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Students Feed Community on Fridays

Justin Struik loves to engage students with in-depth Bible study and then see them act out what they’ve learned in the busy community surrounding Iowa State University in Ames. The students, part of Areopagus Campus Ministry at ISU, are busy most Friday evenings preparing the meal at Food At First, a soup kitchen and food pantry.

Reaching Out to Roseland

According to Ed Rockett, pastor of Fresh Word Ministries, a Home Missions supported church planted in the now crime-addled heart of Roseland, there's reason to believe this community will find higher ground once again.

Christian Band Plays for Prisoners

Piercing the Darkness rocked the prison gym at Newton Correctional Facility in Newton, IA. Enjoying music with a message, 165 men savored the opportunity to worship and enjoy the concert.

"One Hope" in the City of Love

One Hope Community Church is bringing love and dreams back to Philadelphia.

Church Planting & Development Launches Blog

The Church Planting and Development Leadership Team is committed to catalyzing and cultivating gospel movement leaders to transform lives and communities. One part of catalyzing and cultivating leaders is through CPDLT's blog.

Hope Through Christian Education

Rehoboth Christian School is a ministry to students, parents, and the whole community. Families find hope through a Christ-centered education and through teachers and staff whose care goes beyond the school day.

Neighborhood-Driven Evangelism

In Kansas City's urban Waldo neighborhood, ministry is all about who you know, and New City Church with it's pastor, Ryan Pelton, are getting to know Waldo.

Croptoberfest

The Table, a Home Missions-supported ministry in Denver, Colorado, just celebrated the end of the 2012 growing season with Croptoberfest, its first annual fall harvest party. Pastor Craig Broek and his wife, Jeanine, planted this church to develop Christian communities through relationships that extend hospitality and grace to all people.

Three Types of Students

While there are a myriad of personalities and types of students, there are three clear categories of students I meet as a university chaplain. About a third of the student body is spiritual and religious. Another third is neither spiritual nor religious. A larger and growing proportion are students who view themselves as spiritual but not religious.

Acceptance, Space, and Love

A coffee shop, a garden, a motel - these are the kinds of places where Montana folk are forming small communities and dreaming up new ways to embrace faith through Imagine, a church plant led by Pastor Randy Van Osdol.

Cross-Cultural Ministry at WMU

Pastor Ron DeYoung started International Student Fellowship to "create a space where internationals can experience God's grace." He organizes a weekly luncheon where about 200 international students gather for a meal provided by local churches.

Rooted, Growing, and Bearing Fruit

With support from Home Missions and Bethel Christian Reformed in Waupon, WI, this small but dynamic church is keen to reach out in the community.

Connecting Church and Community

This October, RedArrow Ministries, a church plant supported by Christian Reformed Home Missions, opened The Drop, a 5,000-square-foot youth center just a few blocks from the middle school in Paw Paw, MI.

CRC and RCA Congregations Become "Partners"

Crosswinds CRC (Formerly a Home Missions-funded ministry) and Grace Reformed Church in Holland, MI, are now partner congregations in a new dual-denominational organization called "The Intersection Ministries".

Opening Doors for Christ

Most of Simon Cunningham's neighbors don't go to church. In fact, he estimates that only 1 in 50 people in his neighborhood — Seattle's Capitol Hill district — are active churchgoers.

Spreading the Good News Through Kindness

Once each month, members of The Village Church target a park, home, or business in the city of Thorold, Ontario and take it over &emdash; with kindness.

Young Leader Emerges on Iowa Campus

A new generation of leaders is emerging on university campuses across North America! With the help of the Home Missions Emerging Leaders scholarship program, campus pastors are able to offer part-time funding to students who want to test their calling in missional leadership.

Border Town Pastor Ministers on River's Edge

When church planter Tony Lara came to faith at age 26, he and his wife considered life as missionaries in the Philippines. God quickly made it clear they didn't have to go overseas to find their mission field.

I'm a Christian - Now What?

Two weeks after Christmas break, Josh (not his real name) knocked on the office door of Mike Wagenman, campus pastor at the University of Western Ontario. Pastor Mike asked what brought Josh to his office that morning. “Well,” said Josh, “I became a Christian two weeks ago, so now what?”

