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
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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
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