Ottawa Reformed Church: A West Olive Congregation Rebuilding for the Next Generation

A Real Church on Stanton Street

Tucked between 112th and 120th Avenues on Stanton Street in the small community of West Olive, Michigan, Ottawa Reformed Church has spent decades serving the lakeshore west of Holland. The congregation's home page declares its identity plainly: "We believe that 'church' is not a building. It is people in relationship with God because people matter." Members describe themselves as "a real church of real people living in a real world searching for real answers," and the church lives that out through two Sunday services, a packed calendar of weekday programs, and deep partnerships with local ministries and overseas missionaries.

What sets ORC apart right now is the remarkable transformation of its campus. Ground was broken in April 2025 on a brand-new sanctuary adjoining the existing building, and by December 2025 the congregation was worshipping in the new space. The remodeled main floor of the older building has been converted into a Fellowship Hall with a coffee and juice station, a library, two new nurseries, and refreshed offices. The addition includes a covered drive-up canopy, a wheelchair-accessible ramp with snow-melt, and a Welcome Center at the new south lobby.

Sunday Worship, Morning and Evening

Sunday at ORC centers on two worship gatherings that use the same sanctuary and same Bible but different rhythms of the day.

• 9:30 AM Morning Service (blended) - The blended morning service is planned around a single Biblical focus and theme for the day, drawing on a mix of music and liturgy that feels comfortable to longtime Reformed attenders and first-time visitors alike. Dress runs the full spectrum, from dresses and suits to t-shirts and jeans, and greeters are quick to point new families toward the nursery or to the children's dismissal.
• 5:00 PM Evening Service - A second, quieter gathering in the same sanctuary offers a way to round out Sunday for those who want a second dose of preaching and prayer.

Children are a welcome part of both services. Infant and toddler nurseries sit off the north lobby on the main floor and are staffed by two adults plus a youth helper at every service. Children ages three through Kindergarten are dismissed to "Children and Worship" after the children's message during the morning service. Mornings close with conversation over coffee and lemonade in the Fellowship Hall before Sunday School classes for all ages begin at 11:00 AM and run to 11:45 AM during the school year.

Weekly bulletins are posted online and recent services are recorded and shared on the church's YouTube channel for those who can't be there in person.

Children's Ministry from Cradle to Cadets

Few congregations in Ottawa County pour as much intentional energy into their youngest members. The children's ministries at ORC are organized under Children's Education Director Michelle Bekius and reach children from birth through sixth grade.

• Nursery. Available during both Sunday services, staffed by background-checked adults and youth helpers in a room just off the main-level north lobby.
• Children and Worship. For three-year-olds through Kindergarten. After the children's message, kids are dismissed to a separate worship space that uses a sensorimotor style of storytelling - they hear Biblical stories through figures and art materials, then respond with prayer and a blessing. The aim is for young children to begin telling stories about God on their own.
• Sunday School. Classes for every age run from 11:00 to 11:45 AM, with the school-year program beginning in mid-September and concluding in early May.
• CREW (Children Really Exploring the Word). A Wednesday-night program for ages three through first grade that meets from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the lower level, mid-September through late March. Children learn Biblical truths through stories and song with their peers.
• VBS. Vacation Bible School rotates themes each summer; recent years have used the "Wonder Junction" curriculum.
• Cadets and GEMS. Two long-running midweek programs for boys and girls in second through sixth grade. Cadets focuses on Quest Bible lessons, badge work, crafts, and outdoor adventure - dodgeball is the official sport, plus camping trips, the Pinewood Derby, and a Snow Derby. GEMS girls' club follows a yearly theme; the 2026-27 year is "Wayfinder: Following the Way, the Truth, and the Life," which challenges the cultural signs of "follow your heart" and "speak your own truth" with Jesus' words from John 14:6.
• Kids' Archery League and Bibles & Bows. A winter archery program that runs alongside a Bible study. The archery session takes place from 6:30 to 7:15 PM, followed by an hour of Bible study; Pastor Mike has recently taught through the Parables.

Junior High, Senior High, and the Great Commandment

Older youth are covered by two parallel ministries led by Danielle Thomas (Junior High) and Brad Kleinjans (Senior High). Both groups use games, teaching, small groups, fun events, local service projects, and a winter retreat to press the same point home: love God, love others, love yourself - the Great Commandment.

• Junior High Youth (grades 7-8). Sunday School at 11:00 AM in the GRACE Center, then a full Wednesday-night program from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Youth Room from mid-September through the end of March.
• Senior High Youth (grades 9-12). Sunday School at 11:00 AM in the Youth Room, then a Sunday-evening program from 6:15 to 8:00 PM, mid-September through late April. The high schoolers also participate in a summer mission trip.
• Young Adult People (YAP). For ages 18-30, YAP gathers the third Sunday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, September through April, for dinner, Bible study, and discussion.