California Church Experiences Rebirth

August 5, 2011 - Several years ago, things looked bleak for Valley Community CRC. Located in northern California’s affluent Napa Valley community, Valley Community had fallen on difficult times. Membership had dwindled. The church was considering shutting its doors. Today, though . . .

Setting The Table in Denver

A new “table” is being set in Denver, Colorado. The Table, a church being planted by Pastor Craig Broek and his wife Jeanine, will center around a community garden and use meals and small groups to build relationships among neighbors in urban Denver.

Destination Seeks to Renew Ontario Community

Destination Church is a new Home Missions-supported ministry St. Thomas, Ontario. Led by pastor Beth Fellinger, Destination is seeking to bring the Gospel to a community where church is not a priority. Watch a new video that shares more about this ministry’s vision.

Home Missions Presents at Synod

HM Director Shares His Story at Synod

Orientation Informed, Inspired

July 7, 2011 - What happens when you mix a group of new Christian Reformed Home Missions (CRHM) campus pastors and church planters in the same room and ask them about their ministry’s vision? Excited and passionate voices erupt, as men and women share their hearts with each other.

Synod Surrounds Chung with Prayer

June 14, 2011 -- Delegates to Synod 2011 gathered in a large circle Tuesday afternoon and prayed for the success of Rev. Moses Chung as he begins his work as the new director of Christian Reformed Home Missions (CRHM).

Every 'Square Inch'

June 9, 2011 — Heavy rain drenched the streets outside as about 25 people arrived on a recent Sunday afternoon – some carrying food for a pot-luck dinner they call the LoveFeast—and got ready for worship at the newly formed Square Inch Community.

Growing a Community Garden in Wisconsin

The garden is a young Wisconsin church, led by Pastor Kevin Edlefson and his wife Amy, whose vision is to see people rooted, growing, bearing fruit and being transformed. It is a church for people who aren’t very interested in church – or at least what they think church is. It is a church people come to who haven’t been in church for many years. It’s a church where people share life together, follow Jesus, and reach out to their community. It’s a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, Biblical ministry. A church that may be small in numbers but is big in missional heart.

Ontario Student Explores Leadership

Danielle Rowaan, a student at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, is one of 24 North American students who participated in this year’s Emerging Leader program. The program gives students the opportunity to explore leadership gifts by working part-time in a Home Missions-supported campus ministry.

CRHM Names Advancement Director

CRC and RCA Church Planters Gather in Florida

God was up to something big at the Jump into the River conference near Orlando, Florida on April 26-27.

Sharing Meals, Sharing Christ

This is the best meal I have eaten all week,” a student at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan (UBCO) recently told campus pastor Sam Gutierrez.

Modern Media, Mom, and More

Open Door Fellowship of East Harlem is a community-focused church plant in New York City more specifically, the diverse East Harlem neighborhood.

CRC, RCA Create Church-Planting Program

April 18, 2011 -- The Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and the Reformed Church in America (RCA) have announced that they are pooling resources in an innovative church-planting movement that will spread the gospel by reaching out to people in the places where they live.

Illinois Church Celebrates Grand Opening

April 15, 2011 - CenterPointe Church, a new Home Missions-supported ministry in Plainfield, Illinois, will celebrate its grand opening this weekend with special activities on April 16 and a celebration worship service on April 17.

An Incarnational Presence in Ottawa

Mar 24, 2011 - When the new University of Ottawa (Ont.) campus ministry begins this summer, it won’t only serve Christian students on campus. It seeks to be a gospel presence in the entire city, reaching out by being involved in community activities and social justice initiatives.

Uniting Ethnic Churches, Discovering New Lead

April 5, 2011 - A rich tapestry of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American Christian Reformed congregations can be found today throughout the U.S. and Canada. It’s all part of a growing movement of multi-ethnic churches in the CRC.

Gospel-Centered Community Renewal

April 6, 2011 - Spirit & Truth Fellowship, a church on the northern fringe of downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, recently lost half its members, most of its deacons, and its praise team.

Home Missions Develops Future Ministry Leader

March 21, 2011 — To address the growing gap in leadership in areas of the Christian Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church Home Missions is acting as a regional catalyst by equipping trained coaches to come alongside leaders and congregations.

