Our Staff

Nick Van Beek

**Lead Pastor**
Pastor Nick affirms, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me,” from 2 Corinthians 12:9. He believes the first step of following Jesus is admitting our failures. This begins a life committed to Christ and to his justice, peace, and reconciliation he brings to this world. Pastor Nick received his Bachelors of Science from Reformed Bible College and his Masters of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary. He is happily married to his wife, Carrie, and loves hanging out with his 2 daughters, Madelyn and Lillian. Pastor Nick enjoys reading, yard work, and biking all over Minnesota.
pastornick@calvarycrc.net
952-831-6264

Eli Groenendyk

**Pastor of Discipleship**
Pastor Eli loves making disciples for Jesus Christ, that's why he is a pastor. He leads Calvary's youth ministries, does outreach and evangelism in the Twin Cities metro, preaches God's Word, and much more. He received his Bachelors of Arts from Northwestern College and his Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Pastor Eli likes to be out and about. For example, he has taken Calvary teenagers tubing down the Minnehaha Creek, to watch Vikings training camp, and has attended their sports games, concerts, and plays. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his wife Hannah, his daughter Blakely, and his son Reuben. His hobbies are playing basketball, cross country skiing, and biking through the cities.
pastor.eli.calvary@gmail.com
952-831-6264

Mia DeJong

**Worship Coordinator**
As Worship Coordinator, Mia seeks to nurture the gifts of the congregation, foster opportunities for intergenerational involvement, and support Calvary's rich tradition of meaningful communal worship. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Music Management from Dordt University and her Masters of Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Webster University. A lifelong musician, Mia enjoys playing violin, teaching private music lessons and singing with Twin Cities' Magnum Chorum. When she's not making music, Mia enjoys gardening, theater, and spending time with her husband Matt and their son, Arie.
mia.dejong.calvarycrc@gmail.com

Cheryl Rettig

**Ministries Assistant**
Cheryl and her husband Carey live in Savage and have raised two daughters. Mikayla is married to Aaron with two children, Avelynn and Wesly, and Camryn. Cheryl started working at Calvary on the facilities crew and also answered phones when the office needed help. She enjoys the variety of tasks she has as a ministries assistant and loves interacting with those that stop by Calvary. Cheryl can be seen taking walks with her husband and she loves singing and enjoys reading Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers and any book her grandchildren ask her to read to them.
secretary@calvarycrc.net
952-831-6264

Jake Kamp

**Facility Manager**
Jake Kamp has attended Calvary his whole life. In the fall of 2007, while attending college at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, Jake started working on the Calvary facilities crew. In April of 2018 he became the facilities manager. If you have any questions about the facilities - renting a room, fixing something, moving something - talk to Jake. In his free time Jake enjoys hunting, fishing, video games, building computers, and pretty much anything sci-fi or fantasy related!
jake.kamp.calvarycrc@gmail.com
952-831-6264

Kay Harkema

**Facilities**
Kay and her husband, Jeff, live in St Louis Park. They have been members since 2001 and have three sons who grew up at Calvary participating in youth group and Cadets. Peter, William and Matthew are all grown leaving Kay and Jeff empty nesters with two black labs to keep them busy. Kay’s first career was in veterinary medicine working in a veterinary hospital for over 36 years in roles from technician to hospital manager. Kay began working on the facilities team in 2022 and enjoys assisting Jake in all he does behind the scenes at Calvary. She also loves helping the different groups that meet at Calvary and getting to know Calvary members better.

We thank God for our church! hear why through the video.

Building Hours

Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

What We Believe

At Calvary Church, we believe and accept the Bible as the inspired and authoritative word of God. We believe that God reveals Himself in the Scriptures as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we believe in the grand story of God’s salvation. This story begins with God’s creation of the world and everything in it. God’s good creation fell into sin, but God continues to work in us and in the world to redeem and renew creation. His redemption was accomplished through Jesus Christ, the God-man who has saved us. Jesus was born in a stable, lived on this earth, died on the cross, rose from the grave, and ascended to heaven. The good news is that we are saved from our own evil, guilt, and sin by what he did. As followers of Jesus Christ, we joyfully participate in and look forward to the renewal of all things, which shall be completed when Christ comes again, revealing His glory, power, and majesty.

Our Council and Committees

As a Christian Reformed Church, we have a governing council of selected elders and deacons. The elders and deacons are nominated and chosen to lead the church. The elders oversee the worship services, including serving the Lord’s Supper. The deacons direct the church’s giving, including determining offering causes and receiving the offering during Sunday service. The council calls the pastors to serve the church by fulfilling their job descriptions. Full council meets the 2nd Monday night of each month and is open to church members unless an executive session is called.

Elders - Elmer J, Eileen R, Paul V, Ruth DV, Matt DeKam, Jason B, and Jon VH

Deacons - Karen G, Josh A, Roseanne VM, Brenda L, Marion S, Joel K, Matt K

Calvary’s committees are composed of elders, deacons, pastors, and approved members of our church. The committees meet the 4th Monday of each month. If you are interested in joining a team, please contact Pastor Nick or Pastor Eli.

