A Country Church at the Corner of 5th and 118th
East Martin Christian Reformed Church sits at 510 118th Avenue in Martin, Michigan, a small farming community in Allegan County where the pavement gives way to cornfields and country roads. To reach the church from US-131, drivers take the Martin exit (#55), head east on 116th Avenue for five and a half miles until reaching 5th Street, then turn north and continue one mile to the corner of 5th and 118th. The building, a modest country church with a tall white steeple, anchors the neighborhood along with East Martin Christian School, a Christian day school on the same road to the east.
The church's mission statement reflects its rural setting and its warm welcome: a place where visitors can "discover a living, loving God who cares for you and where you can experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ." As a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, East Martin shares the broader denomination's Reformed confessions and its commitment to Christian education, while keeping the feel of a tight-knit country parish. The church's vision is to be a part of the Body of Christ in which every member is a servant of the living and true God, and members are invited to share in ministry across four areas: Worship and Prayer, Education and Discipling, Service and Witness, and Care and Fellowship. Together, the church and school form the heart of the East Martin community, with families moving between classrooms, sanctuary, and youth spaces throughout the week.
Two Sunday Services with an Early Prayer Hour
Worship at East Martin happens twice on Sunday. The morning service begins at 9:30 AM, and a second evening service follows at 6:00 PM. Both services blend the preaching of the Word with congregational singing, prayer, and the reading of Scripture. Pastor Ron Boukamp preaches the morning services regularly, and other Reformed ministers, including Rev. Jim Admiraal, have brought the Word in recent evening services. Recent sermon series have walked through the letter of James, with titles such as "Death for the Christian" (Philippians 1:20-24) and "From Useless to Useful" (Philemon).
Before either service, the sanctuary opens for prayer at 8:00 AM. The early hour is a weekly rhythm in which the congregation brings the needs of the church, the community, and the wider world before God. Bulletins for each Sunday are posted online in the days leading up to the service, giving members a chance to read the Scripture texts and pray through the order of worship ahead of time. The printed "Echoes" newsletter goes out monthly with announcements, devotional reading, and reports from the ministries. Sermon recordings are posted to the church's YouTube channel so that shut-ins and traveling members can keep up with the preaching.
Visitors can expect a warm, reverent atmosphere. The congregation is intergenerational, with families and singles, young and old, sitting together in the pews. There is no formal dress code; members arrive in everything from work clothes and jeans to Sunday dresses and ties, and the church welcomes anyone who comes through the doors.
Sunday School from September Through April
Immediately after the morning service, children head downstairs for Sunday School at 10:45 AM. The program runs from September through April and is open to children from preschool through 12th grade, with age-appropriate classes led by volunteers from the congregation. The curriculum is built around the same Scripture passages the congregation has just heard in worship, so families end up discussing the same texts at home around the dinner table. Catechism instruction for older students follows the Reformed tradition of the denomination. The summer months are reserved for family worship and informal fellowship, with Sunday School on hiatus.
Cadets: A Boys' Ministry Rooted in Scripture
East Martin runs a Cadets ministry for boys in 4th through 8th grade. Cadets meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from October through April, gathering from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Anchor. Scott Tuinstra leads the group along with a rotating team of adult helpers. The national Cadets ministry is a Reformed program that helps boys grow into Christian men who love God, serve their neighbors, and develop practical skills and character. Locally, meetings typically include badge work, hands-on projects, mentoring around Scripture, and time for the boys to burn off energy between activities. The Cadets Facebook group keeps families connected between meetings, and newcomers can request access through the church's events page.
GEMS: Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior
Girls in 2nd through 8th grade gather for GEMS on the same first and third Wednesdays, also from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, but September through April. The group meets in the church basement and is led by Amy Kalkman, Jen Tuinstra, and Rebekah Westendorp. GEMS stands for "Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior," and the program follows the national curriculum, centered on an annual theme that gives the year a unifying focus. Each week begins with a Bible study on the theme, then moves to either a craft or a game, and closes with a time of singing. The stated vision of the program is to see girls actively and enthusiastically expressing love for God and others, both locally and around the world. Parents can request access to the GEMS Facebook group through the church's contact page.
