Christian Reformed Church

In spring 2023, Georgetown Christian Reformed Church was inspired by another local organization to begin a new ministry: bed building. The Hudsonville, Mich., church had a small shed on the edge of its property. Once filled with junk and dust, the space was soon transformed into a bright, clean, high-quality workshop where volunteers could use their skills to serve local families. “It started as a simple desire to ensure that every child in our community has a safe and comfortable place to sleep,” said Amy Koetsier, director of community relationships at Georgetown CRC. But the ministry grew from more than a desire to build beds. It began with the church recognizing a need in its surrounding community. “It really began...

Stratford (Ont.) Christian Reformed Church is marking a significant milestone this November as it celebrates 75 years of service, faith, and community impact. Founded Nov. 25, 1951, the church began with a gathering of 77 members meeting at the YMCA building on the corner of Waterloo and Coburg Streets in Stratford, now the site of the Nancy Campbell Academy. Over the decades the congregation has grown, worshiping at locations on Church Street, Easson Street, Ontario Street, and (currently) Athlone Crescent. Today the church serves a vibrant community of about 500 members. To commemorate this anniversary, the congregation will host a special weekend of events open to the community: On Saturday, Nov. 21, the church will host a public open house...

Announced internally last November, Rev. Jul Medenblik intends to retire from the presidency of the 150-year-old seminary that serves the Christian Reformed Church of North America. This will conclude 16 years of stewardship at the Seminary, a period marked by significant changes in society, culture, and technology. At the outset of his tenure as president, Medenblik set a posture of service. A hallmark phrase he initiated at Calvin Theological Seminary, “Called To Serve,” uses the seminary's initials, CTS, and has since been ingrained in the institution's language and ethos for a decade and a half. In his internal announcement, he shared, “When I was called as President-elect in 2010, I could not imagine all that would unfold. Along the way...

As churches worldwide prepare for the annual Season of Creation—observed each year from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4 to celebrate the Creator and to renew the shared call to care for the earth—a newly released curriculum aims to equip young hearts for environmental stewardship. The free, five-week unit produced by the Climate Witness Project is designed for children ages 4–10 in Sunday schools, Christian schools, and homeschool settings. Grounded in the biblical concept of shamar (caring/keeping), the resource uses Scripture, music, picture books, and hands-on activities to frame creation care as an act of joy, hope, and worship. Grounded in Biblical Hope and Local Stewardship This year’s theme centers on the gift and necessity of water, highlighted in Ezekiel 47:9...

Over the past year, the Global Vision Implementation Team has been working to help the CRCNA navigate a rapidly changing ministry landscape shaped by growing global relationships. Formed after Synod 2024 affirmed the Global Vision Team report ( Acts of Synod 2024, pp. 690-709, 807-9), the implementation team was tasked with helping the denomination reflect on what closer partnerships with churches outside North America could look like in practice. The team’s work responds to a growing reality within the CRCNA: nearly 25 percent of congregations are now made up mainly of non-Anglo members, many of whom are immigrants who maintain deep ministry connections with their countries of origin. Across the denomination, pastors and ministry leaders are preaching, teaching, mentoring leaders...

For people who sense a call to plant a church, knowing where to begin can be as challenging as discerning the call itself. Church planters need theological grounding, practical skills, spiritual formation, training in leadership development, and a deep understanding of the communities they hope to serve. At the same time, within the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), the pursuit of church planting may also include navigating the process of becoming a commissioned pastor. A new concentration within Calvin Theological Seminary’s Commissioned Pastor Certificate is designed to bring those pieces together. The church-planting concentration offers a clear pathway for people who want to prepare for church planting while also completing commissioned pastor training – by combining traditional seminary...