Modern Media, Mom, and More

March 14, 2011 - Open Door Fellowship of East Harlem is a community-focused church plant in New York City … more specifically, the diverse East Harlem neighborhood. Recently, Pastor Johnny asked one of his members to share her God journey and how she came to this small new church in East Harlem. Minerva shares:

Church Planters Learn How to "Thrive"

Planting a church today isn’t just about starting a single new congregation – it’s about creating healthy churches that reproduce.

Home Missions Director Named

February 24, 2011 — The Board of Trustees of the Christian Reformed Church in North America voted unanimously on Thursday to appoint Rev. Moses Chung as the next director of Christian Reformed Home Missions.

Praying On The Porch

February 23, 2011 - By Grace Alone is a church plant located in the Frankford neighborhood of north Philadelphia. Its mission is to seek and save the lost by transforming the hearts and minds of the men, women and children with the truth of God’s Word and the power of Jesus’ life. The church strives to be a place where people feel accepted and then are sent out transformed and equipped to share the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel Changes Lives in the City

February 23, 2011 - Personal renewal and understanding the real gospel is exactly what Jennifer needed. Several weeks before Christmas, someone told the New York City woman about City Grace Church and the church’s upcoming “Alpha” evangelism course. Pastor Ben Spalink says, “She eagerly accepted an invitation to meet with me following worship. Over tears in a crowed coffee shop, Jennifer shared about her long struggle for meaning and purpose.

Ethnic Leaders Break Down Walls

February 7, 2011 - "I see the Ethnic Ministry Council as an answer to prayer," says Javier Torres. "It allows us an opportunity to break down walls. . .

New Office is Answer to Prayer

Pastor Allen Drew, who leads Philadelphia church plant Mt. Airy Community Church, wanted an office. Tired of working from home, he sought a place where he could write sermons, answer calls, and study Scripture in private.

Conference to Help Churches Get a Fresh Start

January 25, 2011 - Is your church in need of revitalization? A new conference co-sponsored by the CRC and Reformed Church in America might give you some great ideas for a "fresh start."

Echoing the Gospel Through Hip-Hop

January 18, 2011 - Every Saturday night, hip hop music rumbles out of the windows of Holland, Michigan’s Imagine Fellowship Church. Inside the sanctuary, young African-American men play video games, dance, eat, and listen to the gospel.

Learning to Count to One

January 13, 2011 -- For more than 50 years, Rev. Al Mulder has been working with others to help change the face and character of the Christian Reformed Church and help it to become a more multiracial denomination.

Pastors Taking a 'Deeper Journey'

January 2, 2011 - Twenty-five Christian Reformed Church pastors together with other ministry leaders have participated in a series of retreats called "The Deeper Journey" over the last two years in which many of them found renewal, refreshment and recommitted themselves to ministry. Offered through the Great Lakes Region of Christian Reformed Home Missions, the program is a two-year "journey into greater intimacy with God" . . .

What is God Doing in Philadelphia?

God is at work in Philadelphia! Seven new churches, supported by Home Missions, have sprouted on various corners of America’s 6th-largest city. And a new school for training urban church planters was recently launched.

Victor's Story

"Victor said that the fruits that he has seen in us are that we love our neighbors, that we love our community, that we’ve invited him in, prayed for him, shared God’s word with him and helped him with his alcoholism."

A Life Transformed

"I KNOW THAT GOD'S TRANSFORMATION IN MY LIFE HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN . . ." "I have always called myself a Christian, I grew up in a Christian family, and went to a Christian school. But through high school, as I grew older and less sure in my faith..."

Atheist Student Comes to Christ

Born in China and raised in South Africa, ‘John’ came to the University of Iowa in January 2007 to finish his undergraduate studies. A friend of his mother’s in Taiwan told him about Geneva Campus Ministry, because she was a part of it when she was at UI many years ago. “I welcomed him the first week he arrived on campus, and he said:

Growing Native American Ministries

With November designated as Native American Heritage Month in the United States, we thought it was a good time to speak with Stanley Jim, Native American ethnic leader for Home Missions.

Iowa City Church Planter Building Ministry

December 2, 2010 - Korean church planter Jung Suh is building a Home Missions-supported multicultural ministry at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Suh, who . . .

