Cornerstone Taps Wyant as WCSG Executive Director
Wyant previously was a business owner and previously worked at Cornerstone as a switchboard manager, admissions manager, enrollment counselor and director of development. Her leadership experience, business background, and love for the Lord will help launch WCSG to become a digital multimedia leader that empowers and connects with people around the world, university officials said.
Holland Home Leadership Transitions
Breuker took over as Holland Home's president in November 2014, after longtime leader David Claus announced his retirement. As part of that planned succession, Claus remained CEO until July 2015, at which time Breuker assumed both president and CEO roles. She has been with Holland Home since 1998.
Hope College Scholar Receives Two National Early Career Awards
Margaret Gorman Early Career Award is presented to one recipient each year whose innovative research in the psychology of religion is marked by scholarly excellence and has implications for theory, practice or further research, and who completed the doctoral degree within 10 years of the submission deadline.
Grand Rapids Urban Ministry’s Offer to Buy Paragon Bowling Center Accepted
Base Camp is a year-round program that addresses students' educational needs (which includes, but is not limited to, STEM education, literacy education and entry-level vocational training), as well as physical and spiritual needs through Bible studies and worship. Biblical instruction often is fastened with object lessons that keep children engaged, and make the messages relatable.
The ministry reaches out to kids living mainly in the Burton Heights and Roosevelt Park neighborhoods of Grand Rapids. The 30-year ministry has met in several buildings in the Southwest area of Grand Rapids; most recently Solomon's Porch Church in Jenison. It currently temporarily meets at Community Church on near the intersection of 28th St. & Buchanan in Wyoming.
January 2022 Terry’s Picks

Reflections on a Noteworthy Year

The past year has been dotted with postponements and cancellations, still a factor in this pandemic-era which can't quite seem to let go.
Let's get right into a 2021 review:
The Tapestry of Nicole Hackett’s Life Unraveled in 1988. Faith and Determination Stitched it Back Together

The Flushing resident was 18 years old when her aspiration to come a dancer leaped into her life in 1987. She had won a Joe Tremaine Dance Scholarship, an opportunity that allowed her to travel to Hollywood and, in an unrelated occasion, audition and perform in a Disney-produced commercial.
A total God thing
"I filmed the commercial before my scholarship term was up" recalls Hackett. "It was totally a God thing. I saw a poster for an audition in the same studio that was in a different room that day. I just went there."
That was the planned part of her life.
Unforeseen was a cousin of Hackett's who not only drove her to rehearsals so she could perform in the Disney commercial but also witnessed the good news of Christ's salvation to her, an invitation Hackett accepted.
"I came home on fire for the Lord," recalls Hackett, who will be 52 years old Jan. 15.
Compass College Changes Name
The college develops storytellers into filmmakers. It offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in Film and Media and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Cinematic and Media Arts.
Samaritas Launches In-house Rehab Campus
Calvin Receives Grant to Reduce Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault

Mel Trotter Opens 24/7 Overflow Building
DenHollander Awarded Kuyper Prize
Still Time to Join In on Holiday Festivities

Early in December we enjoyed the annual Hark Up musical celebrations, and have seen holiday concerts from national artists such as Point of Grace at Kentwood Community Church and the giant-sized For King & Country extravaganza at Van Andel Arena. (Unfortunately, the Selah concert scheduled for Dec. 9 in Holland had to be postponed until Jan. 14, 2022).
The Master Arts Theatre production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" completed its holiday run before December was half over.
But there are remaining events celebrating the season, including some living nativities. Here's a partial listing, mostly in chronological order:
Terry’s Picks for December 2021

A Look Behind the Leader: Carter Lezman

The worship pastor at All Shores Wesleyan Church in Spring Lake began his new job in January of 2020.
"I came from a church of 150 to one of 800 to a thousand; and from a volunteer team of 20 to around 70," recalled the Kalamazoo-area native. "The pace of work was a lot faster and more demanding," he added.
Then in March of that year came the COVID-19 pandemic. That brought a whole new set of adjustments for the 28 year-old singer-songwriter. From in-person meeting limitations to online streaming of worship, Lezman and his crew had to roll with the punches and keep things moving forward. That's in addition to supervising his three-person staff, organizing and encouraging volunteers, and keeping connections seamless with All Shores' two satellite campuses in Coopersville and Muskegon.
Manasseh Project Based on Conviction the Community has the Power to Fight Human Trafficking in West Michigan

