Interested in participating in a Short Term Mission Project?  The following links provide information about a variety of projects for people of all ages.  Your Missions Support Team has application forms available that partial support for anyone who desires to participate.  Please contact the church office by email or call 616-949-4342 for more information.

Mobile Food Pantry

We've started a partnership with Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank to provide free, perishable food to those in need once a month in our parking lot.
Volunteers are needed once each month from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on these dates in 2008:

Monday, July 7
Monday, August 4
Wednesday, September 8
Monday, October 6
Monday, November 3
Monday, December 1

Please contact the church office by email or call 616-949-4342 for more information or to sign up for a date.


Christian Reformed World Relief has a service link. Internships and volunteer positions available, and are suited mainly for adults. Find out more at www.crwrc.org. Get Involved!

Facing Your Future Program. This is a program that works with Encounters (part of Youth Unlimited) and is for high school juniors or seniors. Program attendees must be nominated. See www.calvinseminary.edu for more information.

Educational Resources and Referrals - CHINA (ERRC) For college students and retiree-teachers with doctorates; summer and year long experiences are available. Find out more at www.errchina.com.

For those who wish a more extensive experience and would like to teach English in China and other Asian countries for one or two years, look at the English Language Institute of China at www.elic.org. We have supported several people to teach at this Institute, and are currently supporting:

Tim and Renee Aupperllee
Changchun, Jilin
People's Republic of China

IDEA Ministries (International Discipleship and Evangelization Associates) offers opportunities for involvement in missions and service that includes cross-cultural orientation, practical ministry, solid study, and personal discipleship. See www.ideaministries.org for more information.

Medical Ministry International - Go to www.mmint.org to learn about opportunities for medical personnel and support personnel to go on short term mission experiences.

Partners Worldwide: Christian Businesspeople Transforming Lives
This group offers business leaders and professionals the opportunity to be challenged, encouraged, and equipped by other dynamic business people who are agents of transformation around the world. Learn more at www.partnersworldwide.org.

Summer Mission Program (SMP) for senior High School students and college students. Calvin College offers a tuition grant program for students going on a 7 week or more training program in cross-cultural ministry - $1200 per year - contact slc@calvin.edu for more information about the tuition grant. For more information about the SMP go to www.crwm.org/wmop/wmop_smp.htm.

Worldwide Christian Schools has openings for teams of people, age 16 and older, who want to make a difference in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. HANDS teams (Helping Another Nation Develop Schools) build Christian schools in developing nations. Visit www.wwcs.org and go to the HANDS link.

Wycliffe Bible Translators offers opportunities for short term mission trips; they also have opportunities for Youth Groups to go to a camp and experience a simulated jungle experience. See www.wycliffe.org/short-term for more information.

Intervarsity's Urbana Missions Conference for college students is held every other year right after Christmas. The next conference is December 27-31, 2006 in St. Louis, MO. www.urbana.org

Our missionaries

Rev. George and Ruth Young
5-26-32 Minami Koshigaya
Koshigaya - Shi, Saitama Ken
343-0845
Japan
Phone: 011-81-489-85-6931
young@sta.att.ne.jp
Download a PowerPoint presentation about the Youngs

Paul and Nydia Johnson
Coordinating Spearhead Ministries, a mission program in Latin America for college students which provides opportunities for short term (6-8 weeks) and long term missions (1-2 years) in Latin America.
PaulNydia@lam.org
Web information at www.lam.org or at www.spearhead.org
Download a PowerPoint presentation about the Johnsons

Dave and Blanca Gifford
Working with Christian Reformed World Missions in Mexico City to help train pastors at the Reformed Theological Seminary of Mexico and help new churches get started.
Calzada General Anaya 86, Casa 4
Col. Churubusco
C.P. 04120, Mexico, D.F. Mexico
giff@giffmex.org
Phone: 011-52-55-5544-6773
Web information about CRWM's Mexico ministry
More information about Dave and Blanca's ministry

Mike and Laura Laird
Home Missions Church Plant in Danvers, MA

Phil and Christa Grabowski
Malawi, East Africa
Phil's e-mail and Christa's e-mail
Phil and Christa work as Malawi-Mozambique Program Consultants under the auspices of Christian Reformed World Relief. They partner with Nkhoma Relief and Development and the HIV-AIDS prevention program through the Reformed Church of Mozambique.
To find out more about the Grabowskis, their work, and to read their newsletter, go to www.crwrc.org/development/esamt/malawi.html.

Arab-American Friendship Center in Dearborn, MI
The Friday Fellowship is building bridges of friendship, fellowship and faith with the Arab people through a gathering designed to reach out through praise songs, skits, gospel preaching, prayer and friendship.
Dearborn CRC has been involved in this ministry for many years and it was through them our church was introduced to Rev. Basem Qusous this past November as we studied "The Real Story: A Christian's Guide to the Arab World."

Carol Bremer-Bennett in Rehoboth, NM
She is Mid-school Principal of Rehoboth Christian School and has taught at Rehoboth since 1991.
Pray for families who struggle with poverty, unemployment, single parent issues, alcoholism and an unhealthy life style. There are 425 students in Grades K-12 at Rehoboth with 68% of the student body being Native American.
Please pray for Carol as she works with high-school girls in a shepherding group.