Two performance ministries round out the youth calendar when they are running: ORC Players, a multi-generational acting and dance troupe that has staged full-scale musicals at local theaters, and ORC Dance, which mixes dance technique with gymnastics skills for kids age five and up. Both are currently paused.

Adults: Men's Recharge, Mom's Play Group, and a Lot of Bible Studies

Adults at ORC have a wide choice of small groups, classes, and fellowship gatherings.

• L.A.M.B. (Learning About My Bible). A women's Bible study held Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 AM in the GRACE Center, currently working through a study guide on Romans.
• Men's Recharge. Men of any age gather at 5:30 AM on Tuesday mornings in the Fellowship Hall for Bible discussion, a light breakfast, fellowship, and prayer. The group is led by rotating members.
• Stud Finders. A men's Bible study especially welcoming young men, meeting Wednesday evenings at 8:15 PM and currently studying Romans.
• Single Women's Bible Study. Meets the third Sunday of the month at the home of Beverly Jaarsma for Bible study, lunch, prayer, and fellowship.
• Mom's Play Group. Moms meet monthly while their kids play in the indoor gym. Special outings are added throughout the year.
• Home Bible Studies. Monthly small groups hosted in the homes of ORC members for shared study and relationship-building.
• ORC Outdoors. An outreach to men, women, and children who love God's creation - archery, clay pigeon shoots, wild game dinners, fishing tournaments, hikes, and sledding at Pigeon Creek Park.
• Wit & Wisdom. A seniors' group open to anyone 62 and over that meets the second Thursday of the month for outings and on-campus fellowship.
• Men's Basketball. Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM in the GRACE Center gym, December through the winter months.
• WOW Knitting (Winning Ottawa Women). A knitting and crochet group that meets the third Monday of each month at 7:00 PM and makes prayer shawls and other items for those in need.
• Health Team and Medical Assistance Ministry. Supported by Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital, this team provides health information, blood pressure screenings, and medical assistance at church events.
• Tool Time Ministries. Volunteers who lend a hand to members and neighbors who cannot do household tasks themselves.
• Library. A staffed Sunday-morning library of fiction, non-fiction, teen and tween titles, devotionals, family DVDs and VHS tapes, plus a puzzle library. The collection is housed in the main-floor library.
• Star Scripture Memory Program. A seven-level program of Bible memorization for students who recite verses to the Sunday School Secretary and earn stars and certificates for each completed level.

A New Sanctuary Replaces the Old

For more than a year the ORC campus has been a working construction site, and the weekly photo updates on the church's website tell the story in detail. Ground was broken on the new sanctuary in April 2025, footings were poured in May, steel walls went up in late June, roof and brickwork came together through the summer, and the Worship Center walls - including a striking cross-designed window on the east side - took shape in August and September. Light fixtures, ceiling clouds, and acoustic spray went in through October, snow-melt heating was installed in the new handicap ramps, and wood-trim staining and carpet installation finished out November.

By December 21, 2025, the congregation was worshipping in the new sanctuary, with Bibles at the doors and the church declaring simply, "PRAISE GOD for his abundant blessings." The old sanctuary has been converted into a Fellowship Hall with a coffee and juice station, the old offices are new nurseries and updated offices for the pastors, and the previous library has been reconfigured. The construction efforts added covered carports at the new east and west entrances, snow-melt sidewalks, and a wheelchair ramp that is now oriented north to make room for a permanent structure.

Sharing the New Space

The new facility is also available for community use. Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, the Youth Room, and the GRACE Center gym are all rentable for weddings, funerals, and other gatherings. Sports teams can also reserve space during the season.

Serving West Olive and Beyond

Outreach is built into the church's identity and shows up in named ministry areas rather than as a single program. Three efforts stand out.

• Kids Hope USA. Led by Lori Geerts, who has directed the program for more than twenty-one years, Kids Hope USA pairs ORC mentors with at-risk elementary students at Roosevelt Elementary School in Zeeland. The motto is "One Child, One Hour, One Church, One School at a Time," and the partnership is the heart of the church's commitment to local children.
• Hand2Hand Ministries. Volunteers pack weekend food bags for children at Roosevelt School who might otherwise go hungry from Friday lunch until Monday breakfast. Coordinator Kim Dunn and her team keep a published list of needed items so the wider congregation can stock the pantry.
• Community Partners. ORC works with Gateway Mission (Holland Rescue Mission) and Love INC of the Allegan/Ottawa area. Together these partnerships give church members a way to serve across emergency shelter work, mentoring, thrift store assistance, food pantry, furniture help, ESL classes, transportation, medical equipment lending, car repair, the New to You store, and a SKILL program for small home repair projects.

Two building-and-grounds efforts round out local mission: Tool Time Ministries sends volunteers into members' homes and neighborhoods for small projects, and Health Ministries partners with Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital for screenings and health-related education.

