WOW! New Quarterly Format for the Hope Within. Content by Season:

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1 WOW! New Quarterly Format for the Hope Within The Hope Within Newsletter is back from summer break with a new format! It s moving to a quarterly publication which will help with edition planning. Because we will be saving on paper printing costs, you re likely to see COLOR pages (from time to time). Please see the list below for some of the information you can expect each season. Committees Updates will be printed, two at a time. As always, everyone is welcome to submit an article for publication as long as it pertains to Hope Church or its people. Articles can be submitted at ANY time! (You don t have to wait until 11:59pm the night of the deadline!) If you have any questions, please contact Laura Strunk. Don t forget, the Hope Within is also published online! You can always see full color newsletters at HopeRCA.org! Fall Edition Deadline: August 28 Winter Edition Deadline: November 27 Spring Edition Deadline: February 26 Everyone is welcome to submit an article for publication! Summer Edition Deadline: May 28 Content by Season: Fall Edition: Midweek Programs Midweek Meal Info Sunday School Choir Blood Drive Trunk or Treat Fletcher Park BBQ Outreach Committee Update Property Committee Update Winter Edition: Christmas Program Weather Cancellation Policy Midweek Resumes/Schedule Consistory Updates Education Committee Update Worship Committee Update Spring Edition: Easter Activities Easter Flowers Cadet Snow Derby/Camporee Save the Date International Luncheon Geranium Sale VBS Save the Date National Day of Prayer Church Life Committee Update Congregational Care Committee Update Summer Edition: Hope Graduates VBS Mission Committee Update Any/All Editions: Heart Missionary Updates Library News New Members

H O P E R E F O R M E D C H U R C H Fall 2016 Volume 12 Issue 7

Activities 3 Sunday School 4 Outreach Committee News 5 Vacation

Property Committee News 9 Red Cross Blood Drive 9 New Picture

Shauna Collison, Gayle DeYoung, Julie Dintaman, Kathy Dornbos,

Poehlman, Scott Poehlman, Nancy Schripsema, Rev.

2 H O P E R E F O R M E D C H U R C H Fall 2016 Volume 12 Issue 7 Hope Within Inside This Issue: New Youth Ministry 2 Midweek Activities 3 Sunday School 4 Outreach Committee News 5 Vacation Bible School Recap 6 Sing in the Choir 8 Bronson Hospital 8 Property Committee News 9 Red Cross Blood Drive 9 New Picture Directory 10 Young at Heart 11 Trunk or Treat 11 Contributors: Shauna Collison, Gayle DeYoung, Julie Dintaman, Kathy Dornbos, Karla Durian, Jerry Loedeman, Lana Loedeman, Ed Moore, Sara Poehlman, Scott Poehlman, Nancy Schripsema, Rev. Kevin Sanders, & Allison VanderMeer. Support Staff: Laura Strunk (Editor), Ed Moore, Jerry Waalkes, Gayle DeYoung, & Markie VanPutten

Page 3 Hope Within Introducing the Sanders Family and... We are very excited to have Rev. Kevin Sanders leading the youth ministry program at Hope Church! Rev. Kevin was born and raised in the Westwood neighborhood of Kalamazoo.

He comes to us after leading a college ministry at WMU for 2 years. Kevin loves to cook, cheer on the Pistons, read lengthy books, and play board games.