The Shepherding Team cares for the members of Calvary Church through prayer, visits, counseling, and hosting district lunches.

The Administrative Team manages the church’s budgets, employees, and building.

The Youth Ministries Team oversees Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, nursery, and assists the leaders of GEMS, Cadets, and Anchor.

The Worship Planning Team analyzes the worship services including songs, readings, sermon series, and involvement.

The Story of Calvary Church

Beginnings

Calvary Church began in 1961 and was called “West Side Church.” The church was then renamed “Calvary Christian Reformed Church of Minneapolis.” After receiving support from the CRC, we called Pastor Dirk Aarsdma (above).

Ground Breaking

Wayne, Jay, and Danny guarding the future site of Calvary’s first building.

Church Carnival

Calvary Church hosted an outdoor carnival in 1975 to build relationships with church members and with community members.

Refugees

Calvary Church was happy to host Vietnamese families after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Pastor Mike and the Lai family are pictured here.

We are Calvary Church

The church is not bricks or buildings, it’s all God’s people - men, women, and children. The church on their new property.

Preach the Word

Pastor Bylsma proclaims the gospel before the church celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus through communion in the early 1980s.

Calvary Softball Team

Calvary Church has a long-running tradition of playing softball in local leagues. Here is a thrilling play at 3rd in 1986.

Socks

Members of Calvary Church show off their socks… or their embarrassed faces.

Architecture

Calvary Church member Tim Ribbens (right) speaks with the general contractor about the new facilities.

Camp-out

Calvary Church likes to be outside. Here are some girls enjoying a camp-out from 1986.

Super Mom

A mom holds her baby AND paints a set for Vacation Bible School in 1994.

Love your neighbor

High school boys rake their neighbors’ yards in 1998 as a way to obey Jesus’ teaching, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Choir

The Calvary Church choir praises the Lord through music. This particular song was sung in 1998.

Picnic

Some men of Calvary Church relax at a church picnic in 1998.

Sack Race

Young and old gather for a sack race in 1998.

Youth conference

Girls of Calvary Church go to a youth conference in 1998 to grow closer to Jesus Christ.

Family fun

Elmer and Shar Jelgerhuis hang out with their daughters at a church picnic in 1998.

Nursey

Calvary Church has always loved having little kids running around in nursery. This energetic day was in 1998.

Christmas

High school boys of Calvary Church act out the birth of Jesus in the freezing cold of Minnesota. Bethlehem would have been much warmer!

Feed the hungry

Calvary Church participates in the Big House Ministry, a way to follow Jesus’ example of feeding the hungry.

New location

Calvary Church moves to 5300 France Ave in Edina, MN, in the the year 2002.

The worship continues

The Lord has been faithful to Calvary Church for generations by making disciples of Jesus Christ. We trust the Lord will continue working in and through our church.

Softball

The tradition continues to this day.

Calvary Church is 1 of around 1000 churches in North America that belong to the Christian Reformed Church. We are a Protestant branch of Christ's church that has a Reformed accent, affirming God's sovereignty, God's kingdom, and God's covenant.

We believe God is sovereign over everything, including our salvation. We do not save ourselves. We do not earn God’s favor. Our salvation is God’s gift from beginning to end, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith,” (Ephesians 2:8).

We believe God’s kingdom is already here but not yet in its fullness. We pray “your kingdom come, you will be done” (Matthew 5:10) in our hearts and in the world. We affirm sphere sovereignty - that God is sovereign over every sphere of life: science, medicine, government, business, law, culture, and the church. As God’s people, we are called to bring God’s justice and peace through our careers and community involvements. The Reformed pastor, professor, newspaper editor, and prime minister Abraham Kuyper rightly said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

We believe God is carving out a people for himself for his own glory. This relationship has been communicated through the covenant between God and his people. God describes this relationship like this, “I will be their God, and they will be my people,” throughout the Bible (Genesis 17:7, Exodus 29:45, Leviticus 26:45, Psalm 50:7, Jeremiah 32:38, Hebrews 8:10, Revelation 21:3). Calvary is a covenant community who comforts, encourages, and strengthens each other in our common cause for Christ. The Reformed pastor, professor, and scholar John Calvin describes our covenant commitments, “By baptism we are initiated into faith in him; by partaking in the Lord’s Supper we attest our unity in the true doctrine and love; in the Word of the Lord we have agreement, and for the preaching of the Word the ministry instituted by Christ is preserved,” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Chapter 1, Section 7, p. 1021).

We affirm 3 creeds and 3 confessions including the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism. Our treasured confessions are reformed interpretations of Scripture that guide us in faith and life. The Heidelberg Catechism begins with this question and answer:

"What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way hat not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him."

To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church, click on the link. https://www.crcna.org/