Conference Teaches Hundreds

November 30, 2010 - Christian Reformed Home Missions and the Reformed Church of America recently hosted the event “Becoming an Apprentice of Jesus,” which centered on a book series by keynote speaker James Bryan Smith.

Likkels: Serving Unreached Places

November 15, 2010 — Allen Likkel and his wife, Lynn, have worked in communities all over North America for many years planting churches, nurturing these churches along and developing new church leaders.

Growing Through Clusters

October 26, 2010 - Right now, in communities like Toronto, Ontario and Seattle, Washington (pictured), a diverse mix of church planters, pastors, campus ministers, and other church leaders are meeting together deliberately, often once a month.

Initiatives Launched on 10-10-10

October 11, 2010 - Two Christian Reformed Home Missions church plants,CrossWay Church in Vancouver and Encounter Church in Grand Rapids,capitalized on the date to launch their weekly worship services Sunday.

Church Plants Look Forward to 10/10/10

This October 10, 2010 is 10/10/10 – a date which October 4, 2010 - only happens once in a lifetime. Out of this unique calendar date a multi-denominational initiative has been developed: the 10-10-10 Initiative (www.101010initiative.org). It’s a movement to emphasize the importance of church planting during the fall season of 2010.

New Church Offers "Open Door" to Manhattan

October 4, 2010 - As pastor of Open Door Fellowship of East Harlem, Johnny Acevedo is committed to presenting the gospel in the context of the neighborhood in which he lives. In a northern Manhattan neighborhood filled with poverty, crime, and substance abuse, that’s no easy task, but Johnny and his wife Melanie have proven that they’re up to the challenge.

Free Lecture at Calvin Theological Seminary

September 29, 2010 - Christ Above All: Engaging with the Challenge of Islam by Doctor Daniel Shayesteh

Calvin Sem. Professor Talks Church Planting

At the start of each academic year, Calvin Theological Seminary holds a convocation ceremony, welcoming the students back from the summer. Carl Bosma, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, delivered this year’s convocation speech, entitled "Church Planters or Undertakers. "

New Campus Ministry Hopes to Connect Students

September 23, 2010 - As pastor of The Well, a Home Missions-supported church plant located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Ron VandenBrink sees his share of students. In fact, there are 30,000 of them attending the nearby University of British Columbia Okanagan, so it’s not uncommon to see a few at Sunday worship.

Urban Youth Learn to "Slay Giants"

September 2, 2010 — "Giants" were slain at the recent Urban Youth Convention in Muskegon, Mich. The 10th annual event, sponsored by Christian Reformed Home Missions, was themed on the story of David and Goliath.

Advancement Director Search Extended

August 31, 2010 - Christian Reformed Home Missions is hiring a new advancement director.

New Churches, Campus Ministries Launched

August 23, 2010 - More than one dozen new churches and campus ministries, from small-town Ontario to inner-city Philadelphia, are among the new work that Christian Reformed Home Missions is helping to start in the fiscal year 2010-2011.

Campus Pastor Pens Stewardship Book

August 17, 2010 - A new book written by campus minister Rolf Bouma looks at how Christians can use the gifts of money, time, talents, creation, and grace to give thanks to God.

New Campus Ministry Offers Hope

August 11, 2010 - Several years ago, when Kory Plockmeyer was a graduate student at the University of Florida, he longed to be a part of an on-campus faith community. "Graduate school can be an especially trying time for students. Christians like myself who pursue advanced degrees can often feel isolated," he says.

Local Church Reaches Out Through Summer Party

August 5, 2010 - One recent hot Michigan summer night, more than 2,000 people chowed down on hot dogs, played carnival games, listened to live music, and checked out classic cars.

New Iowa Church Reaches Out

July 19, 2010 Although his new multicultural church in East Waterloo, Iowa is barely a year old, Pastor Reggie Haywood already sees God at work.

Campus Ministry: An Intern Reflects

July 15, 2010 - My view of the world has gotten larger and it reminded me that the world is a very diverse place. There are billions of people in the world who do not believe that Jesus is Lord. I feel like this year I was forced to live in this mysterious and confusing tension: how is it that Jesus is Lord and yet billions of people do not know him or confess him as Lord?

Emerging Leaders In Their Own Words

The Emerging Leader program, sponsored by Home Missions, gives students an opportunity to be part-time leaders in a campus ministry.