3 Page 3 Hope Within Introducing the Sanders Family and... We are very excited to have Rev. Kevin Sanders leading the youth ministry program at Hope Church! Rev. Kevin was born and raised in the Westwood neighborhood of Kalamazoo. He has a degree in English and education from Grand Valley State University and his Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary. He was ordained in He comes to us after leading a college ministry at WMU for 2 years. Kevin loves to cook, cheer on the Pistons, read lengthy books, and play board games. Meg (short for Mary) is a Grand Rapids gal that came to Kalamazoo to work at Bethany Christian Services where she has been a Foster Care Licensing Specialist for the past 4 years after receiving her degree in social work from Grand Valley State University. Meg loves to bake, craft, hike, and consistently beats Kevin in board games. Kevin and Meg have been married for 4 and a half years after meeting on a mission trip in college. They have a sweet and energetic 10-month old son named Miles, and a rambunctious 4- year-old dog named Henry. They love welcoming others into their home and sharing a meal together. They are very excited to be a part of the Hope family!...journey Student Ministries! Journey is for middle school and high school students. The mission of Journey is to love and live like Jesus. Following Jesus is a lifelong journey hence the name! At Journey we love to have fun, play games, and laugh lots, but we also enjoy good discussion as we seek to take our next step with God, whether that be our first step, or our 100 th. You ll feel welcomed here whether you ve never been in church before or have been going your whole life. Journey MSM (middle-school ministry) meets Wednesday Nights at church from 5:30-7:15pm. Dinner is included! Journey HSM (high-school ministry) meets Sunday Nights at the Sanders house (1803 Kaywood Drive 49006, 3 minutes from church) from 5:30-7:00pm. Dinner is included! Journey will also have various outings throughout the year, so shoot Kevin your contact info at kevinfsanders@gmail.com or so he can add you to his contact list and keep you in the loop!

Page 4 Mid-Week Programs Begin September 21 st Mid-Week programs will begin soon! Wednesday evening Mid-Week meals will be served at 5:30pm beginning September 21 st through November 16 th.

4 Page 4 Mid-Week Programs Begin September 21 st Mid-Week programs will begin soon! Wednesday evening Mid-Week meals will be served at 5:30pm beginning September 21 st through November 16 th. Donations cover the cost - average cost $3.00 per meal. Following the meal there will be classes for all ages beginning at 6:15pm and ending at 7:15pm (New start and end times this year.) DATES: Every Wednesday, September 21 st through November 16 th TIMES: Dinner 5:30 6:15pm Volunteers to prepare a meal are needed. Sign up on the narthex table or speak to Sue VanderMeer!! Classes 6:15 7:15pm *New Times!* CLASSES: Nursery for the little ones; God s Kids for 3 to 5 year olds; GEMS and CADETS for girls and boys in 1 st through 5 th Grades; Journey MSM (middle-school ministry) meets, too! The Adult Classes series are held in the sanctuary. Adult Mid-Week Class Topics Date Leader Topic 9/14/16 Neighborhood BBQ 9/21/16 Marian Veld & John Beeman 9/28/16 Marian Veld & John Beeman 10/5/16 Marian Veld & John Beeman (a) Discipleship (see below) 10/12/16 Heather Offringa Caring for our aging loved 10/19/16 Heather Offringa ones resources and support. 10/26/16 Al Apotheker 11/2/16 Al Apotheker 11/9/16 Al Apotheker 11/16/16 Al Apotheker Into His Presence What is Worship and What is Bad Worship (a) Discipleship - As a Christian, you have been placed by Christ into his body as a member. In this class, we will explore how we can grow in grace together as parts of Christ's body. Week 1: Discipleship in community: how we are Christ's body together Week 2: Practices: how the community nurtures the individual disciple Week 3: Disciplines: how the individual disciple nurtures the community

Page 5 Hope Within Set Your Course on Jesus Sunday School 2016-17 The Hope Sunday School year is only a few weeks away! Our theme this year is Set Your Course on Jesus.

You re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find Him. Our offerings will be collected for the Women and Children s division at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission.

During this sermon, he strongly encouraged and challenged our congregation to be faithful in attending Sunday School and Mid-week activities.

Come see what God has in store for you when you Set Your Course on Jesus! -Karla Durian, on behalf of the SS leadership team and Hope s Education Committee. Hey Adults!

