Calvin Caller – Summer 2025
Summer Caller 2025 VOL. LVIII No. 3
Should “Family” be a verb?
Yes, I believe “Family” should be a verb…
It’s about gathering, sharing meals, talking, praying together, and supporting one another.
God’s people are called to “family,” actively living in community and love.
May we, here at Calvin, cherish these connections as reflections of His abundant grace.
(taken from the TODAY Devotional on 6/11/2025)
You’re invited!
Join us for the Calvin Church Picnic on Sunday, June 29, beginning at 12:30 PM. We’ll meet at the Ross Park Pavilion. See more details on the next page
(under Children’s Ministries) or in the church bulletin. A fun day for the entire family!
~ Vickie Curtis, Administrative Assistant
Children’s Ministries…
Hey parents, please mark the following dates on your calendar:
- June 29 – Church Picnic… we’ll meet at the Ross Park Pavilion at 12:30 PM for fun activities for the whole family. Hot dogs & beverages will be provided. Please bring a dish to share. Optional: lawn chairs and/or yard games.
- July 14-17 – “What a Mess” Kids Camp at Calvin…
during SERVE 2025
meets from 9 to 11:30 AM
register your kids with the QR Code in the printed Caller or bulletin.
registration deadline: June 30!
- July 27 – Kids Outdoor Worship… bring a towel and enjoy a messy fun outdoor activity during worship.
- August 1 – Family Outdoor Movie… The movie will begin between 8-8:30 PM. Popcorn and lemonade provided.
- September 10 – Fall Kick-Off for Kids’ Ministries… Details coming soon.
~ Courtney Kingshott, Children’s Ministry Director
Faithful Family Verse of the Month…
We use a designated verse(s) in some way during worship on a monthly basis. Our hope is that this verse(s) will go home with you and be in your heart and mind during each month. You will find our monthly verse used in various ways during the month. You can find this focus verse in the bulletin, on Facebook, and on our website. Let’s keep digging into God’s Word together.
Beautify the Sanctuary…
Do you have a flower garden? Would you like to help beautify our Sanctuary on a Sunday morning during the spring and summer months? We are looking for one large bouquet for each Sunday. If you are interested in sharing the beauty from your garden, there is a sign-up sheet available at the Info Center. Please see Maryann Wolffis or Vickie Curtis if you have questions.
~ the Decorating Team
Hearts & Hands…
God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT
Thank you to all of you who contributed so many special and thoughtful items to our Easter gift bags for Special Friends. Thank you, also, to all of you who helped to deliver them. They were much appreciated by those who received them.
A meeting was recently held with representatives of the church Council concerning the guidelines for donations from the Pickleball Fund. It was agreed that we add to our guidelines that the organization/ministry being considered be faith-based. We appreciate the strong support of the Council for the work of the Hearts & Hands Ministry.
The following donation from the Pickleball Fund was approved this month:
Sarah Cousins – Young Life Ministry in Moralzarzal, Spain (work with unchurched youth)
A memorial donation was received by Hearts & Hands. After consultation with the family, a small portion was used to purchase Rhododendron bushes for Calvin’s landscaping. The remainder was given to Calvin’s youth group for their upcoming summer backpacking trip and other projects.
We recently received a letter of appreciation from Dan Skoglund, Executive Director of the Muskegon Rescue Mission, for our donation to their Easter Meal Program. In the letter he stated, “Because of you, lives will be renewed. Muskegon Rescue Mission is more than a shelter, more than a meal – we are a place where hope is restored, and futures are rewritten. You are making a difference!”
This committee does not meet during the months of July and August, but our work will continue during this time. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer!
Our next meeting will be held on September 8, 2025 at 1:00 P.M. in the Fireside Room. If you are interested in the work of Hearts and Hands, please plan to join us in the fall. We always welcome new members!
~ Antje Waldo, Secretary
RightNow Media
This is a streaming library of the world’s largest biblical video resources for the entire family that inspire faith every day of the week. Click on the this Link or text CALVINCRC to 49775 for easy access to the video library anytime, anywhere, browse the content available to you and find series that are relevant to your life.
Fellowship…
We appreciate the many SERVE helpers that will work in the kitchen and/or supply items. We pray you will enjoy fellowship with one another.
Upcoming Events:
- Church Picnic: June 29
Join us at the Ross Park Pavilion beginning at 12:30 PM for lots of fun for the whole family. More details on page 1 (under Children’s Ministries) or in the church bulletin.
