Christ Memorial Church sits on Graafschap Road on the southwest side of Holland, Michigan, a congregation rooted in the Reformed tradition and shaped by more than six decades of ministry to its surrounding community. Originally known as Christ Memorial Reformed Church, the church grew out of the vision of eleven families who left Trinity Reformed Church in 1956 to plant a new witness in their part of town. Today the congregation gathers every Sunday at 9:30 AM for worship in its 1,700-seat Sanctuary and for a more casual, contemporary gathering called Dwell in the Gathering Place, where worshipers can sit at a table with a cup of coffee and a pastry. The life of the church is summed up in a threefold motto printed across its materials: Rooted in Christ, Real in relationships, Reaching out to all in Jesus' name.
Heritage on Graafschap Road
The first service of Christ Memorial was held in November 1956, and on January 23, 1957, forty-one families formally organized the new congregation at Montello Park School gymnasium. The name Christ Memorial Reformed Church was adopted on March 26, 1957, and the Rev. Edwin G. Mulder was installed as the first pastor on November 7 of that year. The first educational unit was built in 1958 on property at 24th Street and Graafschap Road, a former apple orchard that still shapes the church's language about being "rooted." The original sanctuary was completed in 1968, and the south education wing followed in 1975, adding the Fellowship Hall, Fireside Room, offices, and the Frank Meyer courtyard. The current Sanctuary was completed in 1989, and a major east wing was finished in October 2006, bringing new adult classrooms, a youth area, a chapel, and community space.
Mission, Values, and Beliefs
The church's mission statement is described as aspirational, a picture of who God is calling the congregation to become. It is built on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission and seeks to strengthen relationships with God, deepen relationships with one another, and extend Christ's love to those beyond the church's walls.
That mission is lived out through seven stated values: Worshiping, Welcoming, Growing, Giving, Inviting, Uniting, and Caring. Worship is described as a joy that celebrates God's goodness and gives glory to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hospitality is grace-based and intended to welcome everyone regardless of phase of life, background, or struggles. Growth happens through prayer, discipleship, and a deepening commitment to the Bible and the Reformed faith. Giving means being graciously generous with time, talents, and treasures. Inviting means reaching neighbors and inviting anyone who seeks a spiritual home to find one at Christ Memorial. Uniting reflects a commitment to speak the truth in love and find unity in Christ even amid disagreement. Caring calls the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus for those within and beyond its walls.
In matters of belief, Christ Memorial teaches that God is the personal creator and ruler of the universe who reveals Himself through the created world, the Bible, and supremely through His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. The church affirms that human beings, created in God's image, have broken their relationship with God through sin. God renews that relationship through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, received by repentance and faith. The Holy Spirit is at work to enlighten hearts, form Christlike character, and gather a people who participate in God's mission to redeem all of creation. Christ Memorial looks ahead to the day when a new heaven and new earth will be established and God will dwell fully with His people.
Sunday Worship in Two Settings
Worship on Sunday morning is offered in two complementary styles at the same 9:30 AM hour. The Classic service takes place in the main Sanctuary and follows a more traditional order of worship. Dwell, the contemporary worship service, meets in the Gathering Place and is designed as a casual setting where guests can sit at a table with coffee and a pastry. Both services are also livestreamed through Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and the church's online church platform, so anyone can participate from home.
Children are welcome in both services. Worship & Wonder, a children's Sunday school for ages four through fourth grade using the Children in Worship curriculum with wooden figures and story backdrops, runs during the service. Children are dismissed after the children's message partway through worship. For infants through three-year-olds, the Care Center provides a safe nursery environment throughout the morning. After the service, the Second Hour program runs from 10:45 to 11:45 AM with crafts, games, a snack, and time on the indoor playground for kids ages four through fifth grade.
Wednesday Evenings at the Gathering Place
Wednesday nights have become a hub of the church's week. A free community supper begins at 5:00 PM in the Gathering Place, with menus posted weekly. After dinner, programs for every age kick off. Children ages four through fifth grade gather for Spark, a youth-group-style program built on the WonderInk curriculum, with worship, games, lessons, and small groups from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The Care Center stays open for the youngest children during Spark. Middle school youth meet from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the youth center for large group activities, teaching, and small groups. Adult discipleship classes, a Catechism study called Body and Soul, and a weekly watch party for The Chosen also meet on Wednesday nights.
