Elders, administrators, pastors, volunteers, worship leaders, children's ministry directors, mentors and students. Ordained, laity, commissioned and staff. Women are serving in all these roles within the churches and ministries of Great Lakes City Classis and it is beautiful.

For March and May's GLCC newsletters, we celebrate how women are serving within Great Lakes City Classis and the kingdom.
Dan and Lorie Jonkman
Lorie is a long time church and community volunteer and current GLCC seminary senior

 

“When I was in college I felt drawn to vocational ministry but didn't feel equipped or capable.” Yet  “God gently eased me into leadership roles that built my confidence and caused me to trust more in him than in myself.  I can truly say that God is my strength and my refuge.”

“In recent years God used my seminary education to shape and form me and I am grateful for the congregations who have opened their doors and hearts to hear God's message proclaimed through me.”

“I am encouraged by the love that people within the church have for one another, and I am encouraged when they give vocal testimony to God as the source of that love.  I am encouraged by witnessing that the work of men and women, side by side, is being used by God to increase his church in both faith and number.”

Rachel Brower and family
Rachel is the Children's Director at Zion Reformed Church (Grandville, MI) 

 

“I long to see people become disciples of Jesus and the sphere in which I live out this calling is children's ministry. Being a Children's Director is sort of a combination of a principal and a teacher of a small, one morning a week school with an all volunteer staff."

"Of course I love working with kids and pointing them to Jesus, but I also enjoy training teachers and developing leaders of ministries. I like to think strategically about helping children take their next step in their walk with God, and to help new kids and families get connected in the church."  

"I'm encouraged by the people who show up at church because they tend to take their faith seriously.  I'm also encouraged by several individual Christians I know that love God deeply and are passionate about reaching out to their neighbors and friends with the good news of the gospel.”

Candice Byle
Candice is the Office Manager for Immanuel Reformed (Grand Rapids, MI)

 

“It feels odd to say, but I felt a call as a teenager. God used jobs I had after that time and til the time I accepted [this position] to prepare me."

"This is truly and only a divinely designed calling. Because of my teenage experience, this calling was on my heart but I needed to wait for the right time.” Candice was attending Immanuel Reformed when the Office Manager position became vacant.  “The person responsible for hiring said, ‘We want you.’ OK God. I guess Your timing is now!”

In looking at the future of the Church, Candice knows, “Our teenagers and 20 somethings want real, not ritual. They want genuine not fake. They want their money and time to go to something meaningful not space filling.” Living into her call, Candice gives excellence to her congregation and meaning to her position.

Traci Parker
Pastor at Woodland Drive-In Church (a ministry of Fifth Reformed)

 

“When I was young, I wanted to be a priest. I loved reading the scripture at church, praying, and making care visits with our own priest. Instead, I learned political science, non-profit administration, and history. God eventually brought our family to the Reformed Church, and then brought me to a master's program in theological studies at Calvin Seminary.  All of the beautiful things I learned; writing, and history, speaking, caring for people, hearing stories, and especially praying; I use those things in my ministry every week.”

“I serve a unique setting. The service is conducted from a porch in all weather, and people listen in their cars from the lot. We have about 100 "members," or semi-regular attenders, who would maybe not seek out a traditional worship setting. It's a good space, a safe space, and an accessible one. People come to the Drive-In without pretension, without fancy clothes, without the worry of being loud or the prospect of making small talk or the barriers of getting around a church building. They bring their dogs and their friends and their knitting needles and their lunch. I love seeing what God does in this place, the true congregation that he has called to the Drive-In.”

“We have such an opportunity to connect with the world right now. People are hurting. People are hopeless. We carry the gospel of hope. This time is ripe with potential. If we are brave, if we can speak into the pain of the people around us, God's church will grow by leaps and bounds.”

Chris Slabekoorn
Elder, Spiritual Director, GLCC Small Church Forum member, and volunteer at Home Acres Reformed Church (Kentwood, MI)

 

"I've filled many roles at our church over the 40+ years I've been a member, most often in the area of teaching and/or administration. Little by little He showed me that I had valuable things to offer, and the church gave so many opportunities to use and explore those things. Lately his true message to me is finally getting through, that I'm valuable even beyond the service I offer him."

"My most fulfilling times of ministry have always been a reflection of the unique ways He has touched my own life. Because my very first introduction to God was through an outreach ministry when I was a vulnerable and lonely junior high girl, it seems logical that that one of my biggest roles at our church was helping to develop an outreach program to many neighborhood children over 25 years."

"I think sometimes when we look toward the future, it's easy to feel uncertain and weary and frightened. But when I look back, at both my own journey and the journey of this small church I've been a part of for so long, the change I see is  a movement toward God, toward a deeper and a more honest walk with him than ever before. And I see God's faithfulness and provision all along the way."

