Front Pagehttp://www.classisholland.com/front-page/en-US2010-09-09T01:40:39ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.5 (http://www.squarespace.com/)When Helping Hurtshttp://www.classisholland.com/front-page/2010/7/19/when-helping-hurts.htmlCassie Pelon2010-07-20T00:39:37ZA community presentation entitled "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself" will take place on August 25, 2010. Dr. Brian Fikkert will be presenting. To see the informational brochure click here.

]]>Teusink Community Gardenhttp://www.classisholland.com/front-page/2010/5/10/teusink-community-garden.htmlCassie Pelon2010-05-11T00:53:24ZMusings from Rev. Osterhousehttp://www.classisholland.com/front-page/2010/1/28/musings-from-rev-osterhouse.htmlCassie Pelon2010-01-28T15:06:53ZMinistry Uses Sports to Share Christ's Lovehttp://www.classisholland.com/front-page/2009/8/24/ministry-uses-sports-to-share-christs-love.htmlCassie Pelon2009-08-24T18:32:53ZOne of the best ways to share Jesus with people doesn’t even involve words. It involves action. It involves putting our faith into action and being like Jesus to those we meet. That was the idea that sparked the ministry called Hockey Rock ten years ago.

“We didn’t feel we could tell others about Jesus’ love until we were ready to love them first,” said Doug Roskamp, who runs Hockey Rock at Niekerk CRC.

This ministry geared towards children, especially those between 3rd grade and high school, is a collaborative effort between Niekerk CRC, Ebenezer Reformed and Youth for Christ.

For six Monday evenings during the summer, an average of 140 kids gather in the Niekerk parking lot to play sports, have a good time and experience what it is like to be part of the body of Christ.

Despite its name, Hockey Rock isn’t just hockey. “We also offer basketball, volleyball, kickball, soccer, arts and crafts, supper and an occasional water fight,” Roskamp said. “Kids are also welcome to just come and hang out.”

“We provide these activities and have a great time doing so in an attempt to show our love for the kids in our community,” Roskamp said.

Each participant also gets a Hockey Rock t-shirt and Christian music CDs.

Flyers with information about Hockey Rock are mailed out in May. For more information, contact Niekerk CRC by phone (616.396.4388) or email, or visit their website.

]]>One Is A Large Numberhttp://www.classisholland.com/front-page/2009/6/1/one-is-a-large-number.htmlCassie Pelon2009-06-01T00:54:48ZOne is a significant number according to Kids Hope USA. They partner one elementary school with one church to mentor at-risk students. A mentor from the church spends one hour a week with one child. The mentor is there only for that one child. While this may not seem a very efficient use of labor according to modern standards, it is the defining strength of this program.

When the church begins the partnership, it makes a great commitment to the school and to the students. The church hires a part time director for their partnership, involves the Pastor, and recruits and screens a mentor for each child that is selected, and then a prayer partner for each mentor-child pair. Churches also agree to abide by the separation of church and state.

Although there is no direct evangelism in the schools, according to Dr. Virgil Gulker, the Founder of Kids Hope USA, the “authentic Christian love modeled by the mentor touches their lives.” They gain self-confidence and learn better because of that one hour a week.

Mary Dewitt, Director of Kids Hope at Harderwyk, has witnessed the benefits of the program first hand through their church's11 year partnership with Lakeshore Elementary students. Dewitt says that the relationships formed between the 40 mentors and the students help to bring about not only academic improvements, but also social, behavioral and emotional improvements.

The church's commitment doesn't simply end when the final school bells rings either. "Harderwyk also runs an extended Kids Hope Ministry, called After School Recess, where Kids Hope kids, with the help of additional volunteers, spend Wednesdays after school here at our church, working on homework, staying for supper, and then attending the Community Night activities," Dewitt added.

The students are not the only ones that are transformed. Gulker also believes that this type of work benefits the church. By witnessing and ministering in this way, the church itself becomes stronger.

Most of the elementary schools in Classis Holland have Kids Hope USA partnerships, and there are around 200 partnerships in Michigan alone. Partnerships also exist in around 26 other states, and Australia, through an agreement with World Vision. For more information, visit kidshopeusa.org.

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