At 220 W. Central Ave. in Zeeland, Michigan, Faith Reformed Church is known for two distinct Sunday worship gatherings and an intergenerational emphasis on formation and sending. The Reformed Church in America congregation welcomes people through every stage of life, with traditional and contemporary worship, programs for children through seniors, and mission partnerships that extend from Zeeland to Managua, Nicaragua.
Two Sunday Services, Two Musical Worlds
The 8:45 a.m. First Service takes place in the Sanctuary. It is a classical worship service with a blend of contemporary expression, and it remains family friendly. Attendees are typically more formally dressed, while the music can include classical piano, organ, choir, contemporary jazz, keyboard, and guitar.
The 11:00 a.m. Second Service gathers in the Multi-Purpose Room and strives to express the core values of Jesus Christ in a way relevant to the culture around it. Its “come-as-you-are” atmosphere is family friendly, and people tend to dress more casually. Music may range from a rock-band setup one week to an intimate acoustic setup the next.
During June, July, and August, the Second Service begins at 10:30 a.m. rather than 11:00 a.m. The 8:45 a.m. Sanctuary service remains the other weekly gathering.
Faith encourages guests to arrive five to ten minutes before the service, though some arrive earlier. Coffee is available in the Gathering Area, where visitors can ask questions before finding a seat. Coffee hosts can provide information about children’s programs, youth events, adult opportunities, and senior ministries. The service includes prayer, Scripture, worship, and a meaningful message. Dress is generally casual, with the First Service tending toward more formal attire.
Every service is livestreamed except the Ash Wednesday Soup Supper. The Faith Reformed Church Zeeland YouTube channel carries live services and a collection of past services.
Children in the worship service
Nursery care is available during both worship services for infants through age three. Children ages four through second grade are excused partway through the service for “Word & Wonder,” a special children’s worship time downstairs. Nursery care also remains available during the 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Spiritual Formation hour.
Communion at the center of worship
Communion, called the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, is an act of worship, reflection, and unity. Faith Church usually serves it on the first Sunday of the month, with recurring exceptions connected to Lent, Maundy Thursday, the fall kickoff Sunday, Advent, and Christmas Eve. Bread and juice represent the body and blood of Christ. Elders invite everyone to come forward, then serve the bread dipped in juice, an intinction style. A pastor or elder can bring Communion to those unable to come forward. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior may participate, regardless of church membership or background. Those still exploring faith are welcome to observe or ask questions without pressure.
From Lincoln Elementary to Central Avenue
Faith Church traces its beginning to November 15, 1953, when Reverend A. Tellinghuizen led its first services at Lincoln Elementary School. More than 145 people attended the morning gathering and 175 attended in the evening. Within a year, the congregation had grown enough to hold its first baptisms and Communion services.
On March 17, 1954, Faith Reformed Church became an officially organized Reformed Church in America congregation. During a prayer service, the congregation decided to purchase the Ver Plank property as the site for its church building. The edifice was completed in late May 1958.
Faith Church is family oriented and intergenerational, a posture that connects children, students, adults, and seniors within one congregation. Lincoln Elementary remains part of Faith’s story in another way: the church partners with the school through Kids Hope, where volunteers mentor children for one hour each week and provide academic help or friendship. Two pastors serve Faith Church: Pastor TJ South, the senior pastor who has served since 2024, and Pastor Ben De Boer, pastor of community life.
Forming People and Sending Them Out
Faith Church’s mission is “Sharing God’s Love Through New Life In Jesus Christ.” Its vision expresses two connected movements: forming people in Christ and sending them into the world. Forming means becoming more like Christ through faith, character, love, and intentional discipleship. Sending means carrying that transformation into daily life, the local community, and the wider world as ambassadors of Jesus.
Five principles shape how the church understands this rhythm:
- The Word of God is revealed in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Worship is gathered around the sacraments.
- People gather relationally across all generations.
- The church lives in covenant with its community locally and around the world.
- Disciples are equipped to seek God in every aspect of life through prayer and the Word.