Eastern Canada Team Seeks Church Planter

July 8, 2010 - Church Planting Opportunity in Milton, Ontario

Thorold Politics at its best . . .

July 8, 2010 - There is something good happening in Thorold right now, and I’m going to take you to a new church in the city. It’s more of a movement than a Church really. But when I think of Church, I tend to think of sitting, standing and kneeling in a hard wooden pew in an old building with stagnant air, listening to the word of God for what can sometimes feel like hours.

Iowa Church Reaches Out to Community

June 30, 2010 - Ministry at Straightway does not stop with church activities. In addition to each Sunday worship service and message, the church provides transportation to and from church, a substantial meal and plates of food to take home. There is also a radio broadcast, website, and a social justice conference.

HM Interim Director to Serve Another Year

Ben Vandezande, interim director of Christian Reformed Home Missions, has accepted an offer to continue in his role until June 2011 in order to help guide the transition to a new director for the agency.

Synod Endorses Home Missions Offering Sundays

June 15, 2010 - Synod, the bi-national assembly of ministers and elders of the Christian Reformed Church, has officially endorsed this coming Reformation Sunday and Easter Sunday as days that offerings are to be taken for Christian Reformed Home Missions.

Church Planters Identify Calling

June 14, 2010 - Last week, 15 nervously excited potential church planters and their spouses gathered at Evergreen Ministries in Hudsonville, Michigan for three intense days of assessment. A time of discovery was about to begin.

CRC Pastor Washes Feet

June 7, 2010 – Pastor Eric Dirksen says he was still groggy and sipping coffee on a recent Saturday morning when he stepped onto the campus of Sacramento City College to participate in the city’s annual Homeless Connect day.

Church Leaders Give Input To Home Missions

"What if the regional vision of Home Missions was your idea?" This statement, posted on a large postcard, was recently sent to dozens of church leaders and classis representatives in the Home Missions Great Lakes region.

HM Hires Educational Ministries Leader

Ontario entrepreneur Mark Wallace has been hired as the new Educational Ministries Goal Specialist for Christian Reformed Home Missions. Wallace, a native of London, Ontario, will work to champion campus ministry as an integral part of the mission of Home Missions and the CRCNA.

CRC and RCA Church Planters "Catch the Wave"

More than 150 church planters and other leaders from both the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America gathered together recently to focus on growing new churches together.

Inside an Urban Ministry's New Worship Space

Join Seattle church planter Ben Katt as he takes you inside the brand new worship space of Awake church and shares his vision for this dynamic new urban Seattle ministry.

Church Planters Share Stories at Orientation

Six young, energetic pastors attended Home Missions’ recent orientation for new church planters, sharing stories of how God is already at work through their ministries.

Chicago Ministry Grows While Facing Challenge

The sound of three gunshots interrupted a recent Wednesday afternoon Bible study at Many Peoples Church in Chicago. But those in the Bible study did something unexpected in response: they stopped and prayed for the gunman, the young man he wounded, and all the teens who witnessed the shooting.

Home Missions: Renewing Communities Together

Imagine what it means to plant a community. Not just a church, but a whole community. Picture a mix of church planters, pastors, campus ministers, educators, elders and business leaders intentionally gathering regularly to discuss and plan how they are to live out and work out their calling—to be agents of God’s reconciliation in renewing and restoring the world to Him—within the city or metropolitan area they all share.

Mission Monday

March 8, 2010 - I had the privilege of attending a traditional CRC in my youth. Some of my earliest memories of our time as a family at church were the special missionary Sundays.

CRHM and CRWM Join In Campaign

March 2, 2010 -- Christian Reformed Home Missions and Christian Reformed World Missions are collaborating on a special campaign for churches that runs from Easter Sunday, April 4, until Pentecost Sunday, May 23. The two agencies have come together to shine a spotlight on how God is changing lives with the power of the Gospel in your community and around the world.

Florida Church Celebrates First Anniversary

February 18, 2010 - One year ago, Comunidad de Fe (Community of Faith) CRC held its first worship service at Liberty High School in Kissimmee, Florida. To honor its first anniversary, the church will be holding a special weekend-long celebration culminating in a worship and gratitude service on Sunday, March 21.