Senior High Youth and Her True North
Teenagers in 9th through 12th grade have two weekly gatherings at the Anchor. The Senior High Youth Group meets on the second and fourth Sundays of each month at 7:30 PM, September through May, with additional events scattered through the summer. Led by Libby Dendel and Scott Tuinstra, the evening typically begins with food, moves into a Bible study, and includes time for games and fellowship. The youth group runs several fundraisers throughout the year, including a Thanksgiving breakfast and a Christmas card delivery service, to support their spring break service trip and other activities. The group's stated theme verse is Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Their goal, as the leadership describes it, is to give high school students "a fun and safe place to learn more about God, enjoy time with friends, and be better prepared to go out in the world as positive role models."
On the first and third Sundays at 7:30 PM, high school girls gather separately for Her True North, also led by Libby Dendel and Jen Tuinstra. The group's focus is studying women of the Bible and learning how to apply their examples of faith to life today. The two teen groups rarely overlap on the calendar, and students are welcome at either or both as their schedules allow.
Coffee Break and Young at Heart
Women of all ages are invited to Coffee Break, a weekly Bible study that meets on Wednesday mornings from 9:45 to 11:00 AM, September through April. Meetings are held in the church basement and begin with coffee, a light snack, and time to catch up with friends before moving into the lesson. Deb Smit leads the group alongside Sheri VanElderen and Denise Leep. Nursery care is available when needed, so mothers with young children can attend. Coffee Break is one of the longest-running women's ministries in the Reformed tradition and is structured around small-group Bible study with a wider network of women across the region.
Adults 55 and older gather as the Young at Heart group on the third Thursday of each month from May through October. The group meets in the church's fellowship room at 11:30 AM, with lunch served at noon. The committee asks attendees to sign up in the narthex so they can plan food accordingly, but the gatherings are open to anyone in the age range, including visitors from neighboring congregations. The format is simple: a shared meal and a time of unhurried fellowship.
The Anchor Next Door
The Anchor is the church's secondary gathering space, located at 518 118th Avenue, just to the west of the main church building and the Christian school. Many of East Martin's youth and family ministries meet there because the larger rooms accommodate games, food, and the noisier fellowship that comes with younger children. The Anchor is also the venue for events that overflow the church's capacity, and outside groups sometimes use the facility when it is available. East Martin CRC notes that some events are held at the Anchor rather than at the church, so newcomers should confirm the location when signing up.
Pastor Boukamp and the Wider Church Family
Pastor Ron Boukamp serves as the preaching pastor for East Martin CRC, regularly bringing the morning sermons and walking alongside the congregation through seasons of both celebration and difficulty. Visiting preachers, including Rev. Jim Admiraal, have delivered recent evening services. The leadership team is broader than the pulpit, however: a network of volunteer ministry leaders carries the bulk of the children's, youth, women's, and seniors' ministries, with Scott Tuinstra, Libby Dendel, Amy Kalkman, Jen Tuinstra, Rebekah Westendorp, Deb Smit, Sheri VanElderen, and Denise Leep serving in named roles. The church's vision statement casts every member as a servant of the living and true God, and the expectation is that ministry belongs to the whole body, not just to staff.
Daily Devotions and the Wider Community
The church maintains an active devotional blog, with short reflections posted most weekdays. A long-running series has walked verse-by-verse through the letter of James, with entries like "Help!," "Who Are You Walking With?," "Sing It Out!," "Powerful Obedience," "Prayers of Faith," "Please Pray for Me," "Friendship Confessional," "Spiritual Cancer," "Patiently Plugging Along," "Taking One for Jesus," "Tearing Each Other Apart," "Standing Firm in the Storm," and "Bring Them Back." Each reflection closes with a brief prayer and a few questions for adults and children to discuss around the dinner table. A second series, titled "Freedom in Christ," shares readings adapted from the Freedom in Christ discipleship course and addresses topics like contentment, people-pleasing, and the assurance that nothing can separate the believer from God's love.
East Martin CRC also hosts a community action page that connects members with state and federal legislators. The page links directly to the Right to Life of Michigan's legislative action page and provides contact information for the senators and representatives serving the Martin area. The page is grounded in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
Believing and Belonging as Christian Reformed
As a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, East Martin holds to the Reformed confessions shared across the denomination, including the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. The denomination's vision, mission, and calling, along with its full statement of beliefs, are linked from the church's About page for anyone who wants to read further. Locally, the church identifies itself as a family where every member is a servant of God and where the wider community is welcome to come as they are and find a place to grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The prayer meeting, the Sunday services, and the weekday ministries together form a steady rhythm of welcome that has defined the congregation for generations.