A Safe Place on Alice Street
Haven Christian Reformed Church stands on Alice Street in Zeeland, Michigan, where it has built its identity around a single invitation: "A Safe Place to Discover God's Grace." With roughly 535 members and Sunday attendance near 325, Haven describes itself as a welcoming, intergenerational congregation rooted in the Reformed tradition and committed to biblical teaching, meaningful worship, genuine community, and active service.
The church organizes nearly everything it does under a three-part rhythm called out on its own mission page: Christ's disciples, growing, living, and making Him known. Growing means deepening faith through prayer, corporate worship, individual devotions, and Christian learning opportunities at every stage of life. Living means letting grateful acceptance of what Christ has done move members into daily reflection of God's love. Making Him known means letting those actions speak to family, church, community, and world.
Sunday Mornings at Haven
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM and runs for about an hour. Visitors are encouraged to arrive a little early to find their way around and grab a cup of coffee. For those who prefer a more relaxed venue, The Harbor opens just east of the Worship Center during the spring, summer, and fall months with a live video and audio feed from the sanctuary.
Services are also livestreamed for anyone who cannot attend in person. Recordings and the live stream are available through the church's Boxcast channel, and giving is offered online through Pushpay.
Wednesday Night Live
Wednesday Night Live is the signature midweek program, drawing the whole congregation together on select Wednesday evenings during the fall. The evening opens with a free family meal at 5:30 PM, followed by an intergenerational game at 6:20 PM. Children in grades 1 through 5 are dismissed to Haven Kids at 6:30 PM, the Child Care Center receives children in kindergarten and younger, and middle school youth head to the Dock. After the tables are cleared, everyone worships together and hears a Haven member or ministry partner share a story of God at work in their life. Dessert and conversation around the tables follow. The evening wraps at 7:55 PM.
The speaker schedule rotates through pastors, ministry leaders, and members. Recent speakers have included Pastor John Ornee, Carole Ornee, and Mike and Betsi Roelofs, with Pastor Lisa Urivez-Karp of the box-truck ministry "A Peace of Community" also scheduled.
Children's Ministry, Toddlers Through Cadets
Nancy Lutke directs Children's Ministry, which serves children from infancy through fifth grade. The heart of the Sunday morning program is Children's Worship, held during the worship service for children ages 2½ through third grade. Children check in through KidCheck before the service and stay with their families during the intergenerational praise and sacrament portions. Before adult prayer and teaching begin, they are dismissed by classroom banner in the narthex for age-appropriate singing, prayer, and teaching.
Three classrooms are arranged around the sanctuary:
- Purple (Classroom 1): 2½ through preschool, in the south-east corner
- Yellow (Classroom 2): preschool through kindergarten, in the south-west corner
- Green (Compass Room): first through third grade, north of the narthex
Children's offerings support World Renew Animal Raising, His Harvest Stand, and the Wooden Shoe Ministry. The program uses Orange's First Look and 252 Kids curriculum.
Midweek, Haven Kids meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, alternating with GEMS and Cadets from mid-September through late March. First through third graders follow the Wonder Ink curriculum in small groups, while fourth and fifth graders study The New City Catechism, asking "What does the Church believe?" and "What do I believe?" respectively. The Children's Choir, directed by Deb VanHeck, prepares for a Christmas musical in December and the children's role in the Easter service in the spring.
For girls in first through fifth grade, GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior) gathers weekly with a recent theme of "Walk on Water," built around Deuteronomy 7:9. Erin Walcott coordinates GEMS, and the program welcomes girls from the wider community. For boys in first through fifth grade, Haven Cadets meets bi-weekly under the Calvinist Cadet Corps, rooted in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, the Belgic Confession, and the Westminster Catechism. Andy Styf leads the program, and highlights include fire building, Christmas dodgeball, the Pinewood Derby, rocket launches, and an annual Service Project Night. Leah Geenen coordinates the nursery for the youngest children.
Student Life for Middle and High Schoolers
Kayleigh Kaminski leads Student Life Ministry. Middle schoolers in sixth through eighth grade meet in the FLAME Room in the Education Building on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, September through March. The program weaves together church school curriculum, small groups, worship, prayer, service projects, and special outings.
High schoolers in ninth through twelfth grade meet in "The Dock" in the Education Building on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, September through March. The focus is on developing relationships with Christ and with one another through Bible lessons, hands-on service projects, fun team activities, and one large service trip each year.
STEP Groups, Bible Studies, and Adult Fellowship
Adult Ministry at Haven is intentionally intergenerational, weaving together singles, couples, parents, empty nesters, and seniors.
