Central Park Church stands on Myrtle Avenue in Holland's south side, in the Central Park neighborhood one block south of South Shore Drive and Lake Macatawa. It is a congregation of the Reformed Church in America, and the most visible sign of its mission sits at the front door: a food pantry open around the clock, every day of the year. Inside, a Community Cupboard, a free Wednesday night meal for the neighborhood and a sanctuary filled with children, students and adults at 10 a.m. give the congregation its shape. The music blends traditional and contemporary, and the doors stay open for anyone who seeks to know God and grow in faith.
Sunday at Ten: Traditional and Contemporary Music Together
Primary worship takes place every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. The church describes itself as multi-generational and intentional about building connections between people of all ages and stages of life, and its worship reflects that mix by incorporating traditional and contemporary music. Pastor Marc Nelesen, the church's transitional pastor, commonly leads the service, Jennifer Kramer serves as Director of Worship and Faith Formation and also leads services, and guest pastors join the rotation.
The service is anchored in Scripture and in the church's Reformed theology, which is central to both its worship and its mission. Communion Sunday is part of the worship calendar, and Scripture readings and pastoral leadership rotate through the Sundays of the season.
Those who cannot attend in person can join through the church's YouTube channel. Services are livestreamed live and posted weekly for viewing later in the week. Visitors who attend in person enter through entrances A or C, and the church office sits just inside Entrance C, under the canopy.
The Pantry on Myrtle: Open 24/7, With a Cupboard Inside
The church food pantry at the front door of 614 Myrtle Avenue has served the neighborhood for a number of years, and it is open around the clock. Central Park says the pantry grew in response to rising food insecurity in Holland, serving people in the area who lack access to places such as Community Action House or other food pantries.
As the need has continued to grow, the church has expanded the program. A Community Cupboard inside the church is running alongside the outdoor pantry, and the church is collaborating with benefactors as well as ministry food partners Central Park Market and Community Action House to increase its role on the southwest side of Holland. The work fits the congregation's own motto of loving, serving and learning, reaching "all God's people in need."
The pantry's sense of purpose comes from the gospel: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6). Neighbors can also give time in the church's Community Garden, and other local ministries supported by Central Park Church respond to needs for food, clothing, shelter and justice.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday is the church's midweek gathering, and it begins with a meal. Every Wednesday night through the year, with selected holiday and seasonal breaks, church families gather with friends and neighbors from near and throughout Holland to break bread together, with Chef Jessica cooking up the menu. During the school year the community meal is free and served at 5:30 p.m.
After dinner, the evening splits into programming for adults and youth that tackles what it means to be a follower of Jesus today. Students join a lesson, crafts and other activities beginning at 6:15 p.m., while card games and other activities fill the student center from 6:00 p.m. and basketball takes place in the gym.
A kitchen prep and serve team helps prepare and serve the food and clean the kitchen afterward, and volunteers are welcome to join that crew. The meal and the teaching together make Wednesday night the clearest expression of the church's love of serving, learning and fellowship.
Kids and Students Learning All Week Long
Central Park Church offers weekly gatherings for children from age three through 12th grade. On Sunday mornings, Central Park Kids welcomes children ages 3 through 5th grade. They worship with their parents at first, then are dismissed for 35 to 40 minutes of their own teaching during the last half of the 10:00 a.m. service, with games, activities, music and a biblical lesson. The church uses the Orange kids curriculum and works through the Jesus Storybook Bible during the school year, teaching that the Bible is a unified story pointing to Jesus.
Central Park Youth covers sixth through 12th grade. On Sunday evenings, students and families gather from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. for big group games, worship, Bible study discussion, service projects and retreats. On Wednesday evenings during the school year, students gather for the 6:15 p.m. lesson and crafts, plus games in the student center and basketball in the gym.
The student ministry names five values: Jesus, Discipleship, Community, Partnering and Serving. Partnering with families is explicit, since the church believes students are raised well together and that serving the church and community belongs in the life of a student. Vacation Bible School follows the same pattern, beginning with dinner for families at 5:30 p.m. and continuing with Bible stories, fellowship and fun.