5 Page 5 Hope Within Set Your Course on Jesus Sunday School The Hope Sunday School year is only a few weeks away! Our theme this year is Set Your Course on Jesus. The theme verse comes from Psalm 119:1-2: You re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find Him. Our offerings will be collected for the Women and Children s division at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. One of Pastor Kent s final sermons talked about the Belt of Truth. During this sermon, he strongly encouraged and challenged our congregation to be faithful in attending Sunday School and Mid-week activities. Let s take PK s words to heart and commit ourselves to making our education programs a priority each week! Sunday School classes begin on September 18 th. There is a class for every age group! Come see what God has in store for you when you Set Your Course on Jesus! -Karla Durian, on behalf of the SS leadership team and Hope s Education Committee. Hey Adults! Don't miss the opportunity to go to Sunday School this year. We send our children to Sunday school because we know it is a wonderful opportunity for them to learn the Word of God and develop their relationship with Jesus Christ. We can attend Sunday school as adults for the same reason. Please pray and consider making a purposed effort to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord by attending an adult Sunday school beginning this fall. Watch the Hope Highlights for the classes that will be offered beginning Sunday, September 18 th from

Page 6 Outreach Committee Update Committee responsibilities are to promote and prepare the congregation to an effective ministry of evangelism. This is accomplished through: 1.

Cast vision, plan, implement, and support outreach and disciple-making ministries to and for the local neighborhood and community. 4. Prepare, submit, and administer the approved Outreach budget.

6 Page 6 Outreach Committee Update Committee responsibilities are to promote and prepare the congregation to an effective ministry of evangelism. This is accomplished through: 1. Visitor follow-up and assimilation ministry 2. Public relations and promotion of the ministry 3. Cast vision, plan, implement, and support outreach and disciple-making ministries to and for the local neighborhood and community. 4. Prepare, submit, and administer the approved Outreach budget. Some activities that the Outreach committee has directed or helped with over the last decade: Fletcher Park neighborhood BBQ Fresh Sarkozy bread deliveries to new homeowners in neighborhood Distribution of promotional flyers of HRC events to Fletcher Park neighbors Angel Tree gift deliveries for children of incarcerated parents Big Brother/Big Sister program Red Cross Blood drives HRC brochure development and distribution Name Tag table oversight The Outreach committee is actively seeking additional members who can bring in fresh ideas and added energy, leading to a more active Outreach program at HRC. If you have a desire to see HRC reach out to our neighbors and to connect more deeply with our new members/ visitors, then this committee is for you! -Scott Poehlman, on behalf of the Outreach Committee. OUTREACH COMMITTEE More Cookies Please September will be a cookie drive month! We are in need of more cookies as we fall into the Sunday school season. Help us restock our cookie cupboard by purchasing a few packages at the store. You can bring them into church and place them in the kitchen any Sunday. Thanks for your help in making our fellowship time sweet!

Page 7 Hope Within Vacation Bible School This year, we went underground to explore Cave Quest where we learned how to follow Jesus and see that He is the light of the world and provides us

No matter how dark life seems, Jesus is our source of light and hope! Day 2: Jesus gives us courage: Jesus and Peter walk on water (Matthew 14:22-36).

7 Page 7 Hope Within Vacation Bible School This year, we went underground to explore Cave Quest where we learned how to follow Jesus and see that He is the light of the world and provides us with a rock-solid foundation! Day 1: Jesus gives us hope: Prophets foretell the light of the world (John 1:1-34; Isaiah 9:2). No matter how dark life seems, Jesus is our source of light and hope! Day 2: Jesus gives us courage: Jesus and Peter walk on water (Matthew 14:22-36). We learned that Jesus is always right by our side to give us courage in life s storms when we step out in faith. Day 3: Jesus gives us direction: Jesus sheds light on how to live (Matthew 5-7). In a confusing world, Jesus gives us real truth and teaches us the most fulfilling way to live.

