Jon Sherrill   Lead Pastor

"It's out in the middle of nowhere and you get your own little room and there are no phones, no televisions, no radios. Literally, the only thing you can hear is the wind blowing or the birds singing."

Bruce Mulder   Congregational Ministries Pastor

On most days, Bruce has his hand out and a greeting on his lips as he seeks out the company of other people. But once every other month, he sneaks away to a private retreat, where he spends the day in silent prayer and scripture reading.

"That's one of my places of refuge," Bruce says. "It's out in the middle of nowhere and you get your own little room and there are no phones, no televisions, no radios. Literally, the only thing you can hear is the wind blowing or the birds singing."

A fan of sports and sitcoms, Bruce enjoys both the solitude of reading and the community of being with other people. His biggest challenge is finding a balance between the "busyness of life in the church" and the personal meditation, prayer and devotions that are part of a healthy relationship with God.

Born in Muskegon and raised along Florida's Gulf Coast, Bruce is a graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary. He lives in Grand Rapids with his wife, Jean who is also a pastor and case worker at Bethany Christian Services. Bruce came to Fifth in 2001 as minister of congregational care. "This is who I feel called to be," he says. "I appreciate the nature of the community here, the fellowship, the warmth and the hospitality in this place"

Factoid: Bruce is a big Cubs fan, and dislikes cell phones used at the grocery store. He stands 6-foot-11.

Janna Kooi   Worship Arts Director
 

"It's so nice to have some quiet time and just let your thoughts go. I use this time to pray for individual kids at Fifth. I'll just pray for whoever pops into my mind."

Krista Batdorff   Children's Ministries Director

With two young children at home, Krista was looking for a flexible job when she came on staff at Fifth in 2000. What she found was a rewarding vocation that allowed her to use her training as a teacher outside of a school classroom. "I have the best of both worlds," Krista says. "I still can be at home with my young kids and use my teaching skills."

The daughter of a Mennonite minister, Krista earned an elementary education degree from Southeastern College in Lakeland, Fla., where she met her husband, Darrin. She uses those skills to lead elementary children's education at Fifth. The toughest part of her job is finding enough help to make all of the programs run smoothly, she says.

"I want people to volunteer to teach and be with children because they want to, not because they feel they have to. When I end up having to call people, I feel as though they are telling me 'Yes' because they feel they have to."

Outside the classroom, Krista enjoys running and has taken part in events such as the Fifth Third River Bank Run. "It's so nice to have some quiet time and just let your thoughts go," she says. " I use this time to pray for individual kids at Fifth Church. Usually, I'll just pray for whoever pops into my mind."

Factoid: Krista has always dreamed of teaching less fortunate children in
the inner city.

Mary Lemmen   Junior High Ministries Coordinator

"There is a carry-over from the books I work on to the preaching that I do. The fact that I'm constantly reading books and commentaries, my own personal knowledge of the scriptures is growing all the time."

Verlyn Verbrugge   Woodland Drive-In Church Pastor

During the week, Verlyn reads Bible commentaries as a senior editor at Zondervan Publishing. On Sundays, the longtime pastor uses that book knowledge in the sermons he preaches to an assembly of automobiles at the Woodland Drive-In Church. Verlyn has been leading drive-in churchgoers for 20 years, and sees it as an important ministry that must continue.

The son of a preacher who helped Dutch immigrants settle in Canada, Verlyn spent much of his childhood north of the border. He was educated at Calvin College and then Calvin Seminary before pastoring Christian Reformed churches in Iowa and Kalamazoo. Then, while he was pursuing a doctorate degree at Notre Dame, Verlyn started preaching at the drive-in church. He has juggled editing and sermons ever since.

"There is a carry-over from the books I work on to the preaching that I do," Verlyn says. "The fact that I'm constantly reading books and commentaries, my own personal knowledge of the scriptures is growing all the time."

The drive-in ministry attracts about 150 people to worship each week, and although that number excites Verlyn, he also knows it presents challenges. The most difficult thing is "getting to know the people" and "creating some sort of continuity with an audience that changes every Sunday," he says. "There are times when I get prayer requests for certain needs and I have no idea where they come from."

Verlyn lives in Comstock Park with his wife and an 11-year old daughter. He also has four children from a previous marriage, and two grandchildren. Verlyn enjoys reading, "so my work and my hobby fit together there," he says. He also likes gardening, soccer and hockey.

Factoid: Verlyn teaches New Testament studies at Reformed Bible College on a part-time basis.

“In a lot of ways it's different because it's like a family. You can be open with them and tell them your problems. In other places of business, you can't do that.”

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Sharon Krikke, Administrative Assistant
 

Randy Wolthuis, Organist
Jack Cooper, Minister of Programming for Senior Adults
Anne Tuuk, Assistant Organist
Lisa Scherpenisse, Infant/Toddler Nursery Coordinator
Hanna Smallegan, Preschool Nursery Coordinator