A publication for alumni and friends. Vol. 2, Issue 2, Summer 2007 ine million people live in the city of trip with an American youth group from ChurchChurch NTokyo. The capital city of Japan, Pennsylvania for the teens to get to know Tokyo is considered one of the great each other better—a trip which according cities of the world. It is to this modern, to Eline was a life-changing experience. plantingplanting cosmopolitan city, where less than "One night during the mission trip," 0.5 percent of the population consider said Eline, "as we were headed to the inin TokyoTokyo themselves Christian, that Geert and Eline dorms, a man stopped us and asked ‘Where de Boo came in 2003 to plant a church are you going?’ A little bit intimidated, we and spread the gospel. answered him that we were going up to Born and raised in what Eline describes our rooms. He repeated the question and as "warm Christian families in the stressed the word ‘where.’ We again repeated Netherlands’ Bible belt," the couple met our answer. When he asked us the same as teenagers when Geert’s father became question for a third time, we didn’t know pastor of the Reformed church in what to think and asked him, ‘What Zierikzee, a small town in the province of answer are you looking for?’ He responded: Zeeland. Although they were members of the youth group and attended the same Planting in Tokyo A church member pages through his high school, it took a short-term mission continued on page 4 Japanese Bible Class projects with impact Golgotha During the past year, under the incomprehensible to even think of 44 "Carrying his own cross, he went out to guidance of Professor Judi Meerman, two kids living in a four-room house," said the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is groups of Social Work majors undertook Marcia Gillisse, class of 2007 and marketing called Golgotha)," (John 19:17). There is the task to develop and implement a director for the project. "But Jackie gives another more contemporary "place of the strategic awareness and fund development these kids—mostly abandoned children Skull" a few miles from Kuyper College. plan for a ministry in the Dominican of prostitutes—three things: shelter, food But rather Republic, as well as a major research project and the love of Jesus Christ." than being for a Grand Rapids inner city ministry. The Esperanza student group developed a place and implemented a detailed strategic plan of death, EsperanzaEsperanza to raise funds and send supplies to Jackie’s Golgotha In Spanish the word esperanza means House. Through PowerPoint and sales (a Holland, hope. That is what Jackie’s House is to presentations, they enlisted the help of Michigan students (and their parents) of Oakdale ministry) Christian School. In addition, through is a place a benefit concert—D.R. Palooza, held where Wednesday night meeting at Sunshine Church—the team raised at Golgotha’s storefront troubled funds and awareness for the plight of youths— these orphans. teenagers who normally would be seen as outcasts by most Christian youth groups— DégagéDégagé Ministries Ministries find new life. According to Josh Rockett, SW Research 340 is a Kuyper College Youth Ministry major, class of 2007, 44 orphan children who barely subsist in a crowded four-room house. "It is Class Projects Golgotha continued on page 3 continued on page 7 Kuyper College equips students with a biblical, Reformed worldview to serve effectively Christ’s church and his world. LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT New athletic The excitement of our first school year as Kuyper program staff College continues to build! We enter this summer with Dr. Mel Flikkema, Kuyper College great excitement as we see wonderful growth in programs provost, recently announced the and student body numbers for this fall. The accounts you appointment of Christine Gruppen as read in this newsletter regarding alumni, students, the athletic director of Kuyper College Spring Gala, graduation, May term and other events effective July 1, 2007. He also that closed out the year have provided a springboard announced the appointments of Candice Kalman as the new varsity for announcements of new faculty and student women’s basketball coach and Zachary opportunities. Together, these serve to affirm that people Harris as the new varsity men’s are energized about the mission of the college and that basketball coach. Both Kalman and students continue to see the institution as excellent in Harris will lead the development of equipping them "to serve effectively Christ’s church and his world." These their respective basketball programs stories are just a few of the many that we could share with you on how our including recruitment of players. alumni and students are bringing God’s grace into today’s culture. And just as As athletic director, Gruppen will be responsible for the administration our students and stakeholders have been very affirming, so has the community of all sports at Kuyper. Most recently, as a whole. As a matter of fact, Kuyper makes news on a regular basis. In the Gruppen—a graduate of Cornerstone past month alone, our city’s largest daily newspaper, the Grand Rapids Press, University in Grand Rapids, has written two very favorable feature stories regarding the College. Michigan—was athletic director of The support, encouragement, and affirmation we have received from alumni Crossroads Charter Academy in Big and donors were strong as we began to re-position the College as a Christian Rapids, Michigan, where she also coached both basketball and soccer. leadership training college…and continue to be so. Enhancing the ministry Kalman previously held positions focus of our earlier years in both the quality of programs and the scope of academic as head basketball coach at the offerings is proving to resonate well with a new generation of students. I am International Christian School in confident that the founders of RBI and those who developed us into RBC would Seoul, South Korea, and as freshman celebrate that the College is becoming even more effective in carrying out a girls’ basketball coach at Unity mission we’ve honored since our "founding thoughts": The purpose of this Christian High School in Hudsonville, Michigan. Most recently she was the institute is to train men and women for better and more efficient service in girls’ assistant varsity basketball coach at God’s kingdom and at the same time develop leaders in our churches.* Calvary Schools of Holland (Michigan). These are exciting years—years in which the hard work and commitment Kalman played basketball at Hope of our founders and many others over the decades are honored as we faithfully College, where she led the women’s prepare a much-different generation to serve the Lord. I thank you for your varsity team as captain. Kalman holds involvement in and encouragement toward Kuyper College as you help us carry B.A. and M.A. degrees from Hope College and Western Michigan University. forward the service and impact of the College to a needy and expectant world. Prior to his appointment, Zachary May you be encouraged as you read more about this in the pages that follow. Harris held assistant varsity head coach *Rev. A. Poel, The Banner, June 17, 1937 positions at Alma, Aquinas and Grace Bible colleges. In addition, he has been an assistant coach at the professional Dr. Nicholas V. Kroeze level for the Grand Rapids Hoops and President the Great Lakes Storm, both of the CBA. During his college career Harris played at Finlandia University in Michigan and at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. Harris is a graduate of Finlandia University. 2 IN MY WORDS Journalism at work year, I decided that the class would put together its own Joy Milano is instructor of Writing and publication so they could really see what their words could do Communication Arts once disseminated. All the students became really invested in their work. We Grammar. Syntax. Spelling. Teaching writing started by planning what we wanted a publication to look like. is not always the easiest job. Just mention the What would we name it? What content should it include? Which word "grammar" and students’ eyes roll back in areas of responsibility did each student want to assume? They their heads. chose a name, jobs and content and got to work. Despite that, working in the communications In the end, we completed two class publications and they arena can be a wonderful, rewarding job. From turned out great (if I do say so myself). To my great exultation, the introductory writing class, Composition, I heard three of those words from students that every teacher to the secondary writing classes of Research dreams about: "This was fun!" Especially in a writing class, those Writing, Creative Writing, and Journalism, the years I’ve spent words are golden. But for me, the experience was more than just teaching the methods of written communication to Kuyper fun. The students experienced hands-on what it is like to develop College students have been some of the best of my teaching a plan, execute it and make decisions to create a viable career. It’s not always easy work; but, when things "click," it can communication tool for their audience. That’s what writing is be magical. Seeing students take their writing from the level of all about—how to say what you want to say to your audience just an assignment to personal growth or exploration of life is a in a way that will be appreciated. The students accomplished wonderful perk of the job.