Faith
We are part of Christ’s church. We have connections to a broader church in an informal way. We are brothers and sisters with everyone who belongs to Jesus, so we are part of a spiritual family of other churches in our area and even around the world. Those churches are our allies, not our competition. One of those connections allows us the opportunity to be involved in the start of new churches in our region.
We are part of a broader church in a more formal way too. We are part of a denomination and a regional cluster of churches called classis. While “non-denominational” might seem really attractive, we have a real, active partnership with other churches to achieve far more than we could do on our own. Our cluster is called classis Zeeland, and we are also connected to churches in the US and Canada through the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). The CRCNA is a 164 year old denomination in the Presbyterian / Reformed branch of the Church. These connections allow us to support missionaries locally and around the world, carry on disaster relief and development work, train servants for the church, spread the Good News in various media, work for justice, produce educational materials, study issues and many other things.
Faith Formation
We pray that each person may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 3:18)
● Desire to know God and His Word
● Grow to understand God’s deep love and plan for them.
● The seeds of faith will grow and help them to stand firm.
● Develop relationships with others that will provide encouragement and support.
Nursery is offered by request during the morning services.
During the morning service from September through April, children from Preschool age through 2nd grade are dismissed for Children’s Worship. Here they are encouraged to sit quietly and hear God’s voice speaking to them. They have the opportunity to sing, pray, reflect, share and learn about God’s Word.
These classes meet after the Worship service in a small group setting to hear stories from God’s Word, life applications and age-appropriate Bible Study.
The Youth Group this year includes youth from grades 7 – 12. They meet on
Sunday evenings for Bible study and fellowship. Periodically they do local service projects, and
also a yearly mission trip.
The Digging Deeper class for adults meets after the morning service
throughout the Church Education year. The group digs deeper into a variety of topics about
Christian living, service opportunities and Bible knowledge.
What are the sacraments?
The sacraments are God speaking to us. They are a way in which God points us to Jesus and assures us that Jesus’ accomplishments are ours. We have been given two sacraments by Jesus, baptism and the Lord’s Supper (or communion). They are aids to help us know what God wants us to know. The water of baptism points us to the cleansing work of Jesus, and assures us that we are loved by God and part of his people. Baptism is really our entry, or initiation, into the church. God loves us first, and baptism is a sign of that. Baptism also reminds us that we die and rise with Jesus in his death and resurrection. The bread and fruit of the vine of the Lord’s Supper, or communion, point us to and assures us of what Jesus has done for us in his life, suffering, death and resurrection. Those who have been baptized and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord are invited to take part in the Lord’s Supper.
Our history
In 1912, Zeeland did not have a Christian Reformed church with services in the English language. Neither First Christian Reformed church nor North Street Christian Reformed Church was interested in having their services in English. First Christian Reformed church canvassed their members to determine how many families were willing to form a new church and gave $2,000 to assist in getting a place to worship.
Permission from Classis Zeeland was not immediately given, but the new members persisted and on February 11, 1914 permission was granted. The new church was organized on March 12, 1914, with 35 families and 12 individuals.
The First Consistory of Third Christian Reformed Church
A building on Centennial Street, owned by the Second Reformed Church, was purchased and was used by the church for services until 1923.
Lots were purchased at the corner of State Street and Central Avenue in 1916 and a new church building was completed on May 23, 1923.