8 Page 7 Day 4: Jesus gives us love: Jesus dies and comes back to life (Luke 23:1 24:12). No matter what we do, Jesus always loves us unconditionally. Day 5: Jesus gives us his power: Jesus ascends and empowers his followers (Acts 1:1-11). We have the same power that brought Jesus back to life right inside of us! Over 30 volunteers and 90 children spent August 8 th - 12 th learning all about the light of the world: Jesus! We listed to bible stories, ate snacks, played games, watched videos, did cool science experiments and sang and danced. We also collected an offering and we raised over $200 for the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission to build a new shelter for women and children. THANK-YOU! Please accept our sincere gratitude for all you did to help make our week the HUGE success that it was. Your hard work, time, encouragement and energy was truly a blessing to everyone involved. Al Apotheker Dara Bosker McKenzie Bronsink Dawn Brown Eli Brown Ann Charles Denny Collison Shauna Collison Gayle DeYoung Chad Dillon Collin Durian Karla Durian Kenna Durian Mike Klepser Rachel Klepser Stephanie Klepser Becky Loedeman Pat MacQueen Loretta Moore Becky Nap Kris Nap Heather Offringa Jeff Offringa Lily Offringa Scott Poehlman Karen Schaap Connie Schlukebir Cameron Strunk Laura Strunk Chad VanderMeeden Miranda VanderMeeden Sue VanderMeer Mary VanderStelt Emily VanLandegent Marian Veld Carter Vlietstra Kayle Vlietstra Mike Williams Sue Williams Our week also would not have been complete without the donations from our church family. Money, gift cards and game and snack supplies donated by all of you allow us to keep our costs down and still provide everything needed for the week. With sincere thanks Julie Dintaman and Allison Dillon

Page 9 Hope Within Sing in the Choir! If you want to sing in the choir, all you have to do is show up!

We sing in four part harmony and are always in need of new people to help fill up each section (soprano, alto, tenor, bass).

Hope families have a connection to Bronson Children s Hospital and we can help.

9 Page 9 Hope Within Sing in the Choir! If you want to sing in the choir, all you have to do is show up! Let s fill the chairs this year, and bring a renewed commitment to making this choir season a vibrant part of worship here at Hope! If you used to sing in choir but it s been a while, come back because we need you! If you are brand new to the choir, we welcome you! If you are a returning member who comes back year after year, thank you for your continued commitment! Practice for the new season starts Sunday, September 25 at 8:15am in the sanctuary. We sing in four part harmony and are always in need of new people to help fill up each section (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). The choir will continue to practice on Sunday mornings, and we will sing on the 2 nd and 4 th Sunday morning worship services each month through April. Our first time singing will be October 9. Hope families have a connection to Bronson Children s Hospital and we can help. Children and grandchildren from our Hope Church family have had the blessing of being served at our local Kalamazoo Bronson hospital. Many families of sick or injured children have been able to stay closer to home for care, not needing to make the trip to Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor for a hospital stay. Are you aware that Bronson Children s Hospital is southwest Michigan s only children s hospital? Area hospitals may be able to help in the emergency room, but only Bronson Hospital admits children for care. Bronson Children s Hospital is committed to maintaining a full complement of pediatric specialists to treat seriously ill and injured children. Your generous support helps ensure the highest level of pediatric care that children and their families count on to be here when they need it. We have an opportunity to be involved in raising funds that support life enhancement services for hospitalized children, including child life services, music therapy, advanced illness management etc. On Sunday, September 25, 2016 you can support Bronson Children s Hospital by joining this year s competitive 5k walk and run! To register, visit: Bronson health.com/walkrun or phone Registration fee is $25 (Activities start at 11:00 a.m. with walk or run beginning at 1:00 p.m. Come and see the displays, and activities for families as well.) If you are not typically excited about participating in a walk/run, there is still a way you can help. You are invited to sponsor Gary and Nancy Schripsema in the walk with a check made out to Bronson Health Foundation. There is also the option of mailing a check (put Children s Hospital fund in the memo) directly to Bronson Health Foundation at 301 John Street, Box C, Kalamazoo, MI You are welcome to call Heather Oestrike from the Bronson Health Foundation at if you would like further information on giving to Bronson Children s Hospital.

Page 9 Dear Members of Hope Church, Property Committee Update As property chair I have been working on a 5 year plan for our property. The next area to attend to is parking lot improvements.

