June 10, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. - Twelve thousand worshippers gathered in the Van Andel arena in Grand Rapids on Sunday afternoon, plus about 2,000 more in an overflow venue, in the largest worship service ever held by the Christian Reformed Church.
The service celebrated the denomination's 150th anniversary and looked forward to what the Lord still has in store.
A 500-voice choir assembled from Christian Reformed churches across west Michigan, was led by choir director Anton Armstrong. Armstrong, formerly a professor at Calvin College and currently the director of the choir at St. Olaf's College in Minnesota, said it was an honor and a joy to come back and direct the choir for the anniversary.
"I spent ten formative years at Calvin College," he said. "This is my own way to say thanks to the community, the church and God."
Sixty-five students from Rehoboth (New Mexico) Christian School, led by Bob Ippel and Gail DeJong, sang. A 100-piece orchestra, also made up of volunteers from CRCs across West Michigan, was conducted by John Varineau, professor of music at Calvin College and associate director of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra.
Afterward, at an outdoor reception near the arena, Melanie Haveman, 24, from Holland (Michigan) said the best part of the service was the singing.
Her brother Ross, 27, said a highlight was a drama enacting the death and resurrection of Christ, performed by special needs students and friends from the Christian Learning Center in Zeeland Christian and Holland Christian High schools.
Rev. Harry Weidenaar, a delegate to synod from Seattle, Wash., also loved the drama team. "They took such joy in doing a good job," he said.
The service, which included communion, was a logistical marvel. "Take the myriad details involved in planning a special worship service and multiply that exponentially," said Rev. Howard Vander Well, one of hundreds of volunteers who ushered, greeted, collected the offering and served communion.
Patterned after a traditional CRC worship service, it included a litany of lights in which thousands of worshipers held up flashlights or cell phones to show their gratitude. The prayer of confession included repentance for racism that marred the church's history.
Traditional hymns, contemporary praise songs and songs in other languages were all part of the blended service. The service opened with God's greeting given in Dutch, Spanish, Korean, Navajo and English, and ended with a benediction delivered in the same five languages.
Rev. Roy Berkenbosch, who delivered the sermon, reminded worshipers of why they were gathered. "We are not celebrating the CRC, which we love," he said. "We are celebrating the God of heaven and earth who loves us."
Acknowledging the many blessings in the church's past, Berkenbosch, the campus pastor at The King's University College in Edmonton, Alberta, also challenged those gathered.
"Can God's 'yes' word be heard today, above bombs in Kandahar, gunfire in inner cities, the cries of AIDS orphans in Malawi?" he asked. "God's 'yes' word needs amplification, embodiment in the mission of the people of God."
"There is so much to celebrate and anticipate," he said. "As much as we have already been used, we are not yet used up. To whom much has been given, much is required."
----------------
To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church visit the web site at www.crcna.org or contact Henry Hess, Director of Communications, at mailto:hessh@crcna.ca.