The Gift of Friendship Sunday School Has Started
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The Gift of Friendship Sunday School Has Started
GRACE N News from and about Grace Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan TES October, 2008 Sunday School Has Started Clockwise: Arie and Pat Knoester, Superintendents, K--3. Adult Class, Middle School, Stephanie Rottman, High School Class and grades 4-5 The Sunday School Staff is excited about the opportunities to teach and encourage. Pat and Arie Knoester are the Supervisers and the K--3 teachers are Katie Timmermans and Eileen Kooreman. Our 4-5 teachers are Pat Stubbs and Rosemary Draayer. Our Middle School teachers are Andy Cok and Jim Dekker.Our HS teachers are Arie and Pat Knoester. ____________________________________________________ The Gift of Friendship When Jack and Dottie Wiersma’s fourth child, Sherman, was born in 1967, the Wiersmas were in for a life-changing experience. Sherman had Down Syndrome, a genetic birth disorder that affects one in 800-1000 children. After they got through the initial crisis, said Dottie, “We made up our minds that we did not have three children and Sherman. We had four special children.” Sunday School has started with a good initial program. On our opening day, Stephanie Rottman showed her slides of China to 37 Adults. A magician came to Grace Church and performed in front of 35 children. Several political figures have spoken to the Adult Sunday School class about the upcoming elections and the issues. Attendance has been good and we encourage everyone to come, when they can, to Sunday School. Come and bring your children. Last year our typical daily attendance in Sunday School was five adults and sixteen children. This year we are hoping for much better participation. When Sherman was eighteen months old he moved with his parents and siblings from Iowa City, Iowa, to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they found a church home at Grace. Over the next few years Sherman thrived in Grace’s welcoming community, attending Sunday pre-school classes, and singing in the Junior Choir. But it soon became evident that his spiritual needs could not be met in a regular Sunday School class. Then, one September, when the new classes were assembling, and Sherman’s name was not on the list, Matt Rottman demanded to know, “Where is Sherman? He’s my friend, I know he is eight -- he belongs here!” Anita Burress graciously offered to teach Sherman, and each week made sure he experienced God’s love through her caring instruction, creating special lessons just for him. So, Grace Church had Mrs. Burress. But what about other churches? What about other Shermans? At that time many of Grace Church’s members were meeting regularly in small fellowship groups. One of these groups routinely attempted to address current issues affecting Grace Church. So, on a Sunday evening in January, 1978, at the home of Duane and Adele Vander Brug, the topic of the church’s commitment to education for all its members was discussed. Was the baptismal promise to “care for his instruction in the faith” being kept for Sherman and others with special needs? They decided to follow the discussion with action, and two members of Grace, Greg Yoder and Bear Berends, volunteered to go with Jack and Dottie to begin a discussion with members of the education committee of the Christian Reformed Board of Publications. It is fair to say that the idea of producing instructional materials for special needs members of the denomination was met with some skepticism. “Who are these members?” “Are there really so many as to make this investment worthwhile?” “Who will teach?” “This will be expensive!” The Wiersmas, Greg and Bear left the meeting with little optimism. But, unknown to them, the board members decided to do some of their own research. On every “church business” trip they took over the next six months they decided to broach the topic of special needs programs. The more questions they asked, the more astounding were the answers. Everywhere they went they found people saying ,“We have willing teachers, please help us with materials!” One of the board members came back from one such trip and said he couldn’t sleep knowing what a need he had found. The next year James Heynen, then director of the education department at the CRC Board of Publications, sent an encouraging letter to the Grace Church group, indicating that much interest was present, but many hurdles needed to be overcome. Many meetings, much prayerful, dedicated effort resulted in a proposal being presented to the annual Synod of the CRC in 1980. Funding was approved, editors brought on board {Pat Nederveld was one}, and in 1982 the Friendship Program was launched. The unique genius of the Friendship Ministries Program is that it pairs individual students with mentors who become concrete models of Jesus’ love -- just as Mrs.Burress had been to Sherman. Sherman went on to attend Friendship classes at Central Reformed Church, and eventually made profession of faith at Grace -- with his former Sunday School buddy, Matt Rottman. Now Friendship Ministries has celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary. Its initial three-year course of basic Biblical instruction has expanded to other courses that focus on issues such as work, friendship, spiritual growth, and grief. Its materials are now in use around the world and in several denominations (more than fifty are listed on the Friendship website) in Sunday school classes, summer camps, and in group homes and worship services. A Spanish version of the program, Amistad, has been developed for use in Mexico, El Salvador, Cuba, and Spanish-speaking communities in North America. The tiny seed of love and commitment that sprouted here at Grace Church has blossomed into a mighty ministry whose core belief is that our church is complete only when it includes all of God’s children, and when all people are seen as equals -- in God’s eyes and in our own. Grace Church can be rightly proud of and thankful for our role in the gift of Friendship to the church! Dottie Wiersma If you want to learn more about “Friendship” ask Jack or Dottie. News from Associate Ministers Rev. Duane VanderBrug The care and healing of people – body and soul – have been the concerns of both Adele and Duane’s professional life for over four decades: Adele in bedside nursing and Duane in local and regional pastoring – with much of it in African American settings – Manhatten/Harlem, New York City and Chicago’s south and west sides. Each of them took a “late” formal retirement. With their background and life experiences, the care and healing of people in a hospital was a natural calling. God has challenged them in this ministry at Metro Hospital for the last two years. Although Duane and Adele have worked very closely together much of their fifty married lives, this is the first time they have worked on the same “turf” even though they work different days. This has enabled them to work with the same hospital staff and often the same patients. And this has given them the advantage of sharing each other’s challenges and joys and learning from each other. reprinted from Chaplain Services Inc. News Letter _____________________________________________ Grace Notes is published and distributed to the congregation about once a month. It is produced by Chris and Greta Overvoorde. We do not do the writing, we gather and edit what is send to us, therefore comments, articles, photographs, and ideas are most welcome. Committee ideas or reports from committees are also welcome. Please send them to over@calvin.edu or call them at 616 956-7454