May/June 2016 issue - Bethel Christian Reformed Church

May & June
May 29, 2016
Volume 4, Issue 5
Inside This Issue
Pastor’s Reflections
Mission
Sympathy
Visit Inside
Congrats Grads
Congrats Grads
Sergeant Peppers Club
Remember
YPS
Generation
Stewardship
GEMS
Save the Dates
2
3
3
3
4
5
5
5
6
7
8
8
8
The Bethel Connection
“Connecting to Christ, His people, and His mission”
Michael and Teri Bruck recently moved to Sioux Center from Momence, IL. They are the parents of Jenna Wynia,
and are excited to be living closer to their daughter and son-in-law, Tim, and their two little granddaughters. While
in Illinois, Michael worked for USF Holland and Teri worked as a Christian school teacher. Teri is now retired and
Michael drives for Fedex. In their spare time, they enjoy traveling around in their RV, and spending time with their
family.
Danielle Zuidema grew up in DeMotte, Indiana and moved to Sioux Center to
attended Dordt College. Danielle graduated in 2015 with a BA degree in Agri
Business and Spanish. Danielle currently works as a K-4 Associate Educator for
the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and on the side she is also
an educator and consultant for Beautycounter. Danielle recently got engaged to
Joe Warntjes! Danielle and Joe are now busy planning a wedding for this coming
December. Danielle will also be gaining a step son, Jett, who is 3. In Danielle’s free
time, she enjoys gardening, and meeting new people.
Stan is the son of Margaret Feekes, older brother to Rog & Brian Feekes – all members of Bethel CRC. Stan grew up in
Sioux Center went to Western Christian, De Vry and also Dordt. Judy grew up in Lansing, IL, attended Illiana Christian,
Calvin College, and the University of South Dakota. Stan and Judy were married 1971 and have lived in Sioux Center
ever since. Stan worked for Farmers Coop Society in Sioux Center for many years. Judy was a teacher at SCCS. They
are both currently retired. They have two children: Jon, the oldest along, with his wife Heather and their two children
Jane and Tess live in Springfield, IL. Their other son Joel and his wife Amy live in Omaha, NE, with their three children
Jocelyn, Grant & Ellie. In their spare time Stan and Judy enjoy reading, spending time with family, and traveling. They
just recently went on a three-week World Renew volunteer project to Pensacola, FL. They also travel frequently to visit
their two sons and grandchildren. Also, if you are looking for a great retirement trip they can share with you about their
summer excursion to Alaska!
Judy De Wit grew up in Rock Valley and currently lives in Sioux Falls. Judy graduated from Dordt in 1984, and has degrees from
Sioux Falls Seminary and Bethal Seminary in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as in Leadership and Theology. She is now
working on a Doctorate in Ministry at Sioux Falls Seminary. Judy has taught in a variety of Christian grade schools, such as Sully
and Sioux Falls Christian. Judy currently works as a tech at Avera Behavioral Health, and at Stronghold Counseling as a therapist
where she specializes in abuse and abuse in the church. She also serves as a victims advocate for victims abused by the church
under the training of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and the Minnesota Council of Churches and offers trainings on abuse and abuse
in the church. Drinking coffee with good friends and catching up with old friends are two of her favorite things to do. In the
summer she enjoys decorating her patio with flowers, walking, and watching as many Twins Baseball games as time allows. She
also loves snowy winters, playing “De Wit” Rook, and is an avid NFL football fan.
Pastor’s Re flections
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs
29:18 (KJV)
Across the page is some of the fruit of this past year’s
Healthy Church process: renewed Bethel Vision and
Mission statements and newly identified Core Values. In
this newsletter we want to introduce these shared tools
to you as a congregation. And perhaps a good way to do
that is to briefly trace the process and thinking behind
the statements and the calling they embody.
First, a word on process. Last summer Bethel’s Council
formed a Healthy Church Team chaired by lifetime
Bethel member Rob Van Voorst and composed of men
and women, married and singles, lifers and newly
joined members. Supported by a prayer team, we rolled
out a congregational survey last fall that roughly 250
of us completed, representing a good cross section of
the congregation. We then hosted three Congregational
Conversations around Thanksgiving and a fourth
for the Youth Group in January – giving everyone an
opportunity to see the results and engage with them.
