our Christian Education program for all ages flourished. The very popular, “Rise Up and Sing!” youth choir was born and became “the choir” for the 9:30 worship service each week as well as going on tours in the summer months. Most of all, Jim endeared himself to the hearts of many in the congregation and built strong friendships in our church family, several of which remain to this day.

     After the serving the Ogden Dunes church, Jim went on to serve as interim pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, Michigan, and then as associate pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Northville.

     Since his retirement in 2010, Jim has remained active serving as a guest preacher in many churches in the presbytery as well as serving on presbytery committees including the Committee on Ministry. His long- standing relationship with Cherry Hill has continued as well. Jim has preached at Cherry Hill many times, walked beside the congregation during difficult times, has participated in Sunday worship on occasion and assisted in memorial services as well. Also, Jim and his wife, Judy, may be spotted in a pew on a Sunday morning as well. Most of all, Jim’s friendships with Cherry Hill have remained strong.

     It is out of our appreciation, gratitude, and love for Jim, that the congregation wishes to designate Jim as Associate Pastor Emeritus. This honorary designation will be bestowed upon Jim during worship at 10:15 am on Sunday, September 25, 2022. Kevin Dewey is arranging a “Rise Up and Sing Alumni Choir” to sing that morning.  Following worship, all are invited to greet Jim and Judy at a special brunch in Fellowship Hall.

     In addition to celebrating this special designation, we will observe the 50^th anniversary of Jim’s ordination which occurs in September.

Christmas Poinsettias will be in the Chancel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 19, and on Christmas Eve.  If you would like to give one in memory of a loved one, in honor of a friend or relative, or in celebration of Christmas, please complete this > order form and return it to the Church Office by the deadline of Monday, December 6th, 2021.  We will not be able to receive any orders after this date.

The form may be placed in the offering plate, hand delivered to the office, or mailed to the church.  Please attach your form to your check and make checks payable to Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church.

Thank you for sharing in the Christmas Season with us.