This project will also need an architect drawing due to the contour of the parking lot and though into the placement of the dumpsters and whether or not to enclose the dumpsters.

pews Exterior doors This year a chemical treatment for the boiler was started. This treatment will extend the life of the boiler. -Kathy Dornbos, on behalf of the Property Committee.

10 Page 9 Dear Members of Hope Church, Property Committee Update As property chair I have been working on a 5 year plan for our property. The next area to attend to is parking lot improvements. This project will take time and study to make the best material choice. This project will also need an architect drawing due to the contour of the parking lot and though into the placement of the dumpsters and whether or not to enclose the dumpsters. The following items are what we will need to attend to following the completion of the parking lot upgrade: Interior painting Lighting updates New carpet for the fellowship hall and sanctuary New pews Exterior doors This year a chemical treatment for the boiler was started. This treatment will extend the life of the boiler. -Kathy Dornbos, on behalf of the Property Committee. PROPERTY COMMITTEE Red Cross Blood Drive We need volunteers to help donors with registration and after they give blood in the canteen area. If you are interested, please sign up to help out on the bulletin board in the hall! If you would like to sign up to give blood, visit redcrossblood.org and search by our zip-code (49006) then scroll down to the date of the drive. It s that easy! Friday, September 30 th from noon until 5:45 p.m.

11 Page 11 Hope Within By now you've seen posters and announcements regarding the upcoming photo sessions for our new church photo directory. This is an exciting opportunity to get a new photo directory at no cost to the church- but only if we get enough participation. We have lots of new people since our last photo directory, a new youth pastor, and in the future a new senior pastor. The updated photo directory will be helpful to all of them; and those of us who have been around awhile, but have trouble learning the names of new people. You do not have to be an 'official' member of Hope Church to have your picture put in the directory. If you consider Hope your church home that's all that's necessary. New Hope Church Picture Directory! There's no sitting fee, you receive a free 8 x 10, and your picture will be placed in the directory at no charge. Additionally, it can be a good time to get updated family photos. Even if your extended family does not attend Hope, they can come and have their pictures taken at no cost. Their pictures just would not appear in the directory. Wouldn't it be a nice surprise for family members to receive a picture of all the siblings, or maybe a multi-generational picture, or one of grandparents with grandkids? Think outside the box; it's a good opportunity to get updated photos of your loved ones. There's no heavy pressure to purchase additional pictures, but they would be available in time to give as Christmas gifts or have made into Christmas cards. There are lots of options. Brochures are available on the narthex table. Sign up today! Signing up is easy and takes only a couple of minutes. Just go to and under What s Happening find and click on 2016 Picture Directory. Registering is quick and painless. If you do not have access to a computer, call the church office. It would be wonderful to have 100% participation. WHEN: Tuesday, September 13 th - Friday, September 16 th from 2pm - 8:30pm & Saturday September 17th from 9:30am - 3:30pm Help is needed: We need volunteers to sign up to assist with welcoming and registering individuals coming in to have their pictures taken for the new directory. It's a great opportunity to interact with various members of our congregation. Please sign up on the sheet on the narthex table. Your assistance will be appreciated. One final reminder: The new photo directory that is coming out this fall will use your names, addresses, telephone numbers, and s as they are listed in the 2016 directory that was printed in March. If there are any changes or corrections that need to be made, please telephone or those changes to the church office by September 7, Any questions see Rick Wielopolski, Ron Stolk, or Gayle DeYoung.