Since January, the Healthy Church Team has been
working diligently to distill all of the information we’ve
gathered into a clarified understanding of who we are
as a unique congregation of Christ as well as to discern
where God is calling us in this next season of ministry
together. A small portion of that work, newly approved
by Bethel’s Council, is summarized in the statements
below.
Second, a word on purpose. For those unfamiliar
with the terminology: a vision statement is a “clear,
challenging picture from the heart of what we must
be.” It is our “preferred future.” In the words of Andy
Stanley: it is “the vision of what could be fueled by
a passion that it should be.” In contrast a mission
statement tells us “how” we are working toward that
vision. It describes the way we live out our calling in the
present. Lastly, core values are the constant, passionate
core beliefs that drive ministry. You could say the Vision
answers the question: “What will we look like?” Mission
answers the question: “What are we to do?” Core Values
answer the questions “Who are we?” and “Why do we
do what we do?”
So what is Bethel’s renewed vision? We believe God is
calling Bethel to be: “A biblically vibrant community
of the cross praying and working for the renewal of all
things in Christ Jesus.”
How do we work to accomplish that vision? We see our
shared mission to be “Connecting to Christ, His people,
and His mission.”
And what core values drive this process? The value of
“reaching up” (connecting to God in Christ), the value
of “reaching in” (connecting to God’s people at Bethel)
and “reaching out” (connecting to God’s mission in the
world).
For the coming three weeks I’ll be doing a sermon
series looking at the vision statement. We’ll spend a
week exploring what it is to be “Biblically vibrant.” The
following week we’ll explore being a “community of
the cross.” And a final week we’ll together engage the
high call to become people “praying and working for
the renewal of all things in Christ Jesus.”
Yet our hope is that these tools will serve us beyond
a newsletter or brief sermon series. As each of us
serves and grows at Bethel – let’s be prayerfully asking
ourselves how all that we do helps us better “connect
to Christ” (reach up), “connect to His people” (reach
in) and “connect to His mission” (reach out). In the
coming months, we will also be rolling out some new
initiatives that may help us begin to live into this
calling from God. Our initial focus will be on building
fellowship, facilitating leadership development,
strengthening discipleship, and expanding outreach
and service. Many of our specific ideas were generated
during the congregational conversations, ranging from
small things like inviting us to wear nametags during
the month of September to help us learn one another’s
names; to larger things like creating a culture of
mentoring where interested engaged couples are paired
with experienced married couples who agree to meet
quarterly with them during their first year of marriage.
In all of this, our prayer is that by staying true to our
core values we can engage our God-given mission
as a congregation and in so doing continue to be
transformed into God’s vision for us a church. And
as we continue on this journey together, we celebrate
that the horizon lines of our future are bright (Proverbs
4:18), because we and our future belong to God. All
glory to Him!
In Christ,
Pastor John
[ p age 2 ]
Bethel CRC – Mission/Vision/Core Values
Mission:
• “Connecting to Christ, His people, and His mission”
Vision:
• A biblically vibrant community of the cross praying and working for the
renewal of all things in Christ Jesus
Core Values:
• Reach Up (connecting with God)
o Gospel proclamation – preaching and teaching the Bible
o Transformative worship – encountering and glorifying the Living God
o Authentic spirituality – growing in faith
• Reach In (connecting with each other)
o Fellowship – relating to and enjoying one another
o Discipleship and faith formation – modeling and teaching Christians the precepts of the Bible
o Servant Leadership – developing and equipping Christ-like servants
• Reach Out (Connecting with our community/neighbors)
o Community – caring about and addressing the needs of others
o Missions – spreading the gospel of Christ around the community, nation, and globe
o Stewardship – wise and generous in the use of our time, talents, and treasure
Action Steps: Four Areas of Focus:
1. Fellowship (building relationships)
2. Leadership Development (renewed focus on inspiring and developing leaders)
3. Discipleship (mentoring)
4. Outreach and Service (wider involvement in our community)
We express our Christian sympathy to the families of:
Kathrine Visser [4/22/16]
A Visit Inside the Walls
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty
and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger ad invite you in, or needing
clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ” (Matt.25:3739)
We have opportunity to see the face of Jesus in the faces of prisoners. Mission and Evangelism
Outreach connects our congregation with the congregation of Cornerstone Prison Church at the
state penitentiary on “The Hill” in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
CORNERSTONE PRISON CHURCH
“Even a heart of stone can be
changed by the Cross”
Check out their website:
cornerstonepcsd.org for prayer
concerns
email: [email protected] if you
wish to arrange a visit
Pastors: Rick Van Ravenswaay &
Doug De Groot
On April 1, nine Bethel members (must be age 18 or older) joined a few other visitors from Rock
Valley and Sioux Falls in the lobby of the imposing prison building. We came early, eager to
Come worship with us! Friday
worship with the inmates at their regular Friday night service. However, the evening turned out to evenings at 6 pm
be a bit “irregular” from the usual routine.
