Ever since 1847, when the first Dutch settlers, under the leadership of Rev. Cornelius Vander Meulen, arrived in Zeeland, First Church has been a cross-generational community and has been involved in worship and service. Today this congregation continues to follow this mission statement: “Loving Christ and others, we will be a church that God uses to bring people to saving faith in Jesus. As a result, Christ will be exalted through worship, individuals will be embraced in grace, equipped through biblical education to live godly lives, trained to exercise their spiritual gifts with the church so they will evangelize their world.”

We exalt Christ in our worship and in the lives we live. Each week we gather in our newly constructed sanctuary for two morning worship experiences. At 8:30 a.m. there is a classical worship service and at 11:00 a.m. there is a contemporary worship. An evening service is presently offered at 6:00 p.m. and provides a variety of opportunities for worship and praise.

We equip God’s people in our discipleship programs. There is Sunday School for every age group on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. On Wednesday evenings during the school year there are various opportunities, beginning with a family supper at 5:00 p.m. - Fireflies, GEMS, Cadets, Youth groups, Prayer Group, and other groups meet. In the summer, there are many other programs and activities: VBS, Youth Camps, Beach Nights, Bible Studies, Youth Mission Trips, etc.

We embrace one another in several ways. It is our desire to greet one another in our worship warmly each Sunday. We enjoy coffee fellowship after worship, we share in the Wednesday night suppers at the church, we engage in small groups in the home or at the church. Our Senior Citizens are involved in the J.O.Y group.

We exercise our spiritual gifts. Each member is strongly encouraged to take a P.L.A.C.E. test to determine his or her spiritual gifts. Then, opportunities are given to put those gifts into practice, to use them for Kingdom purposes and involvement.

Finally, we also seek to evangelize the world. This action begins in our own community and neighborhoods and moves to various parts of the world. We are involved in many ways, in several community organizations: His Harvest Stand, Holland Rescue Mission, Servants Community Church, Operation: Christmas Child Shoeboxes, Alpha, R.C.A. and other missionaries, local and world concerns and needs, mission trips to the southern Gulf States or to Ecuador.

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