Local Missions

“Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.”  (Romans 12:13)


Third Reformed Church is located in the central city district of Holland, MI; the original plots of land sold by Albertus Van Raalte. The area includes the Holland Historic District with its stately homes; Tulip Lane, which bursts into color during Tulip Time; libraries, parks, and Hope College. More urgently, though, Third Church’s location also compels us to confront challenging urban issues. Seeking to be a bridge within our neighborhood and community, we have been led by the spirit to begin local ministries. Below are the local ministries of Third Reformed Church and the community partners we support.


  • Angel Lopez & Janelle Lopez-Koolhaas

    Their initial focus for the next six months will be to take steps to increase TRC’s practical capacity to welcome Spanish speaking visitors to LIFT, as well as to explore ways to offer a Spanish language worship center on Sundays in the near future. Angel and Janelle live near the church and look forward to furthering the ways God has given them to minister to neighbors with the partnership of TRC. They will also join the VBS Planning Team in preparations for this summer’s VBS. We ask the TRC church family to pray for God’s leading in these endeavors, and to seek out Angel or Janelle to chat more!


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  • Neighborhood ministries to our neighborhood


    Three times a year, the church organizes programs for children and youth that deliberately include people from the community. This past spring more than one hundred children searched for eggs in our Easter Egg/Holy Treasure Hunt. The first week in August, the church develops a creative Vacation Bible School in the evening. To kick off VBS, we host the Backyard Bash on the last Wednesday of July. 



  • Refugee Ministry

    Third Church has recently sponsored a refugee family from Afghanistan in partnership with Bethany Christian Services. There are more displaced people today than since before World War 2. As a part of our witness to this global crisis, we have chosen to respond by hosting a family and partnering with other churches in Holland to host more families. We are in prayer about hosting another refugee family in the near future.   


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  • Housing Ministry

    Affordable housing has been a growing challenge in our community. For numerous years we have partnered with Good Samaritan Ministries (GSM) to provide housing for people in transition in our community. This ministry has been a vital and important part of our witness to the neighborhood. We currently own 3 homes with GSM serving as a primary partner.


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  • Kids Hope USA

    Third Reformed Church, in partnership with Hope Reformed Church, provides mentors and tutors to Vanderbilt Charter Elementary School in Holland. This ministry provides an avenue for members of the church to be in relationship with local students who are in special need of a caring adult. For more information, please contact Beverly Rannow, our Kids Hope Co-Director.


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  • Special Education Ministries

    This ministry provides Christian education and fellowship for adults with developmental disabilities. Every Thursday evening at 7pm, from September through April, students meet in our Fellowship Hall for a Bible lesson, activity, singing, and one-on-one tutoring about the lesson with a volunteer.   


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  • Buen Pastor

    This ministry provides child care and preschool for children of migrant workers while they are hard at work in the local fields. Buen Pastor also plans a 32-week program for native Spanish-speaking children to prepare them to be Ready to Learn. The church provides space to host the program, volunteers to work with children, and board members for Buen Pastor. Each summer, members of the congregation are paired with a migrant child to work on reading and basic skills.   


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  • Japanese Ministry

    Fumihito Andy Nakajima serves as our Pastor to Japanese Students in West Michigan. He was raised in Japan by a Buddhist family but was led to Christ by a Christian English teacher at his high school. When he was a senior at Western Theological Seminary, Andy and other Japanese students at the seminary caught a vision for reaching out to Japanese people living in western Michigan. They formed a committee and were joined by retired RCA missionaries and Japanese Christians living in the area. They held their first worship service in November 1992. The Ministry with Japanese-Speaking People now organizes worship services, Bible studies, language classes and tutoring, and pastoral care in Holland and throughout West Michigan.   


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  • Summer Youth Connections

    In partnership with the City, Michigan Works, and Escape Ministries, we host a group of at-risk students for a week each summer to provide them with work experience and mentorship.   


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  • Washington School Neighbors

    Third Reformed Church has joined the neighborhood collaborative team called Washington School Neighbors, which also includes First United Methodist Church, Hope Reformed Church, and St. Francis de Sales Parish in partnership with Good Samaritan Ministries. Washington School Neighbors aims to strengthen the neighborhood of our churches by mobilizing the residents to work together to improve the quality of life.


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  • Hope College covenant partnership

    Third Reformed Church is a covenant partner with Hope College.  We have students serving at the church in the area of youth ministry, Wednesday Night LIFT program, and as choir interns.  We also have 10-15 families working sponsoring an international student through Hope College.