Our security clearance was delayed due to some “minor disturbance” inside the walls. We were eventually granted entrance after each
of us submitted a drivers license and received a personal alarm. A Lutheran church was leading a weekend retreat inside the prison
chapel so we were escorted into the chow hall for evening worship. About 75 inmates were gathered there; usually 100+ men attend
the Cornerstone service but some were at the spiritual retreat.
As usual, the guys greeted us with friendly enthusiasm. The inmates always seem genuinely grateful for any visitors from “the
outside”. After shaking hands, we all sat down on the metal seats attached to round tables. A mural of a drive-in diner decorated the
back wall.
Pastor Rick Van Ravenswaay welcomed everybody and Cory Grimm led the singing, accompanied by the worship team. Some inmates
receive instrumental music lessons and participate on worship team, which practices together weekly. It was evident that the inmates
take leadership roles in their congregation, serving others. One particular song, “Sanctuary”, summed up what we all, as believers,
pray for:
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
Pastor Rick preached a sermon in a series on prayer. His message was taken from Jeremiah 29:11-14a. “For I know the plans I have for
you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by
you,” declares the Lord.”
The congregation listened attentively to the message and some responded with “Amens” and affirming applause. The service followed
a typical Reformed order of worship, including confession/assurance, Heidelberg Catechism, and congregational prayer. We truly felt
a spirit of brotherhood in Christ with the believers in prison and hoped that our presence encouraged them even as we were blessed.
We ask you to join in prayer for all the brothers behind bars.
8th Grade Graduates
Alexis Haverhals, daughter of Pete & Jody Haverhals,
graduated from Sioux Center Christian School and plans
to attend Unity Christian High School. One of her favorite
memories from grade school is Chinese fire drills with
Mr. Crull. This summer Alexis will be taking Drivers Ed,
babysitting, and hanging out with friends.
Peter Hoogland, son of Junior & Kim Hoogland, graduated
from Orange City Christian School and will attend Unity
Christian High School this fall. This summer Peter will take
Drivers Ed, play baseball, and work. His favorite school
memories are holidays and snow storms.
Ethan Hulshof, son of Ron & Martha Hulshof, graduated from
Sioux Center Christian School and now plans to attend Unity
Christian High School. After high school he would like to go to
ISU to be a vet. He is also thinking about the National Guard
or Army Reserves. This summer Ethan plans to play baseball,
work part time at the farm, and lift weights for football.
Aimee Hulstein, daughter of Mike & Pam Hulstein, graduated
from Sioux Center Christian School and will attend Unity
Christian High School this fall. Her summer plans include
babysitting, mowing lawns, taking Drivers Ed, and hanging
out with friends. Aimee has good memories of time spent with
friends during sports and getting to know the coaches and
teachers.
Brody Rens, son of Timon & Anita Rens, graduated from Sioux
Center Christian School. His favorite grade school memory is
the 5th grade trip to Des Moines. This summer he plans to play
baseball and will attend Unity Christian High School in the fall.
Dylan Riebeling, son of Amy & Scott Ten Napel and Chad
Riebeling, graduated from Sioux Center Christian School.
Favorite school memories are playing sports and the Bandstra
dance. This summer he will play baseball and have fun. He
plans to go to Unity Christian High School in the fall.
Mason Stetson, son of Tim & Dawn Stetson, graduated from
Sioux Center Christian School and plans to attend Western
Christian High School. His summer plans include taking
Drivers Ed, playing baseball, working, and going on a trip to
Boundary Waters.
Julia Zomermaand, daughter of Rod & Dawn Zomermaand,
graduated from Sioux Center Middle School and will attend
Sioux Center High School this fall.
Travis Jay Mulder graduated from Sioux Center Christian and
plans to attend Western Christian. His plans for summer are
Drivers Ed, going to Boundary Waters, and a family vacation.