STEP Groups (Share, Think, Eat, Pray) meet on the third Sunday of each month. Each group is made up of adults of every age and follows a four-part rhythm: sharing about life, thinking about scripture through a video study, eating a meal together, and praying for one another. A dedicated group for families with young children meets at Haven after worship, with childcare and activities provided during the meal so parents can engage fully. The current study is Kyle Idleman's "One At A Time" on RightNow Media. Newcomers can contact Pastor Kevin to be placed in a STEP group.
Free Byrds is the Empty Nesters Ministry for people whose children have grown and left home. A planning team shapes three or four events each church year.
Men's Ministry centers on a Wednesday morning Bible study at 7:00 AM at The Farmhouse Restaurant in Zeeland. Wayne Brummitt can answer questions about the group.
Prime Time is the senior ministry open to anyone 55 and older. The group draws its inspiration from John 10:10 and seeks to honor God by offering opportunities to grow spiritually and to fellowship with one another. Kevin Kleinheksel oversees Prime Time.
Coffee on Polk is a women's fellowship hosted by Sue Timmer at her home on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. The morning is built around conversation, encouragement, and shared joys and burdens.
Sacred Space meets on select Monday mornings from 9:15 to 10:30 AM in the Channel at Haven Church. Led by Lisa Karsten, the group uses scripture, silence, guided prayer, and journaling to help women quiet their hearts before God. No preparation is needed and friends are welcome.
Moms in Prayer offers two weekly gatherings for mothers praying for local schools. One group meets in the Conference Room at Haven on Wednesday mornings from 6:30 to 7:30 AM and prays for students in all Zeeland schools as well as the colleges attended by group members' children. A second group meets in the Dock Student Building on Wednesday mornings from 8:45 to 9:45 AM to pray specifically for Lincoln Elementary School.
The Library Resource Center, staffed by librarian Marlys Geerlings and several volunteers, holds a wide collection of fiction, non-fiction, magazines, movies, devotionals, and puzzles for all ages. The Library is open on Sunday mornings before and after the service and most Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 AM, with self-checkout available throughout the week.
Mosaic: Wraparound Care for Families
Mosaic exists to provide wraparound care, compassion, and practical support to foster, adoptive, and crisis-affected families. Julie Meyaard leads Mosaic, which carries the verse from Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Mosaic coordinates eight partner ministries:
- Hungry for Christ meets physical needs in the name of Christ
- Safe Families offers temporary hosting and crisis support for families in emergencies
- Trauma Informed Church provides training and resources for serving those affected by trauma
- A Peace of Community is a box-truck outreach ministry that brings peace, presence, and purpose wherever people are
- Families Count offers gospel-centered parenting classes and mentorship
- Freezer Ministry provides ready-to-heat meals for families in crisis
- Fostering Faith helps children and families experience the hope and love of Jesus through reliable respite
- CarePortal connects real-time community needs with the local church
Haven's broader Outreach Team, chaired by Bryan Geurink, reviews Special Project Grant Requests from ministry partners. Projects up to $5,000 may be eligible for one-time support from the Outreach Fund, with a total of up to $35,000 per year, and grants require opportunities for Haven members to volunteer.
What Haven Believes
Haven's statement of belief is rooted in the Christian Reformed tradition and centers on a handful of core convictions. The Lord is one God, perfect in love and holiness, righteous in all His ways, and sovereign over all, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Old and New Testaments are divinely inspired, truthful, authoritative, the only written Word of God, without error, and the only infallible rule for faith and practice.
Because Adam sinned, all people are born with a sinful nature and, apart from Jesus Christ, are eternally lost. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, the only path to the Father, and the head of His Church, the body of believers. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, regenerates and indwells those who repent and believe, and energizes believers to witness and serve with love and power. Each believer receives spiritual gifts for the common good, and as members serve according to those gifts, the Church is built up in love. Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations, and He will come again.
The Team Behind Haven
Lead Pastor Tim Nelson and Pastor of Community Life Kevin Kleinheksel share the pastoral work of the congregation. Chris Lowe serves as Worship Director with Noah Treffers assisting in worship and tech. Kayleigh Kaminski directs Student Life, Nancy Lutke directs Children's Ministry, and Leah Geenen coordinates the nursery. Mariah VanderPloeg serves as Media Specialist, and Julie Meyaard leads Mosaic. A network of volunteer leaders runs the smaller ministries - Wayne Brummitt with Men's Bible Study, Sue Timmer with Coffee on Polk, Lisa Karsten with Sacred Space, Erin Walcott with GEMS, Andy Styf with Cadets, and Bryan Geurink with the Outreach Team.
Members stay connected through Church Community Builder, an online directory and community platform where they can manage personal calendars, sign up to serve, give online, and review personal giving statements. Sally Rietema can answer questions about the system.