New City Church/Kansas City, MO

Ryan Pelton felt a tug on his heart for ministry, a different kind of ministry - church planting. He attributes a ’divine encounter’ with church planter Kevin Schutte as the impetus for planting his church in Kansas City.

U.S. Multiculturalism is a 'Done Deal'

Jan. 19, 2010 – Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, professor of church growth and evangelism at North Park Seminary in Chicago, Ill., says church leaders who currently wonder if the United States is becoming a multicultural nation need to know that it is already "a done deal."

Ministry Transforms Pub Into Church

Jan. 12, 2010—When the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) campus pub opened in November 2008, it didn’t have any set weekend schedule.

Small Group Leaders Discuss Mission

December 21, 2009 -- Nineteen small group ministry leaders gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan in early December to become better equipped to help launch and grow small groups.

Seattle Coffeehouse Reopens After Fire

Nov. 30, 2009 – Less than a month after an arsonist destroyed Seattle’s popular Green Bean coffeehouse, it has reopened in a new, temporary location a few blocks away. The fire occurred on the early morning of Oct. 23.

Wisconsin Church Celebrates Grand Opening

Nov. 18, 2009 - Close to 100 worshippers gathered for the late-October grand opening service of the garden, a new Wisconsin church supported by Home Missions.

Home Missions Focuses on Clusters at Calgary

Nov. 12, 2009 -- More than 60 people will gather in Calgary, Alberta, next week to talk about how new ministries are starting and growing in regional ministry clusters and networks.

CRHM Worker Translates Bible Study

Oct. 30, 2009 — Viviana Cornejo, ministry developer for Hispanic ministry for Christian Reformed Home Missions, recently translated into Spanish a Coffee Break Bible study for Latino woman attending a weekly program connected to Crosswinds CRC in North Holland, MI.

Fire Guts Popular CRC Coffeehouse

Oct. 27, 2009 – The Green Bean, a popular Seattle, Wash., coffeehouse owned and operated by a Christian Reformed Church congregation in the city’s Greenwood neighborhood was destroyed in a fire early in the morning of Oct. 23.

Campus Ministry Sponsors Shoe Drive for Darfu

October 15, 2009 -- On a recent April Sunday, April 26, Pastor Ken Vander Wall went to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to view an event called A Display Of Shoes For Darfur, in which shoes were lined up to draw attention to the victims of the Darfur genocide.

Ethics Expert Named to Lectureship

Oct. 6, 2009 — Calvin College Philosophy professor Ruth Groenhout has been named the Calvin Worldview Lecturer for 2009-2010.

'We Owe Our Existence to Ministry Shares'

Sept. 22, 2009 – As soon as he had the chance, church planter Chris Mitchell started to tell the people in his fledgling congregation about the Christian Reformed Church's system of raising funds through Ministry Shares.

inSpirit Church Launches

Sept. 8, 2009 — About 150 people listened as Pastor Randy Ledeboer began speaking about the vision for starting and building "inSpirit Church" – a newly formed "unique church" that meets in a office/warehouse just south of Grand Rapids, Mich., in the Cutlerville - Byron Center area.

Urban Youth Hear About Agape Love

August 11, 2009 –- More than 170 young people from cities all over North America gathered recently to hear Rev. Glenn Hudson give a challenging message about love—the kind of agape love that Jesus Christ promoted and not the type of love as portrayed in popular culture.

Church Planter Seeks to Fill Spiritual Void

July 29, 2009 -- When church planter Todd Murphy and his family moved to Providence, Rhode Island eight years ago, he was told that ministry in New England could not be successful. It was hard for him to argue with that. "Providence is a spiritual black hole," he says. "People there are cautious and often consumed with their own lives."

Campus Minister Hired at Fanshawe College

July 9, 2009 -— Several years ago, while Kelly Sibthorpe was working as a youth pastor, he realized that youth who struggle for identity need to identify with Christ.

Next Stop "Unchurched" Portland

June 8, 2009 -- When Portland, Oregon native Jason De Vries and his wife Mishaela were considering sites for their new ministry, they knew their hometown would make the perfect location.

Coffee Break Conference

May, 14, 2009 -- Nearly 700 women gathered in Oakville, Ontario recently for The Amazing Race. But this wasn’t a taping for the popular television show of the same name (although that was some of the inspiration).