Lane Dekkers graduated from Sioux Center Christian and
plans to attend Unity Christian. His plans for summer are
Drivers Ed, baseball, 4H, camping and hanging out with his
friends. His favorite school memories are meeting friends
every day and the teachers. He liked all sport practices with his
friends.
John Vreugdenhil graduated from Sioux Center Christian
and plans to attend Unity. His plans for summer are playing
baseball.
High School
Graduates
Alyssa Fedders, daughter
of Ron & Marg Fedders,
graduated from Unity
Christian High School.
This fall she plans to attend
Dordt College majoring
in Exercise Science and
then graduate school to be
a physical therapist. She
also plans to play for the
golf and basketball teams.
Her favorite high school
memories include State
Cross Country, two basketball championships, Jr/Sr Prom,
and creating life-long friendships and memories playing high
school sports. This summer she looks forward to working at
The Ridge, babysitting, attending several weddings of friends
and family members, and making a lot of memories spending
time with her friends.
Melissa Moget, daughter
of Gary & Marlys Moget,
graduated from Unity
Christian High School.
Some of her favorite school
memories are going to state
volleyball and state basketball
with her friends. Over the
past four years she enjoyed
participating in pep band
at football and basketball
games. One of her favorite
classes during high school was
Anatomy & Physiology. A
highlight was when they went
to a cadaver lab (donor lab) at USD to observe the anatomy of
the human body. The majority of her summer will consist of
working at Culvers, along with a little bit of babysitting. She
also plans to go on a few small family vacations and enjoy
her summer months. Melissa plans to attend the University
of Northwestern – St. Paul with a major in psychology and a
minor in business. Her goal overall is to work at a Children’s
Hospital.
Matthew Moget, son of Gary &
Marlys Moget, graduated from
Unity Christian High School. He
has fond memories of hanging
out with friends, going to movies
and having bonfires. His favorite
class in high school was being
a tech mentor where he would
help troubleshoot for other
students for the past 2½ years.
This summer he will work full
time at Sioux Center Christian
School as a janitor. He also plans
to have fun hanging out with
friends and go on some family
vacations. After that he will attend Dordt College with a major
in Computer Science and minor in Business.
Se rge ant Pe p p e r s Cl ub
Hayley Visser,
daughter of Mick
& Sherry Visser,
graduated from
Unity Christian
High School. She
plans to attend
Dordt College in
the fall, majoring
in education.
This summer
she will spend
time working as a lifeguard, teaching swimming lessons,
working at the Terrace View Event Center, and watching
lots of baseball! Some memorable school events for Hayley
include placing first at State Dance Team competitions
during her freshman year, attending Chicago Project during
her freshman year, and going to Chicago this past year for a
Knightsounds trip.
College Graduates
Monica Disselkoen graduated from Dordt College and now
plans to move to San Diego where her husband, Craig, will
be starting graduate school for a PhD in Computer Science.
Her summer plans include working at the public library,
continuing the search for a music teacher job, and eventually
moving! Some of Monica’s best memories from college
include leading campus worship through chapel or GIFT,
accompanying all the choirs and many different students,
staying up late talking with friends, and the band and choir
tours.
Eric Fedders graduated from Dordt College and will be
attending the University of Kansas (in Lawrence, Kansas)
in the fall of 2016. He will graduate there with a master’s
in Structural Engineering. Eric and his wife, Candra, will
be moving to Lawrence in June. Eric will start working as
an intern for Thornton Tomasetti in Kansas City for the
summer. Eric has fond memories of his senior design trip to
Liberia.
Sergeant Pepper’s Club is a community fellowship
that is being sponsored and supported by three
local churches- Faith, First, and Bethel CRC. It is a
fellowship for individuals who have graduated from
high school up to 30 year olds- single or married.
The idea for this new fellowship was born from a
desire to reach a demographic that can often fall
through the cracks. Students who have graduated
from high school- who do not enter a four year
institute or those who have recently graduated
from college often struggle to find their place in the
church. These same individuals are often seeking
community in their new stage of life. Sergeant
Pepper’s club seeks to meet these individuals where
they are by creating space- space to encounter God,
space to ask tough faith questions, space to connect
socially, and space to find a place.
We pray that through this fellowship young adults
can find a place where their voices are heard, and
where they can grow in confidence to intentionally
spring boarded back into their individual
congregations. Please join us in prayer for this startup ministry. That we would be followers of God’s
leading, encounter the Holy Spirit in a real way, and
come together as a community of faith, fellowship,
and fun.
