Plymouth does a good job of articulating a progressive Christian voice in our community. They…read moredon't push easy or doctrinaire answers to faith questions, but encourage people to bring their brains and questions to church.
Plymouth's morning services reflect a traditional Protestant style of readings, hymns and a sermon, with the choir alternating singing at the earlier and the later service. It's worth noting that while the singing is usually from the hymnal, this hymnal uses updated language, sometimes modern lyrics to familiar tunes, and tunes from a wide variety of cultures. One unusual feature is that after the final hymn and benediction, most of the congregation sits down to hear the organist play the postlude -- it's worth listening to as part of worship, not just background music as everyone leaves -- it's that good! The evening service is far more informal and experimental, usually having jazz or world music and a relaxed structure. They call it "an alternative to alternative worship."
Children are welcome in the worship services, noise, wiggles and all, and have a children's sermon when they're invited down front. Parents are supplied with coloring pages and picture books to help the smaller ones have something to do during slower parts of the service. There is also professional nursery care for infants and toddlers during the services.
Plymouth isn't exactly a "mega-church" as the poster below describes; the two morning services have around 150-200 people each which is the capacity of the sanctuary, and the more informal evening service has 30-50 people. There's also a variety of classes, service projects, and small fellowship groups that meet through the week, so you can connect with other people on a personal level. Certainly no need for traffic cops -- though turning left out of the parking lot onto Prospect can be a challenge because of the street traffic, sometimes it's quicker to use the back entrance onto Lake Street. (The Islamic Center next door on Lake Street also lets them use their parking lot on Sundays.)
They have an "education for all" hour between the two morning worship services, with children's education at the same time as several adult classes. People from both services attend the same Sunday school classes. The adult classes provide a rotating mix of discussions. Some are on spiritual topics like Bible, spiritual practices or theology, and other classes explore how faith impacts social, economic, or environmental issues. Children's classes are taught with a careful consideration for the varied learning styles different kids have (verbal, physical, musical, etc.) They often have guest speakers in the adult ed classes, and occasionally bring in major scholars for special programs.
Perhaps most noteworthy about this church is the work members do on social justice issues in the broader community. Various groups work on homelessness, immigration, environmental justice, and LGBT advocacy. (The church supports marriage equality, and performs weddings for gay or lesbian couples on the same basis as for heterosexual couples.) They really try to walk the talk!
