SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES (September-May) 8:30am in the Worship Center 10:00am in the Worship Center 11:15am in the Chapel SUMMER SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES (From June through Labor Day) 9:00am in the Worship Center 10:45am in the Worship Center
8 REASONS TO LOVE CORINTH 1. Our Mission. We are a theologically conservative church that upholds the authority and power of God s Word. We will not compromise on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have a heart to reach beyond our church family to love and serve our community and the world. 2. Our Church Leadership. We have been blessed with unified leadership for several decades. We are a consistory-led church that empowers its staff to lead and our lead pastor to cast vision and give significant leadership to the entire church community. 3. Our Ministries. We are a creative community, open to innovative ideas and ready to try new things and follow fresh biblical vision. 4. Our Members. We are a multi-generational church filled with vibrant, young families, elderly saints who love Jesus, and everything in-between. And we actually like each other! 5. Our Giving. We are in the best financial position in the history of our church. Our congregation is committed to the growth and expansion of ministry to pursue our mission, and we honor that commitment with faithful giving. 6. Our Facilities. We have excellent, modern facilities that provide plenty of space and room for growth. Our facilities are frequently used by the community schools, other churches, and non-profit groups as one way that we can serve and bless our local community. 7. Our History. Our congregation has been in existence for almost 125 years! By God s grace, those years have been a testimony of prayerful dependence on God, a passion for reaching the lost, and an incredible unity in our mission of loving God and others. 8. Our Community. Our local community is growing and there are increasing opportunities to fulfill our mission by reaching new people with the good news of Jesus.
MISSION We are a theologically conservative church that upholds the authority and power of God s Word. We will not compromise on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have a heart to reach beyond our church family to love and serve our community and the world. OUR PURPOSE We believe that we exist to Exalt God through Worshiping in Spirit and Truth Edify Believers through Teaching and Admonition Enfold Believers in a Loving Church Family Equip God s People for Ministry Evangelize the Unsaved with the Good News of Jesus WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? Corinth Reformed Church holds to and teaches the three creeds of the Christian Church the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. We also hold to the historic standards of unity in the Reformed Church in America: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dordt. In addition, we have an evangelical statement of our beliefs available on our website (http://corinthreformed.nextmeta.com/what-webelieve) and our church leadership has affirmed the Danvers Statement as a guide to what we teach and believe regarding gender roles in the family and the church.
LEADERSHIP We have been blessed with unified leadership for several decades. We are a consistory-led church that empowers its staff to lead and our lead pastor to cast vision and give significant leadership to the entire church community. At Corinth we invest in the ongoing development of our congregation through education and discipleship programs for all ages from nursery and children s ministries through Adult Bible studies and Life Groups. We understand that having quality programming in these areas means having the right staff, individuals who are equipped to use their gifts to serve, teach, and invest in others. The church is led by a leadership board called a consistory consisting of 9 elders and 9 deacons. Along with the 18 member consistory, Corinth is blessed to have 35 full and part-time staff members. Many of the staff members at Corinth have been involved in the ministry of our church for over a decade and they love what they do! As Corinth has grown, we have continued to add new staff positions to meet the increasing demands of ministry and to enable those programs to flourish and thrive.
Jesus Christ Jason Nagel 4 years serving at Corinth Consistory Executive Team Lead Pastor Pastor of Care Ministries Pastor of Discipleship Pastor of Outreach & Missions Director of Children s Ministries Director of Worship Arts Admin Assistant to Lead Pastor Director of Next Gen Ministries Executive Director of Operations Coordinator of CKSM 3s-K Admin Assistant Coordinator of CKSM 1 st -4th Coordinator of Children s Mentoring Coordinator of hand-2-hand Office Manager Facilities Manager Accounting Clerk Admin Assistant Outreach Team Leader Coordinator of Nursery Director of Senior High Ministry Office Admin Assistant Custodian Director of Digital Media Director of Audio/Visual Director of Upward Sports Admin Assistant for O&M, Coordinator of CKESC Nursery Assistant Coordinator Nursery Assistant Coordinator Director of Junior High Ministry Intern Next Gen Ministries Office Admin Assistant Custodian Custodian Nursery Assistant Coordinator Scott Nyp 5 years serving at Corinth Carrie Burgess 13 years serving at Corinth
MINISTRIES We are a creative community, open to innovative ideas and ready to try new things and follow fresh biblical vision. In these pages are highlights from just a few of Corinth s growing and exciting ministries! Next-Generation Ministries Corinth s Next Generation Ministries serve students from 5th grade through young adults. Fuel 56, the 5th and 6th grade ministry, and Ignition, the 7th and 8th grade ministry, meet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights during the school year. Crossroads, the high school student ministry, meets in the Merge on Sunday nights at 5:00 PM for food, worship, and biblical teaching. And Driven, the Corinth young adult ministry, meets on Sunday nights from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Loft as well as hosting monthly lunches and weekly small group Bible studies. Adult Women s Ministry Serving women of all ages, the Corinth Women's Ministry team seeks to encourage and support women in their faith journey. Through events and Bible studies, there are plenty of ways for you to deepen your relationship with God and with other women, as well as outreach opportunities for sharing the Gospel with others. Adult Lifegroups Adult Education Cafe Ministry First Impressions Ministry Global Outreach Hand2Hand Ministries Kids Hope USA Kitchen Ministry Medical Emergency Response Men s Ministry MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Music & Choirs Next Generation Ministries Prayer Ministry Shut-In Ministry Tech/Video Ministry Upward Sports Women s Ministry Worship Arts Ministry Children s Ministries Corinth Children s Ministries serve 152 families with children in Kindergarten through 4th grade and is a ministry where kids come to know, love, and share Jesus. The nursery program cares for over 40+ children each week and runs at all Sunday morning services, as well as the mid-week MOPS and Wednesday Night programs. Corinth Kids runs on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM and Wednesday nights during the school year from 6:30-8:00 PM. Rooted The Rooted experience is a new adult small group discipleship experience that began in late 2017. It redefines how people live life and view their relationship with God and others, giving context to what it means to be a part of something bigger. Those who participate begin to see God in new ways and are encouraged to experience a different way of life based on community, authenticity, and generosity.