Sergeant Pepper’s club meets the 2nd and 4th
Thursdays of the month at Spark Creative from
8-10pm. If you are a post-high young adult we
would love to have you join us!
Courtney Vreugdenhil graduated from Dordt College.
She will now work full time at Sioux Center Health in the
emergency department, OB, and medical/surgical floor.
Remember Our Elderly
Crown Pointe: Gerrit & Tracy Byker, Marie Fedders, Elmer & Beth Koedam, Marie Van Kley, Donna Obbink
Franken Manor: Johanna Herweyer, Judy Louwerse, Martha Goslinga
Premier Estates: Winerva Hulstien
Royale Meadows: Priscilla Broek, Herb Roos, Geraldine Van Voorst, Eileen Van Voorst, Arend & Sally Wassink
At Home: Trina Moss
Regency: Johanna Roos
Christian Retirement Home: Margaret Sybesma
Hudson Health Center: Grace Haverhals
Pleasant Acres Care Center: Clara Hoogland
The YPS Messenger
Yo u t h D i re c to r E m i l y E n t s m i n g e r
Social Media and our Youth
There has been a building tension in our youth group for the past few years regarding how to live in a world
with so much technology yet deeply value face-to-face relationships and presence. Every student in our youth
group has a cell phone; most of them are smart phones. Students carry these devices everywhere; they have
become an extension of who they are. But we deeply want students to be able to engage fully and have a time
of freedom from their devices. We have tried a number of approaches- allowing students to make responsible
decisions on their own, collecting cell phones on a basket at the door, encouraging their use to share what we
are learning together. We have not found that one way works best.
In an effort to better understand the mindset of our teenagers and their relationship to their phones I have
done some digging into research on social media and its effects on the lives of our teens. The results are clear
that there is a deep, even psychological attachment that teens have to their devices today.
Here is what a couple of teenagers had to say in a CNN article about 13 year olds and social media:
“I would rather not eat for a week than get my phone taken away. It’s really bad,” said Gia, a13-year-old. “I
literally feel like I’m going to die.”
“When I get my phone taken away, I feel kind of naked,” said Kyla, another 13-year-old. “I do feel kind of
empty without my phone.”
Recent polling revealed that Snapchat and Instagram are the top social media sites used by teens today. And
here is why they are checking their phones so often (more than 100 times a day) according to the CNN article:
• 61% of teens said they wanted to see if their online posts are getting likes and comments.
• 36% of teens said they wanted to see if their friends are doing things without them.
• 21% of teens said they wanted to make sure no one was saying mean things about them.
“This is an age group that has a lot of anxiety about how they fit in, what they rank, what their peer-status is.
There is fear in putting yourself out there on social media and they hope for lots of likes and comments and
affirmations but there is always the chance that someone could say something mean,” Underwood said.
A recent Banner article brings up the issues that come from texting and snapchatting inappropriate and
sexual content, saying that it has become harmful to true intimacy for teenagers. In our local schools there
have been a number of cases of inappropriate pictures being sent. It is so easy, and can happen so fast, yet the
consequences are huge and very harmful.
So what should our response as a church be? We can’t simply grumble about technology, we must
acknowledge it as a part of the lives of our students and embrace the tension of living in a technological
era. Our students spend so much time using social media outlets that we can’t ignore them. First, there is
hope in the midst of the negative effects. The CNN article says that parents that tried to keep a close eye on
their child’s social media accounts had a profound effect on their child’s psychological well-being…Parent
monitoring effectively erased the negative effects of online conflicts,” Faris said.
One of our own Bethel parents recommends the app Screen Time Parental Control by Screen Time Labs as an
effective way to monitor their teen’s phone activity.
As the church we need to continue to affirm our teens that their status and value do not lie in how many likes,
tweets, our responses they get online. Rather, their value is firmly rooted in their identity as Children of God.
Our teens- really all of us- desire to be deeply known, heard, and accepted. Social media gives the experience/
illusion of being known and heard. But as the church we are called to engage in deep relationships that allow
us to really know and affirm one another. In this way our teens begin to understand that their identities
aren’t solely wrapped up in the responses they get online, but the response of God their Creator. And as a
community of believers we acknowledge the unique gifting and identities of our youth saying- you are known
completely, heard fully, and valued beyond comprehension. Not online, but by our Father in heaven whom we
seek to represent.
