Oct. 8, 2007 Grand Rapids, MI - Rev. Jul Medenblik will lead the newly-created bi-national church planting team for Christian Reformed Home Missions.
Medenblik a former attorney who became a church planter in 1995. In his new role, he will work to help foster church planting and development in the United States and Canada and build momentum for healthy, organic, multiplying, and sustainable church planting movements in the CRC.
The team headed by Medenblik will also provide vision, leadership, resources, and support for the work of Home Missions' regional church planting and development teams, which will be based in the agency's 12 ministry teams across North America.
"I appreciate the opportunity to remain connected to the local church while also serving church planters and churches by resourcing Home Missions' ministry teams in developing more churches to impact their local communities for Christ," Medenblik said.
"Church planters can feel isolated and sometimes wonder if there is a community of support. We hope to not only vision with them, but also resource across the teams in building a network that comes alongside church planters in their various contexts."
Medenblik graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1995 and moved to New Lenox to start New Life Church that same year. He will continue as senior pastor of New Life Church while serving in his new role as church planting development team leader,
Other members of the bi-national church planting team are: Home Missions church planters Randy Rowland and Kevin Schutte, who pastor churches in Seattle, Wash. and Olathe, Kan., respectively; Javier Torres, co-leader of the Home Missions Hispanic and Southeast U.S. Team; Laura Posthumus, Home Missions Program Manager for Teams/Grant Relations; and Julee Holcomb, Home Missions administrative assistant.
Christian Reformed Home Missions is an agency of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It partners with Christian Reformed churches and classes to encourage church planting, help churches become more mission-focused, support educational ministries, train leaders, and promote spiritual growth through prayer and small groups such as Coffee Break.
For more information, contact Ben Van Houten at Christian Reformed Home Missions, (800) 266-2175, ex. 0822.
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Henry Hess
Director of Communication
Christian Reformed Church
To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church visit us at www.crcna.org <http://www.crcna.org
"It is a serious waste to let a day go by without allowing God to change us."-Richard Rolle, The Fire of Love