Two miles north of Hudsonville, Michigan, on the corner of 40th Avenue and Port Sheldon, stands Georgetown Christian Reformed Church - a 600-member congregation that has grown up alongside one of the fastest-growing communities in the state. Most of the people who fill its sanctuary on a Sunday morning live within a five-mile radius of the building, drawn by a combination of biblical preaching, a blend of traditional and contemporary music, and unusually strong programs for children and youth. The church belongs to the Christian Reformed Church of North America and is a member of Classis Georgetown.
Love God, Love Each Other, Serve the World
The congregation's stated mission is short enough to memorize: "Love God, Love Each Other, Serve the World." Members describe themselves as "rooted in God's grace" and committed to making followers of Jesus Christ. The mission is anchored in three scriptures - 1 John 4:7-12 and Matthew 22:36-40 on love, with Matthew 28:18-20 on making disciples - and is lived out through seven stated priorities:
- Welcoming, embracing, and caring for everyone
- Nurturing full devotion to Christ
- Experiencing God's renewing presence through worship and prayer
- Serving with and for neighbors so that they come to know and love Jesus
- Ministering to one another within the faith community
- Supporting the ministry through prayer
- Providing bold, biblical, and authentic preaching
The doctrinal framework for that work is the CRC's contemporary testimony, Our World Belongs to God, which the church points to as the summary of its beliefs.
A Sunday Morning in the Sanctuary
Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and usually ends around 10:40 a.m. The sanctuary sits on the north end of the building, and the parking lot wraps around the entire campus - visitors can enter from either 40th Avenue or Port Sheldon. The room is equipped with a Hearing Loop (T-coil) system for those who need it.
The service follows a familiar shape: singing, prayer, scripture reading and a Bible-based message, and an offering. The music is deliberately blended - some traditional hymns alongside more contemporary praise songs - and the music ministry is led by Sam Bruzan, Director of Music and Worship. Visitors are not expected to give. After the service, coffee and fellowship time in the Gathering Area gives newcomers a chance to meet people and pick up information about ministries at the Welcome Center.
For children, the morning is laid on with care. Infants and toddlers can be dropped at the Child Care Center, where greeters hand parents a pager so they can be reached during the service. Children age three through PreK are invited to Children's Worship for an age-appropriate Bible story and activity (September through May). Kindergarten through 5th graders can head to Kingdom Kids from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. for praise, prayer, and small-group biblical learning (September through March). In the summer months, a lighter Sonshine Worship runs for children age three through first grade.
Children's packs are also available in the sanctuary for kids who need something hands-on during the service. Every child is signed in and out by a parent or guardian, and all volunteers are background-checked and trained.
For those unable to attend in person, services are livestreamed at georgetown.live. Recent sermons are available as MP3 downloads, on the church's YouTube channel, and through Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
A Church That Started at a School and Grew Three Times
Georgetown CRC began in 1975, when a small group of worshippers met in a local elementary school. They soon moved to the current 40th Avenue location and have expanded the building three times since - the most recent addition was completed in November 2008. The diversity inside mirrors the diversity of the surrounding community: young couples, young families, singles, families with teenagers, empty nesters, and retirees all share the same building. "If you are looking for a church home," the congregation writes, "or need a place to be embraced by God and his people, we invite you to consider Georgetown, visit on a Sunday, and get to know us."
The church is currently in a pastoral transition. Dr. Douglas Kamstra is serving as Specialized Transitional Minister (STM) while the congregation prepares to call its next Lead Pastor. Kamstra has served two settled pastorates and five transitional pastorates in the CRC, worked with Home Missions, taught at Calvin Seminary, and co-leads the Deeper Journey, a ministry offering sacred rhythms for the soul. He is married to Marilyn, and the couple has three sons, three daughters-in-law, and ten grandchildren.
Wednesday Night Is Family Night
Wednesday evenings at Georgetown revolve around food and formation. A shared family dinner is served at 6:00 p.m., and the children's programs that follow are organized by grade and gender, all running on the academic school year calendar:
- Little Sparks (age 4 through 2nd grade) meets from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. for Bible stories, songs, crafts, games, and play.
- GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior), for girls in 2nd through 5th grade, meets from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. with Bible devotions, crafts, games, snacks, and badge work.
- Cadets, for boys in 3rd through 6th grade, also meets from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and adds woodworking and outdoor adventure to its devotional time.
The format turns Wednesday into a one-stop evening for busy families and a steady weekly rhythm for the children themselves.
Student Ministries: Cross Training, Going Public, and Young Life
Georgetown takes seriously the in-between years of middle school and high school. Three programs run alongside one another:
- Cross Training meets at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings in The Summit, right after worship. High school students grab a refreshment and dig into practical teaching and group discussion about following Jesus in everyday life.