Matt Hanegraaff’s icon brings those principles together visually. A gold circle surrounds Jesus at the center, where bread and a cross meet a communion cup. The bread also resembles a setting sun, while the cup’s lines spread like a reflection on water. Five ripples represent the guiding principles. The cup also recalls baptism, God’s promise of grace and forgiveness, and the identity of God’s beloved children. The image holds Christ at the center: God forms people through his Word, worship, prayer, and one another, then sends them to share his love.
Children Learn the Gospel by Living It
Faith Kids serves children from birth through fifth grade with large group and small group learning, hands-on experiences, skill nights, and opportunities to serve. Early Childhood Ministries Director Kylie Hoesch and Pre-Teen Ministries Director Carrie VanDerKolk lead the two age groups, with an emphasis on teaching children to love God and others and showing them how God wants them to live.
Wednesday Nights at Faith run from September through March, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Preschool through fifth-grade children take part in worship, biblical teaching, small group discussion, games, and social activities. Monthly family nights often include dinner, and the year includes outings and service projects. The Wonder Ink curriculum helps children discover their identity in God’s larger story.
On Sunday mornings from September through early May, Faith Kids Sunday School meets from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. using The Gospel Project for Kids, a resource centered on Christ that places Bible events on a chronological timeline and connects each story to the gospel. During both worship services, the separate Word & Wonder curriculum leads four-year-olds through second graders in deeper biblical engagement. Kylie Hoesch wrote that curriculum for Faith Church.
The nursery for infants through age three is open during worship and the 10:00 formation hour. Screened volunteers create a warm environment where children play and learn, allowing parents to participate in worship and classes.
Students and Young Adults Find Their Places
Faith Student Ministry is built around Sunday night small groups. Middle school students meet from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., and high school students meet from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The groups worship freely, share in meaningful discussion, serve, and grow in relationship with God. Sunday spiritual formation classes from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. focus on biblical education, testimony, story sharing, and service. Wednesday Student Bible Study runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and includes dinner.
Student Ministries Director Danyelle Roon oversees these gatherings. Faith also maintains a Missions Scholarship Fund for short mission trips and the Sharon Overzet Scholarship for graduating seniors who attend Faith Church or its high school ministry. The latter carries forward the memory of a long-time youth leader known for prayer, empathy, inclusion, and bravery.
Young adult ministry intentionally reaches people ages 18 to 30 through spiritual formation, relevant conversations, fellowship, outreach, and social activities. Faith Young Men meets Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. at Vitale’s. The Table is a five-week Bible study for young women that combines discussion of identity, community, gifts, and purpose with a shared meal. Each participant is connected with a mentor and prayer partner, creating deeper relationships among young mothers.
Adults Study, Serve, and Fellowship
Three adult spiritual formation classes meet Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Seniors is led by Drew Ericks, Prime welcomes various guest speakers, and Upper Room is led by Esther Theonugraha. Esther also directs spiritual formation and mission. During the week, Community Bible Study gathers in the Cedar Room Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. to examine biblical books and apply their teaching to life. Men meet in the Olive Room on the first Thursday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. to share time, learn, and pray. Women of all ages gather for Bible study as well.
Senior adults have a monthly breakfast on the first Thursday, while adult luncheons meet on the third Wednesday at noon in the Cedar Room. Luncheons often feature a guest speaker addressing a local issue or ministry, and the cost is generally $8. The Sanctuary Choir rehearses Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. from the middle of September through May and sings in Sunday worship at least once a month. Choir Director and Worship Coordinator Jim De Jong welcomes new singers; Worship and Tech Director Matt Hanegraaff also leads a worship team for singers and musicians.
These groups are joined by volunteer teams in worship, nursery care, children’s formation, technical production, and youth mentoring. The technology team runs sound, slides, cameras, and livestream production for worship. Volunteers can also teach Sunday School, lead children’s worship, serve in the nursery, mentor students, and participate in the choir or worship band.
Faith Church’s commitment to younger and older generations together is practical rather than merely descriptive. In 2017, the congregation joined a Fuller Youth Institute cohort, and members completed a Growing Young survey in 2018. Six commitments shape its emphasis: unlocking keychain leadership, fueling a warm community, empathizing with today’s young people, taking Jesus’ message seriously, prioritizing young people and families throughout the church, and being good neighbors locally and globally.
