A Two-Service Sunday on 64th Avenue
Beaverdam Christian Reformed Church gathers twice every Sunday at 5166 64th Avenue in Hudsonville, Michigan. Morning Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and Evening Worship at 6:00 p.m., and both services follow a single unhurried rhythm that has shaped the congregation for years. The worship is reverent and traditional, accompanied by an organ and piano and led from the church's well-loved hymn books. The congregation sings the Psalms alongside great hymns of the faith and a selection of newer hymnody, and prayer is taken seriously as part of the service rather than tacked on at the end. Preaching works its way through books of the Bible - a morning series had been working through the Gospel of John, with an evening series that worked through Job before turning to the Heidelberg Catechism - and each sermon is shaped by a conviction that ancient biblical doctrine speaks to the questions of today.
Members describe worship at Beaverdam as a gathering of "caring hearts and welcoming faces and voices." The Lord's Supper is celebrated on scheduled Sundays, with both elements observed together in the morning service. A livestream is offered for those who cannot attend in person. Recordings of recent sermons are available. A public Facebook page and a separate members' group share announcements and livestream access.
The Heidelberg Catechism Returns to the Pulpit
The Heidelberg Catechism has a special place at Beaverdam. After a sermon series on Job, the evening services began a new preaching series that walks through the catechism, the 1563 confession that has been called "the most ecumenical of the Reformed catechisms and confessions." A new catechism series typically starts on a Sunday evening in late October and runs through the year. This rhythm of working through catechism preaching alongside Bible-book preaching has been part of the church's life for generations and connects the congregation to the broader Reformed tradition that shaped Dutch-American Christian life in western Michigan. Preaching through the catechism, rather than only through it for new members, gives the whole congregation a regular refresher in the basics of the Reformed faith.
A Reformed Accent on the Apostles' Creed
The church's beliefs are summed up in the Apostles' Creed, which the congregation uses to confess belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - one God in three persons. The Bible is taught as the authoritative and inerrant Word of God, given by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the whole sixty-six-book library is read as one story in four chapters: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation. The Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession (written by Guido de Brès in 1561, who died a martyr to the faith in 1567), and the Canons of Dort (the 1618-19 synod's response to the Arminian controversy) are the three confessions whose doctrines the church affirms as fully agreeing with the Word of God.
The church speaks of these emphases as a "Reformed accent" rather than a separate faith. Three words figure prominently in that accent: sovereignty, covenant, and kingdom. God's sovereign rule is at the center of everything, with salvation understood as God's work from beginning to end rather than a human decision. God's promises are made to a community and passed from one generation to the next, and the church practices both adult and infant baptism. The kingdom of God is understood broadly, embracing "art, media, publishing, law, education, labor relations, caregiving, agriculture, business, social justice, and politics." Dutch statesman and pastor Abraham Kuyper stated, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'" This kingdom focus has led the broader Christian Reformed community to establish Christian schools from preschool through graduate school, and Beaverdam families often use a network of area Christian schools.
Pastor Tyler Wagenmaker
Rev. Tyler Wagenmaker has served as pastor of Beaverdam Christian Reformed Church since the fall of 2000. He grew up in the area, graduated from Western Michigan Christian High School in Muskegon, and earned a B.A. in History and Secondary Education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids. He went on to study at Westminster Theological Seminary in California and finished his M.Div. at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids. He also served as an Army Chaplain in the Michigan Army National Guard, including a year-long tour of duty in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II-III. He leads the Wednesday night men's Bible study and is known for his interest in the outdoors, politics, and collecting G.I. Joes, as well as for getting to know his church family.
Sunday School and Catechism After the Service
After the morning service ends, the building fills with children and adults heading downstairs for Sunday School and Catechism classes, which run from 10:45 to 11:40 a.m. Children from age three through sixth grade gather first in the Junior Chapel for a time of group singing before moving with their teachers into age-appropriate classrooms. High school students in grades 9 through 12 work their way through the Heidelberg Catechism, learning the same confession their parents and grandparents learned before them. The catechism track for teens is part of a long Reformed tradition in which the next generation learns to articulate the faith in the same questions and answers their forebears used.
Nursery Care for the Youngest Visitors
Supervised nursery care is provided for the Sunday worship services and for special morning services. Parents are given a pager so they can be reached from the sanctuary if they are needed during the service, which is a small but appreciated touch for families with infants and toddlers. The nursery is staffed so that parents of young children can take part in the service without worry.
