From the Pastors' Desks

Hebrews 13 suggests that churches ought to care for the joy—the happiness—of their pastor. Why? Because a miserable pastor—a pastor who never knows the winds of encouragement in his sails but only the headwinds of opposition at his face—is rarely an effective one.

Our goal is to see a healthy, Reformed church established in Northwest Grand Rapids that is committed to seeing disciples of Jesus made and matured as God’s Word is prayerfully applied to the lives of people. 


The Heidelberg Catechism—that tested and proven instruction manual on Christian doctrine—has a helpful three-part answer for us.

How important is it that we work in a “Christian” environment? I want to argue that it’s less important than many of us make it out to be and I want to challenge you—if you’re working in a difficult workplace—that perhaps this is where God wants you to continue to labor.

We want to be faithful stewards of the gifts and opportunities that God has given to us. We want to be faithfully carrying out the Great Commission together. We want to be united in purpose as we look to Jesus together and act to see Jesus exalted in our own lives, in our families, in our church, and in our community.

Being in loving and committed Christian community creates opportunities for people to give verbal recognition to the work that God has done in us. We are putting ourselves in positions where God can speak through his people to remind us: God is slowly and surely making us to look more like Christ. And hopefully we can do the same for others.

A warm welcome can make the difference between someone moving toward Bible-based, Christ-centered community or drifting from it.

Scripture memory, however, whether it be for adults or kids, is not something we do just for kicks or to gain some religious points. Scripture memory is about worship, holiness, ministry, and mission. L

Conspiracy theories have a way of grabbing our attention. Joe Carter defines a conspiracy as something that “…explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot, usually by powerful conspirators.” Whether it’s a fake moon landing, flat-earthers, the illuminati, or the reptilian elite (yes, you read that correctly), there is something simultaneously sensational, humorous, and pathetic about these claims.