Global and Community Impact Corinth s global mission ministry supports families and individuals serving in full-time ministry all over the world! Our global workers share a commitment to loving God and loving the lost by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a church, we support these friends in ministry through prayer, encouragement, and regular support. The Community Impact ministry of Corinth engages our church in local opportunities that enrich our communities and care for those in need. As a church, we embrace the call to minister the mercy of Jesus Christ by meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of lost people. Upward Sports Upward Sports is the world's largest Christian youth sports provider. Corinth, in partnership with several area churches in the SW Kent Upward league, provides an environment perfect for mentoring and character development. Each team has a 1-hour practice and 1-hour game each week and is open to children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Last season, Upward reached over 850 players and over 2500 family and friends every Saturday! KIDS Hope Corinth s Kids Hope USA ministry develops one-on-one relationships through the creation of church-school partnerships that pair church members with kids in a supportive, mentoring relationship. For one hour per week, mentors meet with a child at school and spend time reading, talking, playing, and listening. By helping the child feel loved and valued, they help that child to learn, grow and succeed. Vacation Bible School Every June, Corinth engages hundreds of children from the local community in a vacation Bible school ministry. This past year, we had a total of 406 children registered and over 275 volunteers helped out. In addition to solid, biblical teaching, the children raised money by collecting pennies totalling 388 pounds and worth $1322.13. The money collected was given to support the global work of the Corinth Water Project and the local ministry of HUGS Ranch. In addition, we gave away 66 Bibles to children! Organic Outreach is more than just another program at Corinth--it is a commitment to infusing evangelistic focus into every ministry of our church. We want to live the kind of life that naturally draws people to Jesus, sharing our faith through ordinary conversations and loving people in a way that is genuine. [For more on this ministry focus, see www.organicoutreach.com]
MEMBERS We are a multi-generational church filled with vibrant, young families, elderly saints who love Jesus, and everything in-between. And we actually like each other! At the end of 2016 Corinth had 1085 members who had professed their faith and 575 baptized members including children for a total of 1660 members. In addition, another 757 people call Corinth their church home, for a total of 2235 attenders. Over the past 20 years, Corinth has had a consistent growth rate of about 3.5% each year. Attendees who wish to join the church must attend a short class to learn what we believe at Corinth, as well as our mission and purpose as a church. Then, each individual must meet with two consistory members and share their testimony of faith in Jesus before becoming a communicant member. Our total average attendance through the fall/winter/spring of this past year was approximately 1700 for all three Sunday morning services. The ethnicity of the congregation is reflective of the surrounding community, which is about 10% minority. We have a very healthy range and balance in ages and life-stages among our members, from singles and young families to retirees.
GIVING We are in the best financial position in the history of our church. Our congregation is committed to the growth and expansion of ministry to pursue our mission, and we honor that commitment with faithful giving. Corinth is on track to be debt free in January of 2022. We are currently in the process of paying off our remaining debt from our 2006 expansion. Our more recent renovations in 2013 and 2016 were fully funded by the congregation through a capital campaign. In 2016/17 total giving from the congregation was $1,933,853 with 20% of that amount given towards benevolence and missions. The church presently has an emergency reserve fund of 10% of our yearly budget. $2,500,000.00 Corinth Giving $2,000,000.00 $1,500,000.00 $1,000,000.00 $500,000.00 $- 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 General Benevolent Building Total Linear (Total)
FACILITIES We have excellent, modern facilities that provide plenty of space and room for growth. Our facilities are frequently used by the community schools, other churches, and non-profit groups as one way that we can serve and bless our local community. The Corinth campus sits on 29 acres of land and consists of three buildings a large worship and education building, a smaller education and event space called The Summit, and a large garage that doubles as a storage facility. Construction on the present campus began in 1987 and includes the present-day Chapel, a "medium" size venue with seating for 330 people with overflow balcony seating as well. In 2016 we completed a $1,250,000 renovation of our existing space, repurposing several sections of the original building into a modern nursery facility, a cafe with seating, and a central gathering venue called The Hub, located just outside of the worship center entrance In 2003 Corinth doubled in square footage by adding the current Worship Center, a larger venue with seating for 700. Several additional education spaces were also added, including the Merge, a smaller-sized venue with seating for 160, as well as several additional classrooms and an industrial grade kitchen facility and gymnasium. Altogether, we now have 68,108 square feet of space in our main building, and another 6000 square feet in The Summit and the 4-stall maintenance garage.