On Saturday, Aug. 8, a group of about 20 members of the Farsi Fellowship at Willowdale Christian Reformed Church in North York, Ont., traveled to Ohsweken on the Six Nations of the Grand River territory for a day of On-the-Land Learning. Hosted by Adrian Jacobs, the CRC’s senior leader for justice and reconciliation, the gathering invited participants into a journey of story, land-based education, and mutual understanding. Throughout the event, participants explored the history of the land, local covenants, and the ongoing work of healing and reconciliation within the community. The day’s itinerary included learning about the Land Back movement, Indigenous land rights, the history of gypsum mining, and local land-claim conflicts in neighboring Caledonia, Ont. Because many members of...

This article originally appeared on Calvin News , the news page of Calvin University. The technologies shaping the future are advancing at an extraordinary pace. Artificial intelligence, automation, cybersecurity, aerospace, advanced computing and other emerging technologies are changing how people live, work, and solve some of the world's most complex problems. Calvin University believes the people designing those technologies need more than technical expertise. They need wisdom. They need creativity. They need the ability to understand the human consequences of their work. And they need a sense of responsibility for how their innovations will serve people and communities. That vision is at the heart of Calvin's new School of Engineering and Computer Science, which brings together the university's long-established engineering...

The Synod 2026 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is now available. The resource has been created to address common questions that have emerged from CRCNA leaders and congregations following the decisions made at this year’s synod. The FAQ document is intended to provide additional context and clarity for people seeking to understand Synod 2026’s actions and their implications for the denomination. In a letter to the CRC’s community of churches, Zachary King, general secretary of the CRCNA, reflected on Synod 2026 and the importance of ongoing communication following the gathering: “Synod 2026 addressed a host of forward-looking, ministry, and mission-related topics, including the future of church planting, issues of denominational funding, realignment of classis boundaries, and a number of other...

When Sharon Bandstra looks across the concrete floors of a former gas station in Terrace, B.C., she sees a simple, practical response to a city in need. Known as The Garage Community Space, the nonprofit facility provides space for food distribution, medical support, addiction recovery groups, and social services. The project, said Bandstra, grew out of a shared desire to take an active, hands-on role in the local neighborhood. The idea for The Garage developed during a challenging time in Terrace, a city facing high per-capita overdose rates, economic strain, and increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness. In 2019 and 2021, local government leaders held town-hall meetings to address public frustration. "Things were getting worse, not better," Bandstra said. "The...

On April 26, 2026, over 1,000 people filled the sanctuary of Grace Community Chapel in Teaneck, N.J. Standing before the altar were senior pastor Jae Park, who planted the church 21 years ago, and his wife, Jee Park, along with 31 church members and their children (about 60 members total) who decided to move to Korea with them. It was a commissioning service to plant a new church in Seoul, South Korea. Pastor Park later wrote on Facebook: "There is almost no natural reason for us to choose this path. This is a path sent by God." Having immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 and spent his whole life near New York City, what made him...

This article originally appeared in Dordt News, the online publishing hub of Dordt University: https://www.dordt.edu/news Christians from a wide range of professions will gather at Dordt University September 17–19 for the At Work in the Garden conference, a three-day faith and work event designed to help participants explore how faith shapes their daily work through creativity, cultivation, and care. Hosted by Dordt University, the conference invites educators, business leaders, artists, nonprofit professionals, pastors, healthcare workers, students, and others to consider how God calls his people to participate in the renewal of creation through their vocations. Through keynote presentations, breakout sessions, worship, and shared conversation, attendees will gain practical ideas for faithfully serving God and their neighbors in every sphere of...

When we think about worship, it can be easy to view children, youth, and adults through separate lenses. But how do different generations actually learn to sing, pray, and lead together? In Ontario, two distinct projects funded by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) are tackling this question from complementary angles—one through academic field research, and the other through grassroots congregational life. As assistant professor of music and program director of the Music and Worship Program at Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont., Laura Benjamins brings a unique background in music education to the study of church music. Through her project, Benjamins is evaluating the musical curriculum of local churches. Benjamins and a team of undergraduate research assistants are conducting...