- Going Public is a spring program that walks students through a public profession of faith. Each student is paired with an adult "Faith Friend" for one-on-one mentoring and writes a personal Faith Expression describing what God is doing in their life.
- Young Life meets on Monday nights during the school year. In partnership with Eastern Ottawa Young Life, the church hosts Hudsonville High School Club on its own campus, with music, games, crazy themes, and a weekly message about the hope of Jesus Christ.
Adults: Sisters in Spirit, Men's Life, and Small Groups
Most adult formation at Georgetown happens in three formats.
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) is a women's Bible study that meets three times a week - Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., and Fridays at 9:45 a.m. - in Lower Level Room L012. The Friday gathering offers an accompanying nursery and children's program so mothers can attend.
Men's Life is an informal, discussion-oriented group for men of all ages. The current study, "To Live is Christ," walks through the life of the Apostle Paul. Men's Life follows the Sunday Morning Discipleship schedule and meets in Lower Level Room L011 from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Small Groups are the connective tissue of the adult ministry: roughly two-thirds of Georgetown's active adult members belong to one. Each group chooses its own meeting frequency and study material, and they generally gather for study, service, support, or socializing.
Five Hands and Feet: Food, Clothing, Beds, Friends, and Prayer
Outreach is not a side project at Georgetown - it is one of the church's ministry priorities, organized under Community Relationships and led by Director Amy Koetsier. Five distinct streams of work run year-round.
Food Ministry
Since 2007, Georgetown has partnered with Feeding America West Michigan as one of several Ottawa County host sites for a monthly supplemental grocery distribution. The drive-thru event takes place on the second Tuesday of every month, with registration beginning at 5:30 p.m.; over 130 families typically receive boxed groceries. The church also hosts the Love Your Neighbor LifeSkill class and donates monthly to Jehovah Jireh Ministries in Hudsonville.
Clothing Ministry (Micah's House)
Working with area ministries and schools, the church distributes 1,700 to 2,000 items of free clothing and shoes to local families in need each month. Donations of new or gently used, clean clothing can be dropped off at Door B Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Building Beds
In a woodshop on the church campus, volunteers cut, sand, assemble, and stain sturdy wooden beds - sometimes stacked as bunks - for families in need and for foster families preparing to welcome a child. Every bed goes out with a brand-new mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillows, all at no cost to the recipient.
Friendship Group
What began in 1993 as a small youth group has grown into a community of more than 50 adults with special needs, supported by nine sponsor families. The group gathers once a month for an outing - bowling, picnics, crafts, holiday celebrations, Whitecaps baseball, prom night, hayrides, an evening at the lake, and an annual Christmas dinner and talent show. Caregivers get a meaningful break, and members get steady friendship.
Bless Every Home
The congregation also invests in prayer for its literal neighbors through the BLESS app and the Bless Every Home initiative. Volunteers sign up as "Lights" for their neighborhood and receive a confidential map and a list of nearby homes to pray for - an effort the church frames as one of the simplest and most organic ways to open conversations and share the gospel.
Beyond these in-house ministries, Georgetown also participates in CarePortal, a platform that connects churches and community responders with families in crisis. Members can sign up to receive notifications about local needs, deliver items, or donate to a CarePortal fund.
Nine Holes of Disc Golf on the Campus
One of the more unexpected features of the property is a nine-hole disc golf course, redesigned in August 2023, that is open every day from dawn to dusk. The course is free to play and welcomes families and beginners; discs can be borrowed from the church office (Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) for first-timers. Visitors park in the Visitor Parking area near the first tee off Port Sheldon. Nearby courses at Wellspring, Hughes Park, Covenant, and Rush Creek Park give players somewhere to head next.
Counseling Through Pine Rest
Georgetown has a contracted relationship with Pine Rest Christian Services that gives every member access to two confidential consultations per year with a therapist at no charge. The program, called CAP (Church Assistance Program), is administered with full anonymity and confidentiality. Brochures and contact information are available in the information center in the gathering area.
Office, Staff, and Staying Connected
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and can be reached at 616-669-5180 or by email. Along with the pastor and ministry directors named above, the staff includes a Financial Assistant, a Community Relationships Manager, an Administrative Assistant, and two Facilities and Ground Maintenance team members. A weekly bulletin, prayer guide, and announcements are posted to the church's news page, and members can register for an online account to access a directory, announcements, and additional member information. Online giving is available through the church's Breeze platform.
Georgetown's location - close enough to Hudsonville to serve the town, far enough out to feel like a country crossroads - shapes everything about its identity. The building has grown three times since 1975, but the work that happens inside and around it has stayed remarkably consistent: gather on Sunday, build up the next generation on Wednesday, and every other day of the week, take seriously the call to feed, clothe, shelter, and pray for the neighbors who live within a few miles of the sanctuary.