HISTORY Our congregation has been in existence for almost 125 years! By God s grace, those years have been a testimony of prayerful dependence on God, a passion for reaching the lost, and an incredible unity in our mission of loving God and other Corinth Reformed Church was founded in 1893. The church purchased land for $50 and built a small church building now located on the southwest corner across the street from the present church campus. In 1981 the Corinth congregation purchased land for a new facility, acquiring 32 acres of land. Construction on the new property was completed in July 1988 and consisted of a sanctuary, lobby, gym, classrooms, and an office. In 1996 the church expanded its classroom and activity space by constructing The Summit at the top of a hill overlooking the campus. In the late 90s, Corinth experienced dramatic growth, and additional expansion of the facilities was needed. In 2006 the church added 42,000 square feet of space, providing for a larger worship facility, more classrooms, a larger and modern kitchen, and a gym that doubles as an overflow area for worship. Growth continued over the next six years. In 2013 the original church sanctuary was completely redesigned and a third worship service was added to provide a more modern style of music and expressive worship. Along with this third service, Corinth continues to have two morning services with a contemporary worship style, as well as occasional evening services that offer a more traditional worship style. Corinth is uncompromising in its theology, but willing to adapt to changes in our community and the world around us. Our history as a church is one of consistently and faithfully listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit and then boldly responding in faith.
COMMUNITY Our local community is growing and there are increasing opportunities to fulfill our mission by reaching new people with the good news of Jesus Corinth Reformed Church is located in the community of Byron Center, Michigan, a 15 minute drive from downtown Grand Rapids and forty-five minutes from the beautiful, sandy 1,636 mile Lake Michigan shoreline. The church is conveniently located within commuting distance of Grand Rapids, Holland, Kalamazoo, and Lansing. The surrounding areas of Byron, Gaines, and Caledonia Townships are a great place to live and raise a family. There are miles of biking trails, and several 40-60 acre parks for soccer, basketball, play, and picnicking. The area is a large producer of farm products including sweet corn, celery, onions, and lettuce and in the summer months you will find an abundance of local farmers markets. Popular activities in the area include visiting beaches, boating, fishing, hunting, golf, horseback riding, biking, and even down hill skiing. The Grand Rapids metro area is home to over 1 million people and has minor league baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer teams. The Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids headlines concerts and other nationally recognized entertainers. The area is also home to annual festivals that attract international tourists, including the Grand Rapids Art Prize festival and the Holland Tulip festival. Holland Beach located 30 minutes from Byron Center Downtown Grand Rapids is located 15 minutes from Corinth Church
The local community boasts award-winning schools. The Byron Center, Caledonia, and Wayland public Schools offer families the advantages of life in a small community with the additional resources of a larger city, including several museums and local colleges. Local schools rate high in graduation rates and score far above the state average in key measures of college and career readiness. Schools also show steady growth rates. In the past couple years the Byron Center Public School system has been honored with the National Blue Ribbon award, one of the highest national awards a school can get (2015 Brown Elementary, 2016 Marshall Elementary). Along with outstanding public and charter schools there are many great private Christian schools in the area known for their excellent academics, offering an intentional Christian perspective in all areas of their curriculum. There are several Christian schools within 10 miles of Corinth church including Dutton Christian, Moline Christian, Byron Center Christian, Zion Christian, Legacy Christian (offering Spanish Immersion program), and South Christian high school. There are also two charter schools in the area, publicly funded schools where enrollment is based on a lottery-based admission. In the five-mile radius around Corinth Church there is an estimated population of over 50,000 people. That rapidly increases to around 562,000 people in the 15-mile radius around the church. Eighty-five percent of the local population is white, and the community is an intergenerational mix, consisting of young-to middle aged families, middle-aged empty nesters, and retired couples. The Grand Rapids area boasts world-class health-care facilities. Many of our area hospitals, including Spectrum Butterworth (Grand Rapids), Spectrum-Blodgett (Grand Rapids), Mercy Health St. Mary s (Grand Rapids) and Metro Health Hospital (Byron Center) have won awards for their care and several are ranked among the top 50 in the country for their area of specialty. The community around Corinth has historically been religiously active. Over 66% of the local community identifies as Christian, yet there has been a growing trend (increasing 6% over the past 10 years, higher than the national average) of people walking away from the church and choosing not to identify with any established religion.