The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) is seeking a communications director who can help tell stories, strengthen connections, and support ministries in sharing their impact across the denomination and beyond. The director of communications will lead communications strategy for the CRCNA, helping to shape how the denomination communicates with congregations, ministry partners, and the broader public. This role will oversee storytelling efforts, guide communications initiatives, and work alongside ministry teams to highlight the ways God is at work through the CRCNA. “Communication is more than sharing information in the CRCNA. It’s about helping people see where God is moving in the denomination and inviting them to participate,” said Brian Geers, interim director of CRCNA Communications. “We’re looking for...

What does it mean for people with disabilities to truly belong in the church? This question was at the heart of the January Series in July presentation on July 22 by Dr. Erik Carter, the Luther Sweet Endowed Chair in Disabilities in the School of Education and Human Development at Baylor University, where he directs the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities. An internationally recognized researcher and advocate, Carter has spent more than two decades studying how schools, churches, workplaces, and communities can foster belonging for people with disabilities. His research has focused especially on the experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, helping organizations move beyond inclusion toward genuine relationships and community. Drawing on years of...

Every child longs to know they are seen, valued, and loved. For children navigating foster care, family separation, or other difficult circumstances, the message of belonging can be especially powerful. Through Scripture and caring relationships, children are discovering the hope found in knowing God as their loving protector and shepherd. Rev. Emily Vanden Heuvel of ReFrame Ministries, the CRCNA’s media outreach ministry, reflects on how her service as a chaplain shaped her understanding of God’s faithfulness and care for children experiencing trauma and uncertainty: “Before I started working at ReFrame Ministries, I served as a chaplain at a residential facility for kids. Many of the children were wards of the state, meaning that they were in government care because—for one...

Reggie Smith, an African American from the West Side of Chicago, came to Grand Rapids, Mich., in the early 1990s to become the pastor of Roosevelt Park Christian Reformed Church, a congregation with a rich, generations-long Dutch-American heritage on the southwest side of town. We learn about this experience from his fascinating new book, Roosevelt Park Rising . When Smith arrived in West Michigan, the book recalls, there were some who looked askance as they first set eyes on him. He was a young man with a baseball cap on his head, a hiphop-like cadence in his voice, and a deft, if somewhat tentative, urban manner about his walk. But naysayers soon turned into supporters when it became clear that...

In a major move welcomed by many faith communities and medical professionals across Canada, a parliamentary committee has officially recommended an indefinite pause on expanding Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws to include individuals suffering solely from mental illnesses. The recommendation from the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, detailed in a comprehensive 88-page report released on June 17, 2026, suggests that Canada is not ready for this expansion, citing widespread concerns over safeguards and medical uncertainty. This development has turned what many feared would be a stressful countdown into a moment of profound gratitude for those who have been praying and advocating for protection. Under current federal law, individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a...

This summer, Calvin University’s January Series is reaching back into its archives to bring some memorable voices from years past to today’s audiences. The January Series in July offers rebroadcasts of selected presentations from the university’s long-running January Series. On July 15, the series featured Dr. John M. Perkins’s 2014 presentation, “Love Is the Final Fight: The Life and Legacy of John M. Perkins.” The rebroadcast came just months after Perkins, a pastor, author, civil-rights leader, and longtime advocate for Christian community development and racial reconciliation, died on March 13, 2026, at the age of 95. For Perkins, the work of justice and reconciliation became inseparable from his Christian faith. From Mississippi Poverty to Christian Faith Born in 1930 in...

The profound power of a simple invitation is something both Affie Duifhuis and Anneke Wikkerink know well. Affie and Anneke have been friends and Global Coffee Break leaders in British Columbia for decades, and their group has been meeting for 41 years. Affie says word of mouth and simply asking women to join keeps their group thriving, with over 40 participants at present. Sometimes an invitation changes a life, as it did for Annette, they said. When Annette joined Duncan (B.C.) CRC, it wasn’t long before Affie and Anneke invited her to join their Global Coffee Break (GCB) group. GCB is Resonate Global Mission’s small-group Bible study program, originally developed in the Christian Reformed Church and using Discover Your Bible...