Who We are
Staff
Rick Vanderwal
Pastor
Joel Wustman
Custodian
jwustman@outlook.com
Mary Brander
Treasurer
mjbrander@aol.com
Autumn DeVries
Co-worship
Coordinator
autumndevries1977@gmail.com
Sharon VanderHeide
Co-worshipCoordinator
worshipwiz@aol.com
Ashley Kramer
Administrative Assistant
office@secondcrc.org
What We Believe
As a Christian Reformed congregation we stand on the five foundational doctrines of the Reformation. They profoundly and accurately declare what our core beliefs still are today. We also hold to the Apostle’s Creed, the Athenasain Creed and the Nicene Creed. You can find out more about the confessions here.Scripture Alone
We believe that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for our faith and life. The Bible is the Word of God – trustworthy, reliable and without error. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bible reveals to the world who God is and what He has done for us through Jesus.
God’s Word must shape and guide all efforts of the Christian community – including evangelism, worship, preaching, discipleship, prayer, acts of mercy, and faithfulness to Christ Jesus.
Christ Alone
We believe that Jesus alone is the way to God. Jesus is fully God and fully human and lived a perfect life. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and shame through his suffering and death on the cross. Nothing we do can or needs to be added to Christ’s work. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV)
Grace Alone
Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life is a gift from God. There is nothing we can do to earn our place in God’s Kingdom. Joyfully, God graciously invites us to receive all these things by placing our faith and trust in his one and only son Jesus.
What must we do to be saved? Repent of our sins, confess that Jesus is LORD, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9 – NIV)
Faith Alone
We believe that by faith alone we can receive the benefits and blessings of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. God has accomplished our salvation and all we must do is receive it with a believing heart. Through faith, we become right with God.
Those who are saved through faith in Jesus are called to live a life of gratitude. Through prayer and Godly living, we aim to demonstrate just how thankful we are for what Jesus has done on behalf of His people.
Glory to God Alone
As a church we live to bring glory to God. God alone deserves our praise. Our aim is that our ministry would have one goal: To bring honor to the God who’s made us and saved us. May the name of the LORD be praised forever and forever, Amen!
Second Byron Christian Reformed Church is a member of the Christian Reformed Church of North America. To find out more about the CRCNA, click here.
Our Mission
As a caring community we will provide living proof of a loving God to a world in need, so that all may become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.There are three main pillars of our vision that enable us to carry out our mission.
Loving God.
We desire all ages to be active, genuine and inspiring in our personal and public worship. We do this by gathering together and engaging in worship, by hearing the Words of God in scripture and by deepening our devotion to God in every area of our lives.
Loving Others.
We desire all — young and old — to connect with God and each other, to grow in our faith, and to express that faith openly with one another. We do this through the diverse ministries of the church – from classes to small groups. We are committed to being a caring community.
Loving Our Neighbor.
We desire to use our time and talents to build relationships with our neighbors and be the hands and feet of Jesus among them. We do this through offering our children’s and adult ministries to the community, by getting involved in community events and by sponsoring missionaries that are acting as the hands and feet of Jesus all over the world.