12 Page 11 Our August picnic was fun. With steady rain all morning, we considered moving our location to the church, but at 10:30am the rain let up, the nice new tables at Oshtemo Park could be toweled dry, and the sun and breeze made the temperature just right! The food and fellowship were very good. Congratulations to Marlene Vlietstra for the closest guess of the number of buttons in the jar. Looking Ahead: September 20 th We ll go to Michelle s Stone Ridge in Mattawan for brunch at 9:30am. The sign up sheet will have the address and directions. Let us know if you need a ride. October 18 th Takes us on a trip to Turkeyville for dinner and a show. Cost will be $45 each ($40 if more than 20 sign up). We will have to arrange to carpool to arrive by 11:30am; lunch is a noon, the show is from 2-4pm. The sign up sheet will have more details and directions. November 15 th We ll have another brunch, this time at Café Miele, on Portage Road, across from the airport. Plan to meet there at 9:30am. In December we will aim for an event on the Second Tuesday, which is December 13 th. Our tradition has been to do something at the church in December. If you have suggestions or preferences, let us know (catered meal, potluck, games, gift exchange, etc ) As always, we value your ideas and want Young at Heart to be fun and meaningful to all our 60+ folks. -Lana & Jerry Loedeman Phone:

13 Hope Church Committees & Leadership Church Life Members: *Allison Dillon, Judy Larsen, Ken Larsen, Paul Witteveen, Karen Schaap, Miranda VanderMeeden Mission: minister especially to the social and recreational needs in the life of the congregation, including planning & facilitating fellowship activities. Congregational Care Members: *Gayle DeYoung, Sue Johnston, Linda Joy, Kathy Rozek, Gretchen Rustenholtz, Ron Stolk, Markie VanPutten, Rick Wielopolski Mission: minister especially to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs in the life of the congregation, including small groups, prayer chain, and a care network for congregant members. Education Members: Shauna Collison, Julie Dintaman, *Karla Durian, Ed Moore, Sue VanderMeer, Don VanLandegent Jr. Mission: implement ways and means for congregants to become firmly grounded in the Word of God through Scripture study, including Sunday school, Family Night, and other educational programs. Executive Members: specifically comprised solely of Sr. Pastor and consistory VP, Clerk, Chair of deacons, and Treasurer Mission: carry on the duties of consistory including giving direction to all paid staff and serve as a sounding board for the pastor *indicates the committee Chair Mission Members: Denny Collison, Mike Koets, Lana Loedeman, *Jeff Offringa, Karen Schaap, Steve Thomas Mission: initiate and promote all activities pertaining to missions including contacting missionaries and mission causes that receive our support. Outreach Members: John Beeman, Joel Bell, Elaine Breuer, Laura Cousineau, *Scott Poehlman, Shayne Stolk Mission: promote and prepare the congregation to an effective ministry of evangelism, including visitor follow-up and assimilation, public relations and promotion of disciple-making ministries to the local neighborhood and community. Property Members: Matt Bronsink, *Kathy Doornbos, Don VanDonselaar Mission: general oversight of building and grounds, maintenance and equipment including supervising the church calendar for use of church property. Worship Members: Al Apotheker, Tom Drenth, Pat Gernaat, Heather Offringa, Sara Poehlman, Connie Schlukebir, *Nancy Schripsema, Allison Dillon, Marian Veld, Sue Williams Mission: plan and implement all musical activities for service, ensure flowers or arrangements are in sanctuary, recruit and train ushers and greeters and ensure sound equipment is operational, including taping of services. Consistory 2016 Elders & their congregational group John Beeman N-S Tom Drenth A-F Linda Joy T-Z Ed Moore, (VP) T-Z Kathy Rozek G-M Steve Thomas N-S Mari Wielopolski, (Clerk) G-M Paul Witteveen A-F Deacons Matt Bronsink Kathy Doornbos Larry Gillum, (Chair) Jeff Offringa Karen Schaap Don VanderMeer, (Treasurer) Don VanLandegent Jr. Hope Reformed Church 910 Jenks Kalamazoo, MI Phone: office@hoperca.org We re on the web!

Hope Within. Cadet News. August 8-12, Save the Date for Vacation Bible School. Inside This Issue:

Hope Within. Cadet News. August 8-12, Save the Date for Vacation Bible School. Inside This Issue: March 2016 Volume 12 Issue 3 Hope Within Inside This Issue: A Word From Our Pastor 2 Church Life Committee 3 Blood Drive 3 Compassion Sunday 3 Cookie Drive 3 Young at Heart 3 For the Kids 4 Lamb of God