Compassion Begins in Zeeland and Reaches Nicaragua
Faith Church treats local and global mission as partners rather than competing priorities. Its Mission of the Month typically alternates between them, while the church also gives members ways to pray, serve, and give. Among the local ministries supported by Faith are Special Education Ministry, Kids Hope USA, Hand2Hand Ministries, Jackson’s Web, and Breakfast With Baby. On the global side, Faith supports the work of RCA Global Mission partners and remembers the long service of retired missionaries Vern and Carla Sterk in Chiapas, Mexico. Mission and regular giving are available through Church Center giving.
Vern and Carla Sterk began working among Mayan people in Chiapas in 1968 and served there for 41 years before retiring. Special Education Ministry creates a Christ-centered community for people with disabilities. About 25 to 30 students gather weekly at First Reformed Church for prayer, Bible teaching, worship, and fellowship, along with social events such as a picnic, square dance, carnival, and game nights. They also join service projects that benefit organizations such as Hand2Hand and Gateway Women’s Shelter. Faith’s support helps provide programming and summer friendship-camp scholarships for these students.
Kids Hope USA brings volunteers to Lincoln Elementary for one hour each week with children who need an adult mentor. Some need academic assistance; others need a special friend. Hand2Hand responds to weekend hunger through backpacks of food placed in children’s lockers. It has a pantry at Faith Church and supports children connected with Lincoln Elementary, Cityside Middle School, and The Lighthouse Juvenile Justice Institute in Holland. Volunteers can buy and donate food for the weekend bags or place food in the black bins on the Hand2Hand shelf.
Jackson’s Web turns monthly sewing gatherings into pillowcases for children with serious illnesses. The ministry creates and donates about 1,000 pillowcases each year, and Faith Church’s Olive Room hosts the first-Wednesday gatherings from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from September through May. Breakfast With Baby meets at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month for families with infants up to 12 months or pregnant mothers in their seventh month or later. Families receive a hot breakfast, fellowship and devotions, and can collect diapers, wipes, clothing, books, toys, and larger baby items. The meal typically serves 15 to 20 families.
Faith’s global mission partnership with Tesoros de Dios in Managua serves children and families with disabilities. More than 150 families receive services each week at no cost. The ministry provides special education, physical therapy, equine therapy, counseling, and spiritual development, with physical therapists also making home visits for children who cannot travel. The program supports physical, emotional, social, and spiritual growth while encouraging families.
Faith also keeps mission service within its own community through a scholarship fund that assists members and regular youth group participants with short mission work. Support can cover part of a trip’s cost, with decisions made by the senior pastor and Missions Committee members. The Sharon Overzet Scholarship extends that care to graduating seniors preparing for college, mission opportunities, or another path beyond high school.
An Intergenerational Rhythm of Worship and Service
Faith Church’s life is organized around a steady rhythm. Sunday brings two worship styles, a common formation hour, and student groups that begin as early as Sunday afternoon. Wednesday brings children’s activities, student Bible study with dinner, choir rehearsal, and opportunities for sewing and service. Thursday and Saturday gatherings extend fellowship beyond the Sunday schedule. Church staff and congregation members can answer questions about the church, membership, baptism, and matters of faith.
Church Center functions as the congregation’s shared center for its directory, groups, event registration, and giving. Members can create a profile, choose what directory information is visible, join groups, register for events, and give. Office approval is required before a new profile enters the member directory.
People who want to learn more about Faith can take part in the Faith Discovery Class, a two-Sunday, staff-led class held about once a year. It is an interactive way to explore the church, its beliefs, and the opportunities available for families and individuals. Membership is approached after a period of getting acquainted and deciding whether Faith Church is a good fit.
Together, these rhythms make Faith Church concrete: worship shaped by the Word and sacraments, formation for every generation, and sending into service. The congregation gathers through worship, prayer, study, and fellowship, then carries that life into homes, schools, ministries around Zeeland, and relationships beyond the city. Its traditional roots, varied music, family-oriented care, intergenerational leadership, and active mission define Faith Reformed Church in Zeeland.