What Central Park Believes
Central Park Church is a congregation of the Reformed Church in America, and the church says its Reformed theology is central to its worship and mission. Its shared belief is in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The congregation follows Jesus Christ, trusts the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the truth of Scripture, and welcomes all who seek to know God and grow in faith.
The church also describes itself as a community committed to loving, serving and learning together. Every person is created in the image of God and is worthy of dignity, compassion and grace. Because interpreting Scripture faithfully can be complex, the congregation approaches differences with humility, respect and a commitment to unity, hoping for meaningful conversations and strong relationships even when viewpoints vary.
- Engaged: everyone has a place to plug in and a spot to serve, as individuals and as a congregation.
- Crossing Boundaries: crossing social, economic, racial and physical lines to understand the lives of people nearby.
- Meeting Needs: listening to people who are ignored, neglected or marginalized and responding in practical, meaningful ways.
- Transformed: seeking the transformation of the church, the neighborhood and the wider community.
Small Groups and Ways to Serve
Small groups meet regularly at various times and places, studying a range of topics, and the church presents them as an easy way for people to plug in, grow deeper or find a way to serve. Questions about joining a group can be sent to life@centralparkchurch.org. Regular connection also comes through Pastor Marc's weekly "We-Mail" updates, snail mail, weekly bulletins and a monthly calendar of what is happening.
Serving roles reach into the life of the church. The worship tech team runs the sound board, projection system and recording equipment so worship reaches people in the room and those joining online, a good fit for people who have a knack for technology or want to learn. The kitchen prep and serve team helps with the Wednesday meal. Central Park Kids leaders serve once every six to eight weeks, and volunteers at student gatherings check in guests, prepare snacks and help with breakout groups.
Central Park's wider ministry list includes the Community Garden, the Annual Holiday Shoppe craft sale, Community Night dinner, Vacation Bible School, Trunk or Treat, and basketball and volleyball nights.
Missions Close to Home and Around the World
Central Park Church's mission life runs from Holland's southwest side to the wider world. Locally, the church supports Community Action House, Holland Rescue Mission, Kids' Food Basket, Good Samaritan Ministries and Bethany Christian Services, organizations that reach out to meet needs for food, clothing, shelter and justice for people in crisis. The congregation also works through its affiliation with Reformed Church in America World Mission and supports mission concerns near and dear to its members.
Among them is the international radio mission of Words of Hope in the Middle East and the Apache ministry on the Mescalero Reservation in southern New Mexico, where Central Park supports Mescalero Reformed Church. The church also supports Beautiful Response Haiti and Rosebud Episcopal Mission on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
The church has a long relationship with the camps of the Reformed Church in America, including CranHill Ranch and Camp Geneva. Children grow deeper in the outdoors with camp leaders, families find fellowship at a family camp weekend each summer, and winter retreats are part of the rhythm. This mix of nearby relief and faraway mission reflects the church's calling as missional people responding to Jesus' call to go into the world.
Giving and a First Visit
Giving is offered three ways: online through Clover Give, in person at the church office just inside Entrance C or during the 10:00 a.m. worship service, and by mail at 614 Myrtle Avenue, Holland, Michigan 49423. The church frames giving as joy and thanksgiving, a way to grow in faith and trust in God's abundance, and a way of sharing time, talents and gifts with the world.
A first visit is straightforward. Worship is at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays, with entrances A and C, and the church office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome to call or stop by during office hours and check in, and members will help them find the right place. The congregation says it is known for being friendly, loving and accepting of all who come to worship and seek the Lord. Those who want to know more before arriving can read the church's I am New overview, and people who prefer to stay home can watch the weekly livestream.
Central Park Church's own words for its calling are simple: love, serve and learn. In practice that means an open pantry door on Myrtle Avenue, a table set for Wednesday, and a sanctuary where the old and the new sound together at 10 in the morning.