I have seen some very harmful choices and effects come from social media in the lives of our teens, but I have
also seen some very positive outcomes as well. Our students are sharing their faith and encouraging each
other through social media. Here are just a few examples of our
Bethel students using social media to witness about God:
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
The church, like the body, is made up of many parts all playing a vital role. While “The Bethel Connection” often features how our
body is growing through new members and exercising our heart through our many church activities, we also need to spend time
listening to those around us to enhance our knowledge. Join us throughout the next few newsletters as we talk with various Bethel
CRC members about their history with the church, how faith has impacted their life and maybe even offer us a little advice.
“The righteous . . . still bear fruit in old age . . . to declare that the Lord is upright” (Psalm 92:12–15).
Married for 65 years, Gerrit and Tracy Byker sit in a cozy apartment in
Crown Pointe fresh off watching a high school basketball game. The
pictures of weddings, grandchildren and great grandchildren that fill
the walls whisper of the life and legacy of two people who have a deep
faith in their Lord and love for their family.
Tracy [de Jager] was born on July 15, 1930, near Hawarden, on the
other side of the border into South Dakota. She grew up on a farm and
attended country school through eighth grade and assisted her parents
on the farm. Tracy falls in the middle of two older brothers, two
younger brothers, and a little sister who passed away tragically at age
11. Tracy has a heart for volunteering and is eager to offer a helping
hand to those in need. When she and Gerrit moved to town, Tracy
spent many hours delivering meals for Meals on Wheels and helping
out at the Hawarden hospital thrift store.
Gerrit was born in December of 1928, in a farm house just outside of
Ireton with the help of a local midwife named Mrs. Johnson. Both of
his parents had immigrated to the States from Holland when they were young. His mother and her family originally moved to Pella
with the hope of work in the coal mines. When the work wasn’t what they had hoped, they moved to Northwest Iowa. Gerrit’s dad
met his mother while working as a farm hand for her dad and they married in early 1928. During these Depression years, life was
especially difficult for the farming family. Gerrit’s parents moved the family around the Ireton area throughout his younger years,
sometimes ending up in less than desirable circumstances. One farmhouse they lived in had an infestation of rats. He describes a vivid
memory of waking up one night with blood on his face from a rat that had bitten him. Gerrit’s dad sold corn and cattle for pennies
simply to provide for his family. After Roosevelt took the presidency, he passed a law that encouraged banks to get rid of repossessed
farms at any cost. This allowed Gerrit’s father to buy a farm and finally settle down.
Gerrit and Tracy met in 1948 on a Sunday night after Young Peoples. Both had grown up in the CRC—Gerrit at Ireton CRC and Tracy
at Hawarden CRC—and their respective churches often had combined events. After dating for two years, they were married in 1950.
Gerrit’s dad offered that they could live on and care for a farm he had bought and that’s where the Bykers made their first home. Gerrit
and Tracy had four children, two boys and two girls, all of whom currently live in the Sioux Center area. Gerrit and Tracy farmed and
raised cattle till 1982, when Gerrit passed the farm to one of his sons, and he and Tracy made the move to the town of Hawarden. Even
though he had moved to town, Gerrit continued to help out on the farm. One day in 1982, Gerrit was working under a combine head
when it detached, falling on him and crushing him. The fallen head collapsed Gerrit’s body, compressing his pelvis, collar bones, facial
bones, and legs. Miraculously, Gerrit survived the near death experience and after several months was able to make a full recovery.
The Lord further watched over Gerrit when in 1999 he suffered a heart attack. After being dead for five minutes, the Lord sent Gerrit
back. Other than short term memory loss, Gerrit again made a full recovery.
From an early age, Gerrit has had a love and passion for music. Never having the opportunity for formal lessons, he learned to play
instruments by ear. At age 7, he bought his first harmonica out of a Sears Roebuck catalog. Later he learned to play the accordion and
then the keyboard. Presently, Gerrit shares his love for music whenever he gets a chance. For many years he visited local nursing
homes, ministering in song. When he became unable to load the keyboard into the car himself, Tracy assisted him so that he could
continue to volunteer and bless others through music.
