Just before parting from his disciples for heaven after his death and resurrection, Jesus commissioned them to go and make more disciples throughout the world, teaching what he had taught them. In obedience to that command, our congregation seeks not only to prepare its own members for the privilege and responsibility of being followers of Jesus, but to extend that good news of his kingdom to regions and lands beyond our own community, in places where often that good news has been obscured or is in short supply.

To do this, we partner with a number of people who have dedicated themselves to extend that gospel to other places, some nearby, but most to peoples in other lands. Following are those who carry on the good news for us.

 

 

Palos Heights CRC has been in support of the work at the Ministries Center since the 1970s. Pastor Huizenga, after serving the Center for several years in a training capacity, is now directing the work there. He has become our partner in a ministry which focuses on embodying the compassion of Jesus toward those who need some additional help in the challenging circumstances of our broken world. Joe also pastors the Roseland Christian Reformed Church. He is married to Octavia, and they have two little boys, Stephen and Michael. Joe is the grandson of Marv and Klazena Boerema from our church.

 

 

 

Karen is a daughter of our congregation, and her parents, Conrad and Beth, are members with us at Palos Heights CRC. She has been partnering with us since the mid-1990s, serving with the Pittsburgh Project since 1998. The Pittsburgh Project is a neighborhood-based Christian community development ministry that seeks to restore the city by revitalizing its members, developing leaders, serving the poor and building God’s kingdom. Karen is the Director of Youth Programs, for children from K-12, designed to help these students to develop into servant leaders, using their gifts to serve God and others.

 

 

 

Carl and Sandy have been partnering with our church since 1987 when they began serving as church planters in Texas. In 1993 they moved to California where they began planting a church in north Long Beach, an effort that was blessed in that group becoming an organized congregation in 2003. The New City Church is not a typical Christian Reformed congregation. It is ethnically very diverse, and a majority of its members became believers after attending New City. Carl & Sandy have 4 children, one of whom, Stephen, still resides at home. Sandy is the daughter of Ira and Evelyn Slagter who are members of our congregation.

 

 

 

Jeong and Misook, though U.S. citizens, are natives of Korea. Christian Reformed World Missions called the Ghos in 1995 to do mission work in Japan. After some struggle in overcoming their Korean hostility to an enemy nation, the Ghos did accept the challenge of presenting the good news to the Japanese, a people who have been very resistant to the Gospel (only about 1% of Japanese consider themselves Christian). But Jeong, who works with the Reformed Churches in Japan, is hopeful that this will begin to change with his switch from church planting to more of leadership training, especially as the new Timothy Leadership Training procedures are being introduced for the pastors of the churches there. The Ghos, who have partnered with our congregation since 2004, have three children, one of whom, Julia, still resides with them.

 

 

 

Leanne and Caspar have served as Christian Reformed missionaries since 1982. They have been our partners since about 1998. While only Leanne, who serves with CRWRC, is officially listed as our partner missionary (Caspar is with Christian Reformed World Missions), we consider both of them as our partners in mission. Caspar serves in leadership development with the Christian Reformed churches in Honduras, while Leanne devotes her expertise to World Relief efforts throughout the Central American and Caribbean area. They have one son who resides in Canada.

 

 

 

Bob is technically our missionary partner, but since both Bob and Patti serve Christian Reformed World Missions in the Philippines we regard them both as our partners. Bob serves in leadership development for Filipino pastors, seeking to provide training and coaching for them to acquire a more dynamic biblical basis for preaching and a solid Reformed worldview. Patti teaches at the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila, a school that prepares ministerial students from throughout Southeast Asia. Bob and Patti joined Christian Reformed World Missions in 1998 and became partners with our congregation in about 2004. They have four children with only one, David, still at home.

 

 

 

Stephan and Alicia have been our partners in mission since about 2002, shortly after joining CRWRC. They have two boys, Noah and Oliver, both in their early elementary school years. Alicia is presently teaching in high school. In serving with CRWRC, Stephan is enabled to fulfill his serious concern about our Christian and human responsibility to be faithful stewards over the earth and its resources. The Church in East Africa and Kenyan society in general has neglected that responsibility, but there are hopeful signs that suggest the Church there is beginning to grapple with these challenges.

 

 

 

Dave and Erin are serving with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and are focusing on reaching students from the various art schools in Chicagoland (there are 11 such schools, among them the well-known Chicago Art Institute and Columbia College). The Fosters regard these students as very crucial, not only because so many of them need to know Jesus Christ and to grow in him, but also because they will be pursuing strategic, influential positions in film, writing, music, photography, journalism and art. These are also very formative years for these students, a time when their character and world views will largely become established. Dave and Erin have two daughters, Stella Ruth and Eva Grace. They have served as our partners since 2007. Erin is the granddaughter of Dean and Ruth Koldenhoven from our church.

 

 

 

Palos Heights CRC has for several decades provided special support for the denominational Back to God Ministries, which has been broadcasting via radio to the people of Indonesia. Approximately ten years ago Rev. Untung Ongkowidjaja assumed the leadership of the Indonesian ministry, and our church has continued in partnership with them. The Indonesian ministry reaches out to people who are overwhelmingly Muslim and youthful, using both radio and television, as well as listener community programs, and a children’s ministry. They have been providing the Timothy Leadership Training program for pastors in various denominations and are planning to train potential leaders for a Global Coffee Break ministry. The challenges are considerable and Radical Islam presents a constant threat to the religious stability of the nation. Untung and Ivany are blessed with two small boys.

 

 

 

Phil and Stephanie have served with Christian Reformed World Missions in Nigeria since 2005 and began partnering with our congregation in 2007. Phil, as the team leader for the Nigerian mission, does a variety of administrative and leadership work for the missionaries there, serving as a link between the Nigerian staff and the North American office, and facilitating cooperation with the Nigerian Church’s mission efforts. He also assists with the Hillcrest Mission School. Stephanie, besides devoting considerable time with their child, Elijah, continues to spend part of her time in counseling AIDS patients. Christian Reformed World Missions has been actively engaged in Nigeria since shortly after World War II.