Children's Ministries
Christ Memorial's Children's Ministry aims to partner with families in forming authentic faith in the next generation. Rachel Hills-Bartsch directs the ministry, which offers a continuum from infancy through fifth grade. The Care Center serves infants through age three during Sunday morning services and Wednesday evening programs. Worship & Wonder serves preschool through fourth grade during worship, and Second Hour extends the morning with crafts, games, and active play. Spark runs on Wednesday evenings during the school year. The young families ministry, coordinated by Jennie Steketee, includes a stroller and toddler walk called Little Steps on Monday mornings and Little Jungle Adventures for kids and caregivers on Wednesday mornings. A seasonal Tuesday Story Time is offered for toddlers and their caregivers.
Youth Ministry
Tim Fennell directs the youth ministry for middle and high school students. Middle and high school Sunday School meets from 10:45 to 11:45 AM in the youth wing, gathering in Rooms 170 and 173 off the rotunda for a lesson and discussion. High school youth group meets Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, and middle school youth group meets Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, with a free dinner beforehand. Popsicle Time on Sunday mornings at 10:50 AM invites students entering fifth through twelfth grade to grab a popsicle and head to the youth center. Each spring students may publicly profess their faith after a season of mentoring by adult members of the church. A summer service-oriented youth trip has also been part of the rhythm of the ministry.
Dance Ministry
The Christ Memorial Dance Ministry is one of the church's distinctive offerings. Open to anyone regardless of experience, the program currently involves about ninety dancers ranging from first grade through adults. Children's classes meet on alternate Wednesday evenings alongside Spark, while middle school, high school, and adult dancers meet Wednesdays from 5:45 to 6:30 PM in the dance studio in the children's wing, with a free dinner beforehand. The dance company performs an annual Creation ballet each spring, walking audiences through the seven days of creation and the fall, and has also staged an Esther ballet. Dancers participate in Christmas Eve services each year, a tradition that stretches back to the 1990s. The dance team has been part of the church since the mid-1980s; Emma deVries, who grew up dancing at Christ Memorial and earned her dance degree at Hope College, has directed the program since 2025.
Adult Discipleship: Classes, Bible Studies, and Prayer Groups
A wide array of adult discipleship offerings keeps the church's teaching ministry active throughout the week. The Nav 2:7 series runs as an eleven-week study on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings. Body and Soul: A Fresh Look at the Catechism meets on Wednesday evenings. God Incidents, a study of real-life stories of faith, runs on Wednesday evenings. Short topical classes rotate through the year on topics like the Anxious Generation, the contemporary Christian life, and the church's role in rebuilding healthy identity.
Men's ministry includes Thursday Men's Bible Study (ThuMBS), meeting from 7:07 to 8:27 AM year-round in the Green Room just inside Entrance D, and the Thursday Men's Prayer Group, which meets from 10:00 to 11:00 AM year-round in the Prayer Room off the Fireside Cafe. Guys Night Out meets monthly on the fourth Thursday evening.
Women's ministry includes Rise and Shine, a Wednesday morning study with video, homework, and discussion; Wednesday Morning WOW (Women of the Word) and Wednesday Afternoon WOW; Women Praying on Mondays; Moms and Grandmothers in Prayer on Tuesday mornings; and Agape Circle, which meets monthly on second Tuesday evenings from September through June.
Connection and craft groups meet throughout the week: Piecemakers Quilters on Tuesday mornings, Knitters and Hat Loomers on Monday evenings, and Chemo Caps, which produces caps delivered to four area cancer centers and Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Earthkeepers meets on the second Monday evening for creation-care topics.
Care Ministry
Care Ministry is overseen by Rev. Judy Nelson, Pastor of Care, and is built around the conviction that the church should be the hands and feet of Jesus in practical ways. A Faith Community Nurse serves the congregation, first responders are on hand during services, and a medical equipment closet lends out supplies. Care Partners provide one-on-one companionship, prayer, and help navigating needs from illness to grief. Care and Repair sends volunteers to assist with nonprofessional home repairs such as window washing, power washing, minor plumbing, painting, and hardware installation, with material costs borne by those requesting help. SERVE IT UP with Love delivers fresh, hot meals twice a month to clients of Doors of Hope and CMC families. A freezer-meal ministry is available for anyone needing a ready-made meal.