Pastor Graduates From New CRC Online Program

May 5, 2009 -- Twenty years ago, Carlos Palacios traded the terror and violence of an unstable Peru for the hope and promise of a new life abroad. Although he wasn’t sure what he should do once he arrived in a new country, he felt God calling him to ministry.

Preaching the Message of the Belhar

April 24, 2009 –- Rev. Tommy Moore says the Belhar Confession, like the Bible itself, focuses on the crucial theme of reconciliation between God’s people.

Campus Ministry Conference Focus on Diversity

April 14, 2009 -- Christian Reformed Church campus ministers from across North America will gather in New Jersey next month to celebrate and to learn methods to help support the diversity of God’s kingdom.

'Deeper Journey' Series Begins

April 3, 2009 -- The first retreat in the "Deeper Journey" series, sponsored by Christian Reformed Home Missions, offered the 26 participants a break from their normal routines and a chance to build a closer relationship with God and one another.

CRC Congregation is 'Model Ministry'

March 9, 2009 –- Even in difficult financial times, Pastor Juan Pablo Sanchez of Vida Nueva CRC (New Life Christian Reformed Church) is creating a model Christian community that sees its mission as reaching out to and serving the needs of its neighbors, says Javier Torres, regional leader for Latino ministries for the Christian Reformed Church.

Agencies Help New Church Buy Building

February 23, 2009 -- Financial support from two Christian Reformed Church agencies played a big role in helping a new congregation whose focus is on serving the needs of Spanish-speaking people to purchase and move into a former Methodist church in the Patterson, N.J., area.

Shack Author Discusses Novel

Feburary 18, 2009 -- Where is God in a world filled with such unspeakable pain? When Mackenzie Philips broaches this subject with "God" in the New York Timesbest-seller, The Shack, the answers he receives challenge his beliefs about God’s character, power, mercy, and grace, as well as his perception of what it means to be loved by Him.

HM Helps Present Talk by "The Shack" Author

Home Missions Helps Present Talk by "The Shack" Author Home Missions is co-presenting a sold-out presentation by William P. Young, author of The Shack, at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois on Tuesday, February 17.

Ontario Churches Challenged to Be Missional

February 2, 2008 -- A recent conference presented by Christian Reformed Church Home Missions Central and Eastern Canada Ministry Team challenged more than 200 people to focus on the communities outside their congregations' walls.

Home Missions Sponsors Speaker

Christian Reformed Home Missions is already doing many of the things to connect churches to their neighborhoods that author and researcher David Kinnaman suggested in his presentation on Thursday at the January Series at Calvin College.

CRC Agencies Breaking Barriers

Christian Reformed World Missions and Christian Reformed Home Missions have recently launched joint efforts to revitalize the work they do by working more closely together. They also want to find ways to encourage congregations to get more involved in local and global ministries.

Ontario CRC Opens Ministry Centre

January 13, 2009 -- Since its formation in 2005, The Journey, a growing Christian Reformed congregation in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, has achieved a certain level of "success." Now at 170 members, the church still enjoys a steady stream of newcomers most Sunday mornings.

Conference To Explore 'Missional Living'

"Missional Living: Touching Lives . . . Impacting Communities" will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at Georgetown Christian Reformed Church in Georgetown, Ontario.

New Church Hopes to Use Simple Approach

When Rev. Randy Ledeboer launches a new church near Cutlerville, Mich., sometime next year, he hopes to provide a simple approach to worship. "The world is very complicated, and people want something simple," he says. "We want to just focus on worship, small groups, and service in the community."

Theology is 'On Tap'

Like most campus ministers, Rev. Michael Wagenman is always looking for new and compelling ways to make a case for Christianity to university students. That search led Wagenman to create an unorthodox event: a theological study group that meets at the local student pub.

CRC Establishes Prison Church

After many months of dreaming, planning, negotiations and meetings, the Ionia Bellamy Creek "Celebration Fellowship" Prison Congregation - the first of its kind in Michigan - has begun to hold Bible/book study and worship services.

New Book Collects Calvin Worldview Lectures

For the past ten years, Christian Reformed Home Missions has partnered with Calvin College to send Calvin professors on speaking tours of secular university campuses. Now, many of those lectures are being published in a new anthology.