Going Global with Mission Partners

Beyond West Olive and Holland, ORC supports a wide network of missionaries and mission agencies. The current roster includes:

• Larry Barber with Church of Grace
• Austin and Tate Bonnema with Overland Missions
• Campus Ministries at Grand Valley State University
• CranHill Ranch
• Mission India
• Multiplication Network Ministries
• Daniel with GlobalGrace Fellowship
• Right to Life of Holland
• Brian and Sheryl Roby with Mission to the World
• Jacob Tornga with the International Association for Refugees
• Chad and Dara Vanden Bosh serving in Mozambique with Audio Scripture Ministries
• Western Theological Seminary in Holland
• Words of Hope in Grand Rapids
• Barbara Yandell with Horizons International

The Wednesday-night offering collected from September through December each year goes toward Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes through Samaritan's Purse.

What ORC Believes

Ottawa Reformed Church describes its mission as "Loving and leading people to live for Jesus," and its vision as "A Community of love for the community we love." The four core values are: Solidly Biblical, Deeply Spiritual, Passionate about Mission, and Caring for All People.

A full Statement of Faith is available as a downloadable PDF from the church's website. The congregation participates in a Scripture Memory program called Star Memory that walks students through seven levels of Bible memorization, from creation verses in Genesis 1:1 through the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the books of the Bible, and extended passages like Psalm 100, Isaiah 53, 1 Corinthians 13, and Romans 8.

ORC is part of the Alliance of Reformed Churches, a network of Reformed congregations; the church's ARC page on the website points members to the Alliance's national website and Facebook page. Mike Van Buren's biography also notes his family's deep roots in the Reformed Church in America, and the church partners with Western Theological Seminary in Holland and the GEMS and Cadets ministries that are rooted in the Reformed tradition.

Two Pastors, One Shared Calling

The church is led by two ordained pastors who split the work of shepherding and administration between them.

• Dr. Jim Poit serves as Pastor of Preaching, Teaching & Outreach. He grew up in Lapeer, Michigan, met his wife Linda at SpringHill Camps while he was at Hope College and she was at Calvin College, and they married in 1987. After earning a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD in Theology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Jim served as lead pastor of three churches - First Reformed Church of Rocky Hill, New Jersey; Lakeland Reformed Church in Vicksburg, Michigan; and New Hope Community Church in Gilbert, Arizona - and as an executive pastor at Centerpoint Church in Kalamazoo and at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. He was installed at ORC on July 28, 2019. He also chairs the board of trustees at Western Theological Seminary and serves as an adjunct professor for Fuller Theological Seminary.
• Rev. Michael (Mike) Van Buren serves as Pastor of Administration & Congregational Care. Born in 1952 in Waupun, Wisconsin, Mike is a third-generation Dutch American and a third-generation member of the Reformed Church in America. He graduated from Hope College in 1974 and Western Theological Seminary in 1977, then served Glen Lake Community Reformed Church from 1977 to 1982 before becoming the pastor of Ottawa Reformed Church, where he served until 1997. He pastored Fellowship Reformed Church in Hudsonville from 1998 until 2018, returned to ORC on September 1, 2018, as Executive Pastor, and now serves alongside Dr. Poit in his current role.

The Staff and Consistory

The ministry staff includes Kristin Bredeweg as Worship Coordinator, Michelle Bekius as Children's Education Director, Emily Raak as CREW Coordinator, Danielle Thomas as Junior High Youth Director, Brad Kleinjans as Senior High Youth Director, and Lori Geerts as Kids Hope USA Director. Two administrative assistants, a facility custodian, and a long directory of ministry coordinators round out the team.

The church is governed by a Consistory of elders and deacons. The current executive council includes Pastor Jim as President of Council, Pastor Mike, Vice President Kevin Bekius, Clerk Glenn Emmert, Treasurer Andrew Geertman, Chairman of Deacons Roger Whitman, Member at Large Terry Geertman, and Financial Administrator Kevin Bekius. Elders on the body are Tim Emmert, Tom Hill, Ken Prince, Kevin Bekius, Bruce DeVries, Glenn Emmert, Kurt Vegt, Andrew Geertman, Andrew Prince, Roger Whitman, Nate Engelsma, Austin Morren, Luke DeHaan, and Grant Gillissie.

Getting Connected

The Welcome Center in the south lobby is open on Sunday mornings for anyone who wants to learn more about plugging in. Visitors are encouraged to contact the church office at (616) 512-9251 or email office@ottawareformed.org; office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Weekly bulletins, video sermons, and an online Bible reading tool are available through the church's website, and online giving is offered through Tithe.ly. Facility rentals, the church calendar, the Star Scripture Memory program, and the ORC Outdoors and Bible study registration pages round out the resources on ottawareformed.org.

Whether someone is looking for a Sunday school for their kindergartner, a place for a high schooler to wrestle with Scripture and the Great Commandment, a Wednesday-night men's Bible study, a senior fellowship, a marriage service in the new sanctuary, or a way to mentor a child at a nearby elementary school, ORC has a clearly marked door waiting for them on Stanton Street.