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.   


  • 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

    Rev. Bob and Nancy Laning are pastors to the Japanese students and residents in West Michigan since 2014, when Andy Nakajima asked them to begin having lunch with Hope College Japanese and international students. SInce then, they have continued with the lunches, and assumed leadership of the FIGs (Friends in God) Bible study, and the Holland and Battle Creek Japanese worship services.

    Bob is from Chicago, IL and grew up in the RCA, into which he was ordained in 1986. He earned his BA in Psychology-Sociology from Hope College in 1978 and his M.DIV from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, in 1984. He enjoys music, fitness, water skiing, and racketball. 

    Nancy is from upstate New York, the daughter of a Baptist pastor.  She earned her BA in Political Science from Gordon College near Boston, MA in 1982 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, from Florida International University in 2014. She has done social work, retail sales, work as a flight attendant, and painting. Nancy enjoys reading, people, and art.  They both enjoy travel, eating out, and hanging out with friends and family.  


    Their work involves pastoring, preaching, praise and worship, support, counseling and sustaining an after-service dinner. These are additional times of building relationships and community with a more formal experience of a traditional worship service.



  • 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.   


  • 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.