Bereavement mailings go out at the two-week, six-week, three-month, six-month, and twelve-month marks after a death. Communion can be brought to homebound members and coordinated at area facilities such as RestHaven and Appledorn. Support groups include GriefShare (a thirteen-week program on Monday evenings), the Dementia Caregivers Support Group (monthly on the second Thursday afternoon with Evergreen Commons), and Journey on with Hope, a widow and widower support group. P.A.U.L. (Prisoners, Abandoned, Unloved, and Lonely) keeps families connected to incarcerated loved ones through letters, cards, phone calls, and care packages.
Worship Arts
The Worship Arts ministry, led by Director of Worship Arts Dr. Steve Martin, supports both classic and contemporary services. Steve Martin, an operatic tenor with a doctorate in voice performance from Michigan State University and experience at companies including Santa Fe Opera and Glimmerglass Festival, also teaches voice as an adjunct professor at Hope College. The Sanctuary Choir has shared choral music in worship for more than fifty years. The Christ Memorial Orchestra enhances worship on the first and third Sundays of the month. A Brass Ensemble adds brilliance on one Sunday a month and during Advent and Holy Week. The Westminster Handbell Choir leads worship one Sunday each month. A Worship Band, Vocal Team, vocal and instrumental soloists, narrators, technology team members, and a decorations team round out the arts ministry, along with media presentation and sanctuary lighting crews.
Outreach: Hand2Hand and Kid's Hope USA
The church's commitment to reach out in Jesus' name takes shape in two major local partnerships. Hand2Hand, coordinated by Cindy Bosman, fights childhood hunger by packing bags of weekend food for students at local schools. Volunteers serve on packing crews on Thursday mornings, delivery teams on Wednesday mornings, and as drivers who pick up groceries from Feeding America West Michigan and the Hand2Hand office in Jenison.
Kid's Hope USA, directed by Carrie Homkes, pairs adult mentors with students at Holland West, the neighborhood school, for one hour a week of consistent, caring attention. The church also supports local partners such as Doors of Hope, which provides safe housing and trauma recovery for survivors of abuse; Holland Free Health Clinic; Escape Ministries; Healing Hearts; Mosaic Counseling; and 70x7 Life Recovery, alongside encompassKids in South Africa as a global partner.
Indoor Jungle Playground
The Indoor Jungle playground, accessible through Entrance B, is a free indoor play space with a jungle gym and other equipment designed for active play. It is open Mondays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The playground also becomes part of the Second Hour children's programming on Sunday mornings.
Pastoral Leadership
Christ Memorial is currently in a pastoral transition. Rev. Dr. Stan Mast serves as Interim Lead Pastor while the congregation searches for a new Lead Pastor of Preaching and Worship. Rev. Suzanne Hart serves as Interim Pastor of Transition and Discipleship. Rev. Carole Aardsma and Rev. Norma Hook serve together as Pastors of Visitation, and Rev. Judy Nelson is Pastor of Care. The church is governed by a council of Lead Elders and Care and Connection Elders, including a Clerk, Vice-President, Treasurer, and At-Large members. In keeping with its Reformed identity, applicants for the Lead Pastor position are asked to complete the RCA Minister Profile Form, signaling affiliation with the Reformed Church in America.
First-Time Visitor Notes
Sunday morning worship at 9:30 AM is the main gathering, with both classic and contemporary options running at the same hour. Children's programming runs concurrently from infant care through fifth grade, and the Dwell service in the Gathering Place is set up to feel comfortable for guests who would rather sit with a coffee than in a pew. Busy bags are available in the back of the sanctuary for young children. A new members class is planned each fall for those exploring membership. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Giving is available online, a mobile app is offered for iOS and Android, and a directory is maintained through Instant Church Directory. Past services are archived on YouTube, and the livestream runs on Facebook, YouTube, and the online church platform for those who want to take a first look before coming in person.