"At that point, we had not heard a lot about trafficking in our community," says Nikeidra DeBarge, WCS Manasseh Project coordinator.
Manasseh Project is a WCS outreach dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation of young women and men in West Michigan. Through community education and collaboration, and Wedgwood's Manasseh Project Trauma Recovery Center, the Grand Rapids nonprofit provides support and specialized residential treatment services for victims of sex trafficking.
LEAD 24/7 Develops Needed Leadership Skills for Pastors

Compounding the problem is pastors and other ministry leaders are often not taught in seminary what it takes to be a successful, organizational leader.
That's where LEAD 24/7 comes in.
Stories Come to Life at Church Video Studio

"She wanted to be just like the bigger kids in Sunday School," said Collier of the toddler's role while working in her church video production room. "So (Mila) pressed the button for the microphone and repeated the words after me."
Collier is one of the on-site production managers at Studio 3:16, an in-house ministry of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, a mile south of GVSU's Allendale campus. And she was teaming up with young Mila on a pre-schooler project called "Tiny Ocean Tails."
Terry’s Picks for November 2021

Pandemic Positives

Yet we know God uses adversity to advance his purposes, develop the Church, teach us what we need for the days ahead, and bring glory to himself. God even says we should be joyful in the face of hard times.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may
be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).
This occurred to me during Year 2020, our "annus horribilis." What possibly could be good and useful, much less enjoyable about a year – actually a year and one-half and counting – of illness and deaths, slowdowns and lockdowns, masks - vaccines – mandates and controversy, government orders, loss of freedoms, and anxiety?
YWCA is Hire for Hope’s New Community Partner

Calvin Grad Promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey assumed command as Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific, and Fleet Civil Engineer, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in August. He leads a team of more than 9,000 military and civilian personnel across seven Echelon IV commands and public works and construction offices in over 40 locations along the Pacific coast of the U.S. and across the entire Indo-Pacific theater.
2022 January Series Speakers Announced
Speakers include Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, co-hosts of the popular podcasts, Pantsuit Politics and The Nuanced Life; Max Stossel, an award-winning artist named by Forbes as one of the best storytellers of the year; Colum McCann, an Irish-born international bestseller who is among the world's foremost storytellers; and Brad Montague, a popular storyteller and creator of the hit web series "Kid President," author of the New York Times bestseller "Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome," and an illustrator whose work is regularly featured in Joanna Gaines' The Magnolia Journal.
Chefs Raise Funds Toward Degage’s Capital Campaign
MTM Launches Podcast
Visit: https://www.meltrotter.org/everyday-humanity
Inspirational MercyMe Still Imagining

The award-winning ballad, picturing what it might be like to see a departed father in heaven, soared to the top of both the Christian and mainstream music charts. It was a turning point for the upstart band, establishing a solid recording and performing career that has continued with this year's collection "inhale/exhale" and a new tour. (The tour comes to Grand Rapids Nov. 5 – see details below).
But the inspirational-pop band still lives with the echo from its "imagine" ballad of two decades ago.
"That's certainly a song that is larger than us and that people have taken ownership of," said bassist Nathan Cochran during a recent interview. "It's amazing that we will have that kind of legacy song that will outlive us as a band."
"I Can Only Imagine," written by lead singer Bart Millard after his father's death, spawned the 2018 biographical hit movie of the same name, providing another boost for both the song and the band.
Conference to Focus on Ministry of ‘Illusionists’

But he's also used his craft to share his faith and deliver a Christian message at mega-churches like pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback congregation in California as well as small churches "in the middle of nowhere."
Now he's organized an Oct. 22-23, 2021 conference to educate and equip Christian magicians/illusionists to use their slight-of-hand and other skills to advance the gospel (see details at the end of this article).
"I want to bring the things I've learned to people who want to do ministry," said Laflin from his modest "Grand Magic Theatre" storefront in downtown Colon Mich. "Teaching is a big part of what I do these days."
FPA to perform C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Great Divorce’

This updated and expanded version of the original production features four actors portraying 22 vivid characters. They take a strange bus trip from hell to the outskirts of paradise, where they are given an opportunity to stay or return to hell . . . forever divorced from heaven. The choice proves to be much harder than imagined. And it all takes place in 90 minutes!
CRC chaplains reflect on Afghanistan

Faith leaders urge Kent County BOC to support KCHD mask order

"We are gathering to support our (Kent) County health officer, Dr. Adam London, and the Kent County Health Department's order requiring pre-K through 6th grade students to wear masks while indoors at school," said Khary Bridgewater, coordinator for the Kent County Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Team. "As leaders in the faith community, we continue to work alongside our health care providers on the frontline of this deadly pandemic by serving the sick, comforting the suffering and burying the dead. We applaud the extraordinary work of the Kent County Health Department in serving all members of our community, including our children."
Hospice provider to construct Grief Support Center

