Two Services on the Lord's Day in Wyoming
Bethany United Reformed Church gathers twice on Sunday on the south side of Grand Rapids, in the city of Wyoming, Michigan. Members and visitors come to the church at 5401 Byron Center Avenue for a 9:30 AM morning worship service and a 5:00 PM evening worship service, a pattern of twice-on-the-Lord's-Day worship that has long characterized Reformed congregations.
The church describes itself as Christians united in faith, word, and doctrine, affiliated with the United Reformed Churches in North America, and identifies as a historical, Reformed, evangelical, biblical, and Christ-centered church. The ministry is led by Rev. Van Der Molen, who is listed as the preacher for both Sunday services.
The Shape of a Bethany Worship Service
Bethany's worship is intentionally structured. Each service opens with a votum (a brief call such as, "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth") and a salutation in which the minister pronounces a scriptural blessing on the people. On Sunday mornings, God's Law is read to signify His sovereign rule, to testify to sin, and to prepare the congregation for hearing the gospel. On Sunday evenings, a reading from one of the church's doctrinal standards takes the place of the law reading, defining who the congregation is, reminding worshipers of core doctrines, and calling them to self-examination.
Scripture is read in every service as the foundation for the preaching. The minister then leads a congregational prayer, confessing sin, pleading for the conversion of sinners, the growth of believers, and the work of the local, denominational, and worldwide church. Tithes and offerings are gathered as expressions of thankfulness for God's gifts. The congregation sings throughout the service; the church explains that singing focuses on the Word of God, and so the Psalms and biblical hymns are sung as part of corporate worship. The service closes with a doxology and a benediction in which the triune God is asked to comfort and bless His people through the week ahead.
Preaching is described as the central part of worship. The pulpit ministry is to be biblical (explaining and applying both law and gospel), doctrinal (teaching scriptural truths in a simple way), universal (for all ages and stages of maturity), experiential (heart-changing and fruit-revealing), and practical (showing how to live in the world but not like it). Pastors are expected to pray over the sermon all week; the congregation is called to prepare prayerfully, listen attentively, and put the Word into practice.
The Lord's Supper at Bethany
Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two sacraments Christ gave His church. Bethany normally celebrates the Lord's Supper in the morning service on the third Sunday of January, May, July, September, and November, and on Good Friday. Visitors who wish to take communion are invited to fill out a request card from one of the elders before entering the sanctuary.
Confessional Identity: The Three Forms of Unity
Bethany holds that Scripture is the very Word of God and anchors doctrine and life in the Bible. Together with many other Reformed churches, Bethany accepts the Three Forms of Unity as official statements of doctrine: the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism. The congregation teaches that doctrine unites believers rather than divides them, giving the church common convictions about the Bible's teaching.
Sunday School and Catechism
Christian education is taken seriously. After the 9:30 AM service, at 11:00 AM, the church runs Sunday School for pre-school through fourth grade, four Catechism classes divided by grade (5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12), an Adult Sunday School for college age and up, and a Young Adult Bible Study. The children's classes meet from September through May. Children are welcomed in the regular worship service alongside adults; a nursery is provided during both morning and evening services.
Midweek Bible Studies
The congregation gathers around God's Word several times during the week. Most studies meet October through April. A Tuesday Morning Ladies Bible Study meets at 9:15 AM, with a nursery for young children and a story time for older ones. A Wednesday Morning Bible Study meets on the first and third Wednesdays at 9:30 AM, followed by coffee and fellowship. Two evening studies meet at 7:00 PM on Wednesdays: a Men's Bible Study and a Ladies Bible Fellowship.
Cadets, Kingdom Seekers, and the Youth Groups
Bethany invests heavily in its children and teenagers. Cadets is a club for boys in third through eighth grade that meets every Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, September through May, with a Bible lesson, projects, outdoor activities, and a busy calendar that includes an annual hamburger fry. Kingdom Seekers is the parallel group for girls in third through eighth grade, meeting the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 7:00 to 8:30 PM for Bible lessons, crafts, and fun activities.
Older teens have their own gatherings. The Junior High Youth Group (seventh and eighth grade) meets on the second Sunday of each month after the evening service for Bible study and planned activities. The Senior High Youth Group (ninth through twelfth grade) meets Sunday evenings twice a month after the evening worship service. Both groups benefit from periodic fundraising dinners, with proceeds supporting the youth group, Cadets, or Kingdom Seekers depending on who is hosting.
Music Ministry
Music at Bethany is conceived as corporate worship rather than entertainment. The choir rehearses most Sundays at 4:00 PM and sings before the service for the congregation on select Sundays. A bell choir rehearses most Mondays at 7:00 PM and rings for the congregation on selected Sundays. On the fourth Sunday of each month, after the evening service, the congregation gathers for a hymn sing and potluck fellowship meal; string and brass players are invited to bring their instruments for a small orchestra, and everyone is welcome to join in praise.
Vacation Bible School and Fellowship
The church runs a Vacation Bible School each summer for children ages four through fifth grade, with mornings of Bible study and fun activities. A "Fun and Fellowship" group plans outings roughly once a month, and the congregation fields a church softball team that plays from May through August. Several fundraising dinners each year support the youth ministries.
Mission Partners Across the Continents
Bethany supports a number of missionary works and ministries connected to the URCNA. In Costa Rica, Rev. Bill and Aletha Green have labored for over forty years in church planting and currently serve on the northeast side of San José. They helped establish the Tepeyac Christian grade school and high school, which Aletha served as principal for over fifteen years, and Bill serves as Executive Secretary for the Latin American Fellowship of Reformed Churches (CLIR). The Costa Rica Reformed Missions Partnership (CRRMP) is a ministry of Bethany URC that facilitates and funds this work.
In the Greater Toronto Area, Rev. Tony Zekveld ministers among South Asian peoples, assisted by Peter Nathaniel. In Izmir, Turkey, Rev. Coskun, called by Walker URC in 2022, serves as assistant pastor at the Izmir Protestant Church (Protestan Kilisesi), preaching, teaching, visiting, counseling, and discipling. Rev. Cornelius (Neal) and Sandra Hegeman serve with MINTS International Seminary, a distance-learning program that works in more than seventy countries with over seven hundred study centers; Neal has authored more than forty-five courses and books and visits up to twelve countries a year as Hispanic ministry coordinator. The church also partners with Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, which provides biblical and theological instruction to residents of correctional institutions in Illinois and Indiana, with the goal of moral transformation, reduced recidivism, and peacemaking behind the walls and beyond.
A Church Connected by Media
For those unable to attend in person, Bethany livestreams both the morning and evening services through Sermon Audio and Facebook Live. Past sermons are archived on Sermon Audio, and selected broadcasts appear on WKTV twice every Thursday. The church is active on Facebook and Twitter, and bulletins and announcements are shared online.
Visiting Bethany URC
Bethany United Reformed Church is located at 5401 Byron Center Avenue in Wyoming, Michigan. The church office is open from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Monday through Friday, and the building phone number is (616) 534-0006. The building is accessible for those with physical handicaps, and a hearing loop system is available for those who are hearing impaired. Nursery care is provided during both worship services. Visitors are warmly welcomed to come for worship, to spend time getting to know the congregation, and to consider whether Bethany might be a faithful new church home.