A Congregation on East Elm Street
Wayland Christian Reformed Church sits on East Elm Street in the small town of Wayland, Michigan, just south of Grand Rapids in Allegan County. The congregation meets each Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, and its identity is shaped by the Christian Reformed tradition: Scripture-centered worship, catechism-based teaching, and a strong network of family ministries that walks alongside children from nursery age through high school. Members describe themselves as a multigenerational group with varied occupations and backgrounds, sharing a love for the Lord and a commitment to hospitality, prayer, and serving others.
Roots in the 1950s
The church traces its beginnings to the summer of 1950, when LaGrave CRC hired a seminary student to do evangelism in the Wayland area. He started Bible classes and compiled a list of interested families. Moline CRC then took over the project, though it became inactive in 1954. The work resumed in 1955, when eleven families from Moline CRC living in the Wayland area agreed to help start a new church. Early worship services and Sunday School classes were held in the American Legion Hall, and volunteers made regular trips to pick up families so that attendance could grow.
On February 15, 1957, a steering committee asked Classis Grand Rapids South for permission to organize, and that permission was granted in May of the same year. Ten acres were purchased on East Elm Street, a church building was erected, and a parsonage was built next door. In 1997, the congregation added an Education Building housing offices, classrooms, a full kitchen, and a banquet room. Construction on a new sanctuary began in 2015, and the congregation moved into it in 2016 before the old sanctuary was demolished.
What the Church Believes
The congregation's stated purpose is to glorify God through worship, education, fellowship, and witness. Members put it this way: "We believe that the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, the only infallible rule for our faith and life." Wayland CRC is part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and belongs to Classis Grand Rapids South. The Word of God is central in worship, and every song used in services is based on Scripture. Members believe that all of life is governed by faith, that the church is the family of God, and that hospitality, prayer, and ministry flow from Christ's example of servanthood.
Sunday Morning at Wayland CRC
Sunday begins with the Morning Service at 9:30 AM. The service is livestreamed on Facebook Live each Sunday and uploaded to the congregation's YouTube channel the following Monday, so members who are traveling or unwell can keep up with the sermon. A PDF bulletin is available the Thursday before each service, and the Sermons and Bulletins section provides the entire catalog of recent sermons, with video and bulletin links. Preachers at Wayland CRC include Lead Pastor Jerry Zandstra and a rotating group of guest preachers such as Phil Sikkema and Russ Ooms.
After the service, the church gathers for Adult Bible Study from 11:00 to 11:30 AM. Led by Pastor Zandstra and Phil Sikkema, this group walks through an in-depth discussion of the morning sermon and the lesson being studied in Sunday School. Communion is celebrated four times a year, and each Communion Sunday is followed by a potluck in the church basement at 11:30 AM. Everyone is welcome; attendees simply bring a hot and a cold dish to pass.
Children and Students
Children have a place in the service from the moment they arrive. The Nursery, led by Gretchen DeHaan, is available during the morning service for babies and toddlers from newborn to age two. At the offering, two-year-olds are dismissed to Little Lambs, led by Shari Oetman, a play-based curriculum with simple Bible stories, songs, and crafts. Children ages three through kindergarten are dismissed at the same time for Children's Worship, also led by Shari Oetman, where they hear Bible stories, sing, snack, and make a craft. Little Lambs and Children's Worship run September through May.
From 10:45 AM, students in first through twelfth grade gather for Sunday School under Andrea Buist. Lessons are drawn from the CRC Catechism, and the time includes singing, fellowship, and Bible study. September through May.
On the first and third Wednesday evenings of each month, the church runs two long-standing youth clubs. GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior) is a club for girls in first through eighth grade, led by Andrea Buist, that combines Bible study, mentoring, and badge work. The Calvinist Cadet Corps serves boys in second through eighth grade under Scott Schaafsma and uses a similar format of large group time, small groups, Bible study, and badge work. High schoolers in ninth through twelfth grade meet for the Youth Group on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, led by Pastor Zandstra and Phil Sikkema, with food, fellowship, games, retreats, and other activities built around cultivating a relationship with Jesus.
Vacation Bible School
Each summer the congregation hosts Vacation Bible School for children age three through fifth grade. The week runs Monday through Friday in late June, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, and the church invites the whole family to come at 5:00 PM for a shared meal before the program begins. Registration opens through a sign-up form.
Missionaries and Local Partners
Wayland CRC supports two missionary families working beyond the congregation. Kyle and Marcia Post serve with Cru Campus Ministries in Chattanooga, Tennessee, an organization that works to develop Christ-centered multiplying disciples. Tom and Donna Cnossen serve with the Northern Canada Evangelical Mission in Alberta, working among the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and related communities.
Locally, the church partners with a range of ministries: Alpha Women's Center, Bible League, Guiding Light, Hope Unexpected, Mel Trotter Ministries, Positive Options, Reach the Forgotten, Right to Life, World Renew, and 70x7 Ministries. Members are encouraged to pray for these ministries and to support them through giving and volunteering.
Pine Rest CAP
Through Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, the church offers its members a free Church Assistance Program (CAP). The program provides confidential consultations and online resources for every member of the family, covering topics from marriage and parenting to personal struggles. The church encourages members to use these resources whenever the need arises.
Volunteering and Getting Involved
Anyone interested in serving at Wayland CRC can fill out the volunteer interest form, and the office connects them with the right ministry leader. To volunteer in roles that involve children or vulnerable adults, the church requires a background check, which can be completed using a form from the Volunteer section. The church notes that volunteers should have attended worship regularly for at least six months before stepping into a service role. A printed church directory is kept current through an online directory that members can access at any time.
Leadership
The pastoral and ministry leadership of Wayland CRC includes Lead Pastor Jerry Zandstra; Worship Director Sarah Verburg; GEMS leader Andrea Buist; Little Lambs and Children's Worship leader Shari Oetman; Cadets leader Scott Schaafsma; and Nursery leader Gretchen DeHaan. Phil Sikkema serves alongside the pastor in leading the Adult Bible Study. The church is governed by elders and deacons, in keeping with the polity of the Christian Reformed Church.
Visiting Wayland CRC
The church building is at 303 East Elm Street in Wayland, with offices open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Worship begins at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings. Visitors can expect a traditional, Scripture-saturated service, with songs drawn directly from the Bible and sermons that walk through books of the Bible and Christian doctrine in series form. Families with young children are warmly welcomed; nursery care and age-appropriate classes begin at the offering. Anyone unable to attend in person can join the service through Facebook Live or catch the recording on YouTube during the week.