GEMS Girls and the Calvinist Cadet Corps
Two long-running midweek programs serve the children of the church. GEMS - Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior - meets on the second and fourth Monday evenings of the month during the school year, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., for girls in third through eighth grade. The current theme is Wayfinder: Following the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the program is built around the words of John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" Activities include devotions, praise and worship through singing, crafts, Bible study, snacks, and earning badges. Annual traditions include sledding, a roller skating party, and a campout at the Cadet Campgrounds. GEMS is led by women from the church, and the program itself has been serving churches for fifty years, with more than 23,000 girls and 5,200 counselors now taking part worldwide.
The Calvinist Cadet Corps is the parallel program for boys in third through eighth grade, meeting on the second, fourth, and fifth Monday evenings of the month during the school year from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The current theme is "Mountains of Blessings," based on Psalm 125:2. Each grade level is paired with two Cadet Counselors, who are men from the church. After opening exercises and Bible lessons, the boys work on year-long projects such as woodworking, pinewood derby cars, models, and taxidermy, earning merit badges as they go. The boys and counselors wear traditional Cadet shirts and kerchiefs for the evening. The Calvinist Cadet Corps was founded in 1952 and now has more than 600 clubs across North America, with the explicit goal of helping boys grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52). The basis of Cadets is the Word of God as expressed in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, and the Belgic Confession.
Young People's, Young Adults, and Before the Hill
Older students are not left out. Young People's, for high school students in grades 9 through 12, meets on the first, third, and fifth Sunday evenings of the month during the school year, right after the evening service in the church's lower level. The night starts with a meal and dessert in the kitchen, moves to a Bible study on a chosen theme (recently "Discovering Freedom"), and ends with a group game at 9:00 p.m. The first gathering of the new program year is open to friends who don't currently attend a church or youth group.
Young Adults (post-high school) gather on the first, third, and fifth Sundays around 7:30 p.m., right after the evening service.
Before the Hill Group is for singles and married people from post-high school through their thirties. The group meets about once a month for an outing together, with a regular rhythm of informal fellowship for those whose lives are no longer structured by high school and college but also don't yet include school-aged children.
Wednesday Nights for Men and Women
Both a men's and a women's Bible study meet on Wednesday evenings during the fall, winter, and spring.
The Men's Wednesday Night Bible Study meets from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Council room and is open to men of all ages, from high school upward. Pastor Wagenmaker leads the group, and the current study walks through twelve of Jesus' parables, including the Good Samaritan and the Rich Man and Lazarus. Newcomers can ask Rev. Wagenmaker for a study booklet. The format is part study, part discussion, and is built around an unhurried hour together.
The Ladies Wednesday Bible Study also meets at 7:30 p.m., with each meeting running about 60 to 75 minutes. The current season continues the "RVL Discipleship The Study" series, watching a video and then going through questions in discussion. Prayer is part of every meeting, with women bringing their praises and requests to God. The group ranges in age from younger women to grandmothers, and the multigenerational mix is part of what makes the discussion rich. Contact for the group is Deb Bussis.
Retired men also meet monthly for breakfast at a local restaurant in Hudsonville, a casual gathering that has been part of the rhythm of the men's ministry for years.
Helping Hands and the Wider Community
The Helping Hands Ministry exists to serve members of the church family and the local community by providing practical help with home projects and minor repairs. Volunteers build wheelchair ramps, repair sections of roof, install or replace water heaters, make accessibility improvements, and tackle other household maintenance needs. The help goes to anyone who could use a hand, whether the difficulty comes from age, health, finances, or unexpected circumstances. The motto of the ministry is "Serving Together. Blessing Others." Helping Hands also builds relationships within the church, giving volunteers a way to put their skills to work for neighbors they might not otherwise get to know.
Beaverdam Community Night is a separate event on the church calendar: an evening of fellowship and fun for the wider Beaverdam neighborhood. The night is one of the ways the church keeps in touch with the people who live around it on the rural edges of Hudsonville, beyond the central grid of town. The church's online resources for members and the wider Christian community include a Three Forms Podcast, area Christian schools (Unity Christian High School, Holland Christian High School, Libertas Christian School, Borculo Christian School, Hudsonville Christian School, and Zeeland Christian School), and Campus Ministry at Grand Valley State University.
Worship Notes for Visitors
Sunday morning worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and is followed at 10:45 a.m. by Sunday School and Catechism classes for children, teens, and adults. The evening service begins at 6:00 p.m. Nursery care is provided during the services, and parents are given a pager so they can be reached. A livestream is available for those at a distance. Recordings of recent sermons are available.
Beaverdam Christian Reformed Church is a member congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, the Dutch-Reformed denomination that has shaped much of western Michigan's church life. The building sits on 64th Avenue just outside Hudsonville's central grid, in the rural area that gives the church its name. The church can be reached by phone at (616) 875-8943 or by email at info@beaverdamcrc.com.