- SERVE 2025: July 12-19
Many ways to volunteer and/or donate. See sign-up sheets in the narthex.
- Calvin Car Show: July 20
We will begin parking cars at 8:30 AM. Join us by bringing your unique or classic car; consider inviting a friend with a unique or classic car; observing all the vehicles before and after worship.
- “Sundae” Sunday: August 17
Ice cream sundaes with all the toppings will be served by our church staff in recognition of the many Calvin Volunteers.
- Fall Kick-Off for Kids’ Ministries: September 10
Details coming soon.
~ Bert VanAndel, Fellowship Coordinator
Family Promise of the Lakeshore…
In January Family Promise received an urgent call from a worker at Catholic Charities. She was working with a family that had been split up by CPS over a year before, and the timeline for reunification was running out. The mom had worked incredibly hard over the past year, and had completed every item on her reunification checklist, except one. That was to find a safe place for her and the children to live. You see the mom had just given birth to a baby (that she had with her), but her other 5 children had been removed from the household, due to her ex-husband’s drug use. She had left the marriage to protect the children, but in leaving, she had also given up any income he was contributing to the household, and their residence. She was homeless, and although she worked, she was having a hard time making enough for the size apartment she needed for her family. The subsidized housing programs would only give her a unit large enough for her and the baby she had with her, until the other children were returned to her care. However, Foster Care policies prevented the children being returned to her care in an apartment that wasn’t large enough for them all. The only loophole was if the mom was in a homeless shelter, she could be considered safely sheltered by Foster Care, and the subsidized housing complexes would allow her to apply for an apartment big enough for everyone that would be living with her on move in date. Other shelters were not willing to give her a room large enough for the entire family if they were not with her on day one, but Foster Care needed to return the children one or two at a time over the course of a month, in order to allow everyone to adjust. The call to Family Promise was a last resort, before the mom lost the chance to be reunited with her kids. We gave the mom a room large enough for her entire family, and slowly, over the course of a month, she was reunited with all of her children. The siblings had been split across three separate foster homes. Thanks to the help of Family Promise, this family is now fully reunited and preparing to move into an affordable subsidized housing unit.
As Family Promise is now expanding to also serve in Ottawa and Oceana Counties, the opportunities increase and so do the costs. Please consider supporting this vital, local ministry, which is so valuable to families, with your financial gifts. Providing meals throughout the year is another way to serve this ministry. You can give through our Offering of the Day as they occur or directly by sending a gift to Family Promise of the Lakeshore, 2160 Crozier Ave., Muskegon, MI 49441.
~ Bonnie and Carl Bergman, Family Promise Board Members
~ Jan VanHouten and Lucile Hackett, Church Coordinators
Household Pantry…
What if everything you owned disappeared overnight?
Your home—gone.
Your furniture—gone.
Even your clothes—all but what you’re wearing.
What would you do?
That’s exactly what happened to a Muskegon County family of 5. A sudden house fire left them with nothing but each other. When they came to Love INC’s Connection Center in April, they had just found an apartment, but it was completely empty. Thanks to people like you, that changed.
Because of your support:
Their living room now has furniture.
Their kitchen has pots, pans, and silverware.
Their beds have warm, clean bedding.
Everything they needed to begin again—provided through items you donated to Calvin’s Household Pantry.
You didn’t just meet a need. You helped restore hope.
Thank you for helping your Neighbors feel at home again.
Thank you for transforming lives In the Name of Christ.
~ Lucile Hackett, Love INC volunteer
Among Ourselves…
How to Find our Event Calendar: Go to our website… https://www.calvin-crc.org. Scroll down to events, click on “Upcoming Events”, scroll down to the calendar.