Classis Dates and Deadlines
 
- May 20: Commissioning Service for Jordan Stonehouse (2 PM, Fair Haven, Hudsonville, MI)

- May 22: Student Exams (7PM, First Reformed, Grandville, MI)

- June 20th: World Refugee Day - How are you planning to help?
RCA Resources
CRC Toolkit 
Worship Resources on Refugees by Preaching and Worship
Tools to Host a Refugee Sunday by World Relief
Refugee Sunday Worship Resources

- June 7-12 General Synod (Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI)
General Synod Workbook

Please be in prayer for our GLCC delegates to General Synod! (Andrea, Tanner, Chris, Matt, Walter, Mary, Mark, Tom, Jerry, Larry)
Spotted!
 
Check out our recently spotted GLCC family:

Brian Smilde (Immaneul Ref. Grand Rapids) "2700% Return on Investment" The Banner

Chris Slabekoorn (Home Acres, Kentwood, MI) "I Am a Spiritual Director"

Pete Pinkowski (Renew Church Cleveland, OH) "One Sunday" RCA Multiplication video

Sarah Farkas (Rectify, Allegan, MI) "One Sunday" RCA Multiplication Video

Nate Bull (Hesed, Detroit, MI) "Detroit Church Plant Expresses God's Steadfast Love" The Banner
 
Resources
 
Online Resources

Flourishing Churches Grant: 6 RCA grants, up to $50k each, for building renovations.  Due June 30th. 

Worship Resources on Racism and Racial Reconciliation (CRCNA)

10 Tips for VBS - (Orange Group) amazing, FREE download

5 Strategies for Better Communication in 2018 (Church Juice)

How to Post a Sermon Online and Reach an Audience (Church Juice) 

The Future of Latino Protestant in America (podcast, Calvin Institute of Worship)

Bringing Work into Worship (podcast, Calvin Institute of Worship)

RCA Volunteer Engagement May opportunites

Local Resources

Right Now Conference: May 17-18, Chicago, IL

Matters That Matter: May 22, C.S. Lewis Institute, Youngstown, OH

Praxis Day: May 23, "How to Build Leadership in Your Volunteers" (Regional Synod of the Great Lakes), FREE for GLCC family, Kalamazoo, MI

ATS Summer Institute: June 6-9, HUGE variety of topics including sexual abuse, giving strategies, leading through transition, marriage counseling and more! Ashland, OH

Animate: Youth Worship Conf. for Teens and Mentors, June 25-29, Birmingham, AL

Awakening: Youth Conf. for teens to explore their faith, worship and gifts, June 10-15, Hope College, Holland, MI

Theology, Race, and the Practice of Christian Ministry: July 9-13, Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI

Addressing God: How Preachers Encourage Vibrant Prayer: July 23-27, Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI

CityFest: Andrew and Luis Palau, Sept 2-9, Grand Rapids, MI
 
* Resources not all officially endorsed by GLCC *
 
Ins and Outs
 
Mike Lamson transfer from Holland Classis, RCA (New Ground)

Jordan Stonehouse Commissioning on May 20th, Fair Haven Church
 
 
 Jobs
 
Kids Hope Director: Part Time (20 hours), Fair Haven Church, Hudsonville, MI

Writer and Editor: Full Time, RCA Today, Grand Rapids, MI

Education and Communications Coordinator: Part Time, BOBS, Grand Rapids, MI or New York, NY

Regional Coordinator of Development: Full Time, RCA, Grand Rapids, MI

Lead Pastor: Living Water CRC, Full Time, Grand Rapids, MI

Director of Student Ministries: Bentheim Ref, Full Time, Hamilton, MI

Kids Director: South Harbor Church, Part Time, Byron Center, MI

Director of Youth Min: Lakeside Comm. Church, Part Time, Alto, MI

Admin. Assist.: Lakeside Comm. Church, Part Time, Alto, MI

Administrative Coordinator: Westend CRC, Part Time, Grand Rapids, MI

Worship Coordinator: Ada CRC, Part Time, Ada, MI

Ministry Program Director: Neland CRC, Full time, Grand Rapids, MI

Youth Director: Calvin CRC, Part Time, Holland MI

Resources Management Librarian: Western Theological Seminary, Full Time, Holland, MI

Equipping Adults Pastor: Alto Ref, Full Time, Alto, MI

Pastor: St. Croix Ref. Church, Full Time, St. Croix, USVI

Lead Pastor: Bethany Ref, Full Time, Muskegon, MI

Campus Pastor: Cyprus Church, Full Time, Columbus, OH

Campus Pastor: Crossroads Comm. Church, Full Time, Shelby, OH

Campus Pastor: Metro City Church, Full Time, Taylor, MI

 
Be sure to check/post jobs at rca.org/jobs  and network.crcna.org/church-jobs. Also send jobs to Tricia (GLCC stated clerk) to distribute to our classis family.
 

Huge thanks to the women who shared their stories and hearts for ministry with us!

Thanks also to the leaders, mentors, congregations and ministries who recognize and encourage those gifts.

This month's featured contributors:
 
Lorie Jonkman
Rachel Brower
Candice Byle
Chris Slabekoorn
 
 
 






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Great Lakes City Classis, RCA · 4500-60th SE · Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512 · USA

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