When asked how faith has played a part in their lives, Gerrit recalls people telling him after his accident and then later his heart
attack, that God still had things He wanted him to do. “I am thankful to God that he kept me alive”, he states. Tracy says her faith has
been everything to her. After retiring from farming, Gerrit and Tracy devoted their time to serving others as volunteers in multiple
organizations. Gerrit volunteered for ten years at Hope Haven making wheelchairs and both have gone on several work trips with
Justice for All. Gerrit was even able to make a trip to Liberia and witness the mission work of his granddaughter. They began going to
Bethel when they moved to Sioux Center in the 80’s and have been attending ever since. Some of their favorite Bible verses include
Psalm 100, Ephesians 4:32 and John 3:16. Favorite hymns include “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder” and “Count Your Many
Blessings.” Gerrit and Tracy speak of the importance of tithing and giving sacrificially to the ministries God puts on your heart. They
are examples of God’s steady hand and faithfulness.
John Piper recently wrote an article in which he encouraged those in their 70s to continue to devote their lives to serving God and
others. He says, “If you do not dream a joyful dream of productive service for Christ in your seventies, what will you say to the
Savior?” By God’s grace, Gerrit and Tracy have done just that, and continue to live their days grateful for the time God has given them,
making the most of every day.
Stewardship Story Series
Part of the Stewardship Committee​‘s goal is to provide resources for Bethel members. As part of that, this year each newsletter will bring a
“Stewardship Story” highlighting various stewardship topic. The following article is provided by the Barnabas Foundation.
Give it Twice Trust
While visiting the Wills Planner on her favorite charity’s website, June, a surviving spouse, came across the idea of a Give it Twice Trust. She
contacted the charity for more information and talked with a gift planner who explained
the concept as a way to first give income to children through a trust and then transfer the
trust balance to charity in the future.
June: Fred and I talked about this before he passed away. We both agreed that we wanted
to treat each of our four children equally and also provide a benefit to our favorite charity.
The gift planner told June that with her estate of $800,000 she would have the ability to
do something significant for both her family and favorite charity. June was concerned
because while her three older children are financially responsible, her youngest, Jim,
“spends money like water.” June was afraid that if Jim were to receive cash in a lump sum
he would spend it right away.
The gift planner explained that the “Give It Twice” plan could be very helpful. June could
transfer $400,000 from her IRA at death to the trust. Her children would each receive one-fourth of the income from the trust over 20 years. That
would give Jim a chance to learn to save and invest. After that time, the trust balance would benefit her charity. In addition, by using her IRA, June
could save on income tax because the special trust is tax-exempt.
June: I established a Give it Twice Trust and was thrilled with the plan. The prospect of helping my four children and my favorite charity made me
happy and I knew that it was the right thing to do.
*Please note: The name and image above is representative of a typical donor and may or may not be an actual donor to our organization. Since your
benefits may be different, you may want to click here to view a color example of your benefits.
​Have questions? Contact any member of Bethel’s Stewardship committee: Allen Mulder, Harold Schiebout, LouAnn Franken, Ron
Fedders, Tom De Jong and Vonda Post.
GEMS: Secret Pals
A hand written note from one our our Secret Pals that the girls send notes/cards/small gifts to throughout the GEMS year. We revealed ourselves
to our secret pals on April 13
“Dear Secret Pal,
Thank you so much for your cards that brought Joy, love, kindness and prayers to me so often. Thanks too, for the tea bag. How did you know I
drink tea religiously at 3:00 every day. Thank you counselors for instilling and teaching this young girl how to show love & kindness to those who
are going through difficult things in our lives. God bless you all. Love and prayer, “ secret pal
May 30 – YPS Pancake Breakfast
June 1-30 – VBS Registration
June 3 – YPS Whopper Truck
June 4 – Sportsmen’s Outing to Hunters Pointe
June 5 – 125th Community Service in the morning
June 7 – Sunday School Picnic
June 9 – Community Unity Meal
June 9-12 – Church Camping to Rivers Bend in Rock Valley
July 15-23 – Junior Class Serve Trip to Grand Rapids
July 24 VBS Canvassing
July 25-28 – VBS
July 28-31 – Urban Plunge in Omaha- Freshman/Sophmores
To learn more about the newsletter committee or to submit an idea or information
call: 712.722.3101 OR email: [email protected].
the
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Connection
Committee Members:
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Kristi De Koning
Veronica Postma
Kim Van Dam
Aimee Van Holland
Renee Wielenga