July Birthdays:
July 3 – Ron Maycroft July 13 – Courtney Kingshott July 23 – Shirley Fisher
July 3 – Laurie VanDonkelaar July 14 – Pastor Mark July 23 – Kathy Gifford
July 3 – Craig Folger July 14 – Karson Wall July 23 – Betty Fernandez
July 4 – Tami Radke July 15 – Rocky Spoon July 24 – Merlin McPheron
July 4 – Kaylie Semelbauer July 16 – Lois Veenstra July 24 – Tim Bannink
July 4 – Caleb Hyma July 16 – Louise Ypema July 24 – Beth Postema
July 4 – Evelyn Cunningham July 16 – Kyle Wolffis July 24 – Dan Best
July 8 – Carter Paquin July 16 – Cordyn Twining July 26 – Pat Lewis
July 9 – Sherry Apostle July 16 – Grace Murray July 29 – Doug Hewitt
July 10 – Barb Scanlon July 30 – Brenda DeWind
July 10 – Damon VanHouten July 18 – Jack Curtis July 30 – Jamie Peterman
July 13 – Jeanne Maycroft July 20 – Hudson Milkamp July 31 – Kathy Bowmaster
July 13 – Tom Shepherd July 21 – Sean Cunningham
August Birthdays:
Aug 2 – Kristen Dethloff Aug 10 – Sharon VanDyke Aug 22 – R’Na Komarek
Aug 2 – Eli VerMerris Aug 11 – John Dood Aug 23 – Antje Waldo
Aug 3 – Bradey Grimm Aug 15 – Bob Keessen Aug 23 – Kyle Witt
Aug 3 – Tyler Muskovin Aug 15 – Christie VanHouten Aug 23 – Lauren Bowes
Aug 5 – Jay Milkamp Aug 16 – Erin Sova Aug 25 – Henriet Meyers
Aug 5 – Finley Johnson Aug 17 – Char Sikkenga Aug 27 – Wayne VanderWel
Aug 6 – Gary Katerberg Aug 17 – Zeta Lakatos Aug 28 – Addison Twining
Aug 8 – Nancy Elliott Aug 18 – Bob Dirkse Aug 29 – Kathy Brown
Aug 9 – Anita Hasper Aug 20 – Jene’ Grimm Aug 31 – Juanita Fowler
September Birthdays:
Sept 1 – Cheryl Searles Sept 11 – Matt Russell Sept 22 – Val VanWoerkom
Sept 1 – Carrie Hewitt Sept 14 – Jeff Hopkins Sept 24 – Jean Wilbur
Sept 2 – Len Hartman Sept 14 – Robin Semelbauer Sept 24 – Beth Slater
Sept 3 – Ron Rop Sept 15 – Len Fisher Sept 25 – Kurt Wolffis
Sept 5 – Kelsey Folger Sept 16 – Ray VanVoorthuysen Sept 27 – Stacie Bannink
Sept 8 – Zach Hellman Sept 18 – Darlene Dirkse (Brian) Sept 29 – Karen Swords
Sept 10 – Mark Meengs Sept 20 – Colson Russell Sept 30 – Casey Gould
Sept 10 – Isla Folger Sept 21 – Bobbi Lakatos
Sept 11 – Jana Sneller Sept 22 – Darlene Dirkse (Bob)
Anniversaries: Our best wishes to the following couples who are celebrating their anniversaries in July, August, September (50+ years together) …
Rocky & Nancy Spoon celebrating 52 years on July 20.
Chuck & Sara Wilks celebrating 68 years on July 26.
Howard & Marie Allen celebrating 67 years on August 9.
Verne & Jan VanHouten celebrating 57 years on August 23.
Tom & Suzanne Shepherd celebrating 53 years on August 26.
Lou & Kathy Gifford celebrating 52 years on August 31.
Tom & Cheryl Veldman celebrating 59 years on September 9.
Bill & Louise Ypema celebrating 53 years on September 9.
Dave & Nancy Mellema celebrating 50 years on September 12.
Ted & Darlene Hewitt celebrating 55 years on September 25.
Bob & Ruth Keessen celebrating 64 years on September 29.
Church Directory Info…
- The printed 2025/2026 Church Directory will be available by the end of July.
- If you have changes (address, phone, email, etc.) for the directory during the year, please let Vickie know and updates will be put in this section of the seasonal Calvin Caller (but will not be included in the Calvin Caller on the website).
- Have you updated your family photo recently? If your answer is yes, we would like to include it in our Online Directory! Please take a moment to email it to Vickie in the office at curtis@calvin-crc.org. I encourage you to see the directory as a living document, reflecting our congregation’s dynamic nature. Please help Vickie keep it updated!
- The Online Church Directory is very user friendly! Call, text or send an email right from the app on your smartphone. All info is updated regularly. Download the app and get started today! Call/Email the office or stop in if you need instructions.
Take a moment to smile or maybe even laugh…
Peace starts with a smile 😊
Don’t let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.
The Good Lord didn’t create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Sunday School. As she ran, she prayed, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late! Please don’t let me be late!’ While running and praying, she tripped on the curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. As she ran, she once again began to pray, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late… But please don’t shove me either!’
~ Anonymous