Turning Disciples into Loving Leaders

Several years ago, Michael Johnson was starting a church in Texas with Christian Reformed Home Missions. Things were going pretty smoothly. The church was growing, but after a while different people started leaving for different reasons.

Youth Take Center Stage at Coit CRC

The future success and health of the CRC lies in engaging its youth in relevant ministries and in giving them ownership of those ministries, says Rev Jerome Burton, pastor of Coit Community Church in urban Grand Rapids, Mich.

Home Missions Taps Interim Leader for Canada

Home Missions church planter Adrian VanGiessen has accepted the invitation to serve as interim Leader for Home Missions' Central and Eastern Canada Ministry Team. Beginning November 3, VanGiessen will assume the role previously held by Ben Vandezande, who is now director of Home Missions.

New Wisconsin Faith Community Takes Shape

The recently established Fond du Lac Christian Fellowship traces its roots to three couples ministering through a divorce-care program.

Breaking Bread Before Breakfast

Considering that college students are notorious for sleeping in after late nights studying (and socializing), who would actually turn up for a eucharist service at 7:22 on Tuesday mornings?

Home Missions Co-Sponsors Worldview Lecturer

September 3, 2008 -- Calvin College French professor Otto Selles will be the speaker at this year's Calvin Worldview Lectureship, a lecture series that seeks to communicate a Reformed Christian perspective on academics and culture.

Laotian Church Planter Finds 'New Life'

Aug. 26, 2008 -- In the late 1970s, Phonh Sinbondit and his family were living in Laos when Communists took over the country.

Home Missions to Fund 20 New Churches

August 19, 2008 -- More than a dozen multicultural ministries are among the 20 new churches that Christian Reformed Home Missions will help to start in the fiscal year 2008–09.

Chicago Pastor Offers New Approach To Worship

Aug. 5, 2008 -- Pastor Ed Rockett has a vision of using music, dance, drama and theater as a way to address the needs of people attending Sunday worship at his new Christian Reformed Church congregation on the south side of Chicago, Ill.

CRC Names Interim Director for Home Missions

July 25, 2008 -- The Christian Reformed Church in North America on Friday announced that Ben Vandezande will take over this fall as interim director of Christian Reformed Home Missions. Vandezande currently serves as Home Missions regional team leader for Eastern Canada. He will replace John Rozeboom, who has been director of CRHM for 22 years.

Old Mission, New Ministry

Susan LaClear grew up in a Christian home in Holland, Mich., and attended Christian schools from kindergarten through high school. But she never understood God’s call on her life until she went to a secular college, the University of Michigan.

Urban Pastors Follow Jesus into the Streets

Clarence Presley and Rik Stevenson are building their congregations by following the lead of Jesus who took his message to the people where they lived, worked and relaxed.

The Spirit 'Rains' at Evangelism Conference

It poured rain all day this past Saturday outside of the conference center in Lombard, Ill., at which 500-plus people gathered for an event presented by Christian Reformed Home Missions.

Home Missions Helps Conferees Fight Fuel Cost

Even though gas prices continue to climb at an alarming rate, plenty of people will still be heading to Lombard, Ill., next month for In Community, Christian Reformed Home Missions’ Small Group & Evangelism Conference.

Brazil Natives Seek Connection in Wisconsin

You might not think of an empty suburban movie theater as an uplifting place to spend a Sunday morning. But if you happened upon the AMC Theater at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on the first Sunday of the month, you'd step into a full-on, roof-raising, multicultural celebration of Jesus.

Church Planter Starts Fresh in Alberta

Just over a year ago, Rev. Victor Ko was happily and faithfully serving Third CRC, the Kalamazoo, Michigan congregation he'd led since 1999. But then came the call. "I felt the Lord calling me to go plant a new church," Ko says. "He told me to gather people together in Jesus' name."

Two CRC Congregations Win National Grant

The Fund for Theological Education has given a $12,000 leadership development grant to a pair of Christian Reformed Church in North America congregations that have been working together in youth ministry, according to a press release sent out this week by the FTE.

Local Church Reaches Out Through Summer Party

August 5, 2010 - One recent hot Michigan summer night, more than 2,000 people chowed down on hot dogs, played carnival games, listened to live music, and checked out classic cars.