Demand for senior living prompts senior services expansion

Nonprofit starts construction on $10m campus renewal

New Shoots of Evangelism, Leadership to Soon Sprout for GVSU Students

The Christian Reformed Church in America campus ministry intends to first train GVSU students, with the goal of eventually getting underway microchurches, says Rev. Scott Stark, director of campus ministry at GVSU.
"Microchurches, as we define them, take complex things and make them as simple as possible but they're not simplistic," says Stark. "I'm talking about small communities of people — 5 to 30 people — that are centered around the person of Jesus Christ. They're started by believers but are often designed missionarly in order to welcome de-churched or unchurched people either with shared interests, characteristics, location, and vocation."
Bulthuis & Crew Poised for Benefit.

"These two organizations (Manna Media and Turning Point Missions) are close to home," said Bulthuis during a recent interview.
Both of the non-profit ministries are headed by members of his Oakhill Presbyterian Church on Grand Rapids' northeast side.
Movin’ On Up For Ministry

On a mild late-summer Sunday, the congregation of Monroe Community Church (MCC) of Grand Rapids, MI began worship at one location, took a walk and then finished worship down the street.
It was goodbye to its old home and hello to a new one.... just a few blocks down Monroe Ave. NW.
Pastor Jim Boer led his congregation in saying good-bye.
Persistent Newsboys Back on the Road

"We probably tour more than a lot of bands and we're used to being in a different city every day," said the keyboardist during an interview from Nashville, TN.
"From there to going nowhere for 16 months....I had always wondered what that would be like," he said.
Spending time at home with family was a good thing. In fact, Jeff and his wife Jennifer had a "pandemic" baby during the interlude – their fourth child. "I didn't have to worry about missing the delivery day," he smiled.
Terry’s Picks for October 2021

Art of Faith at Art Prize

"I guess there are some people in the world who are turned off by the phrase 'Christian artist,'" she said from her southeast Michigan home. "But really, I couldn't do any of my art without Him (God).
Her inspiration is exemplified in her Art Prize exhibit "Safari Series" – four related pieces on display at the lobby of the 234 Market Apartments venue in downtown Grand Rapids (Art Prize runs through Oct. 3 – more info at www.artprize.org).
Jan Maureen (the name she often uses professionally) is a mixed media collage artist and uses various mediums in her two-dimensional work.
A New Stage For Master Arts?

"The square footage of this lobby is bigger than our current auditorium," he told onlookers.
"That's a terrible statistic, but it's also funny," he smiled.
The faith-based theatre company has an inside track for a move to the relatively spacious Central Christian Church in the 2500 block of Leonard St. NE near the I-96 expressway.
Four "test-run" August performances in the prospective space were successful with full houses and also drawing a wave of financial donations.
But a sale is not a done deal. A purchase deadline from the soon-to-be-closing church looms and there are zoning matters which Master Arts currently has under consideration.
A Landmark Unity Festival

And also with some words recalling its co-founder and avid supporter Roger Eikenberry, who passed away July 26 at the age of 74.
Included on this year's concert bill were two artists who performed on that very same stage 20 years ago.
It was 2001 when the newly-formed Alive on the Lakeshore organization took a giant step of faith and led in the planning and production of that first, three-day, August festival at Heritage Landing along Muskegon Lake.
Please Join Us

Manna Media is partnering with Turning Point Missions (TPM), a nonprofit Christian outreach, for a concert event. TPM is a ministry we love, "TPM exists to provide clean safe drinking water to the people of Haiti and beyond, while introducing them to Christ."
If you have not seen their work I would encourage you to visit their website: www.turningpointmissions.org. Together we are planning a fun evening for you on October 22, 2021. It will be great to get together with friends and enjoy an evening of entertainment. Glenn Bulthuis and the Tonedeafs will be playing the music of the Beatles and more for your enjoyment.
Terry’s Picks for September 2021

A life restored. AA’s Big Book, Twelve Steps shepherds Grand Rapids man to sobriety

With his flowing white beard and Ben Franklin-style glasses, 60-year-old Randy radiates a peaceful countenance. The reason is as simple as it's profound: the outer man now matches the inner.
Randy gives Alcoholics Anonymous credit for his calmer demeanor and clear headedness. And for this, the Grand Rapids resident readily acknowledges his indebtedness to God.
"Without God's help, I couldn't have done any of it," he says.
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