Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church Profile
Website: www.rollingacrescrc.com
Address:
340 20th Street SW.,
Mason City,
Iowa
50401
Telephone: (641) 424-1369 Main Number
(641) 424-3140 Secretary Office Number
Both lines have answering machines.
Staff: Pastor Jack VandenHeuvel
email address: racrcpastor@msn.com
Pastor Ryan Boes
email address: racrcryan@q.com
Lou Ann Rossler, Church Secretary
email address: racrcsec@msn.com
Membership: Total members 220 (Professing members and baptized children)
As disciples of Jesus Christ,
the purpose of Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church
is to glorify God
by building up and equipping one another,
proclaiming the gospel to all,
and making new disciples for Jesus Christ.
We do this through the grace of the Holy Spirit
in a joyful fellowship of love, encouragement and unity.
Core Values Survey
of our congregation, done in worship service January 28, 1996
Foundational Values How to Do Ministry Values
1. Christ centered 1. Supportive
2. Biblical 2. Teamwork
3. Accepting 3. Growth oriented
4. Friendly 4. Enthusiastically
5. Loving 5. Respect for people
Caring People based
Dependent on God Disciplined
Faithful
The most common characteristic noted from the survey was that we are a loving, caring group that accepts on another and respects one another even though we are a diverse group. There was a deep appreciation for the people of our congregation. Let us as a church use this warmth to reach out to the unchurched and try to love them to our Lord.
Ministry Focus
We want ALL to be welcomed to our fellowship.
We minister to all who enter our doors to worship the Lord. Not to single out young or old, married or single, but to minister to ALL as the family of God. Programs such as Cadets and Gems, Sunday School, Junior High, High School Teens, Childrens Worship, Childrens Presentation,
Vacation
Bible
School, are designed to target the needs of families with children.
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Vision Statement
Our vision is to reach out into the diverse
North Iowa community to expand and nurture the family of God as an accepting and caring fellowship of believers.
We will be a light to draw people to Christ through agape love and friendship evangelism, as they join us in a community centered on Christ and taught through Gods word in the Bible. |
History
Home Missions opened
Mason City as a mission field in June of 1960. Rev. Vernon Luchies spent six weeks working in
Mason City during the summer of 1960. The group began two worship services on June 12, 1960 at the Junior College Lounge.
Near the end of the first summer Rev. Luchies said that there was no Reformed witness in the city and "not a great deal of any sound evangelical witness." The membership of the starting group was very small. In December, 1960, there was an average attendance of 15 in the morning service and ten in the evening service.
In 1962 Candidate Wendell Gebben accepted the challenge to minister in this Home Mission field. In 1964 the church and the parsonage were constructed. The church has an excellent piece of land on the south side of the city. Rev. Gebben accepted a call to
Muskegon,
Michigan, in July of 1967. Candidate Ken Bakker began his work in the fall of 1967, followed by Rev. William Stroo in 1970. In 1976 Rev. Maury De Young began serving here as Pastor. Two Seminary interns worked with Rev. De Young in 1980 and 1981.
September of 1982 Rev. Jack Vanden Heuvel joined Rev. De Young in a team ministry. Rev. Jack Vanden Heuvel had served a church in
Michigan for ten years. Home Missions sponsored the arrangement on a two year trial basis to provide extra impetus for evangelism, expecting the
Mason City population to grow. The general job description called for Pastor Maury to lead in the areas of administration and evangelism, and Pastor Jack in the areas of pastoral care and education. They were two good years of ministry, closing with Rev. De Young accepting a call to a Home Missions Church Planting ministry in
Springfield,
Illinois in October of 1984. It was decided to have Pastor Jack continue as the single Pastor and end the team ministry experiment. Instead of the projected population growth of
Mason City, the farm crisis hit. The church graduated from Home Missions in January, 1986.
We added a second story addition to the Sunday School wing in 1982. In 1998 we put on a $330,000 addition, greatly expanding room for fellowship, worship, fun, and a great kitchen area, as well as a handicap accessible restroom. We also put a drive up front door on the North side of the building. In 2002 a part time secretary and half time Youth Director were hired. The Youth Director was also hired by Youth For Christ at half time. He moved on to continue his studies, and we hired another Director full time, and presently do not have one. We do currently have many adults energetically leading our Junior and Senior High Youth Groups. We now seek an ordained Pastor to share the leadership of the congregation, to expand our ministry to both reach out and grow ourselves as disciples.
The membership of the church is varied. In a study done during the team ministry only 25% were from CRC/Reformed background. 50% had been unchurched. We enjoy the variety of backgrounds, and welcome all ages. A large number of the congregation is noticeably young.
We have five elders and five deacons. Committees include the Worship & Evangelism Committee, the Fellowship & Education Committee, the Building and Grounds Committee, and the Long Range Planning Committee. These committees are very important, and they get much work done. Anyone is invited to serve on these committees. Teaching and voting privileges are granted to official members.
In 1999 we went off all Fund for Smaller Churches funding. We have been giving our full ministry shares to the denomination since 1997, in support of many large denominational ministries that could not get done without many churches participating together. Our worship services are committed to blended music, using both contemporary and traditional hymns, and use an overhead projection system. We have a strong emphasis on good Biblical and practical sermons, and at the same time wanting participation of others in prayer, sharing, and announcements.
In 2006 we began offering two Sunday morning services to enable more people to attend church with more choice of times, and with a desire to have members reach out and invite friends to worship. The Two Service format allows both services to include each week either a Skit, Puppets, a Faith Story, or a Childrens Presentation. Both services have blended music (includes both contemporary and traditional hymns), with the first service having a more traditional emphasis, and the second service having a more contemporary emphasis.
Ministries
Sunday School (Sunday School runs September through May)
Children: Sunday School meets from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Classes are offered for ages three through high school and are held from September through May. Nursery is provided for children under three years of age.
Adult: Classes meet from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Participating in Adult Sunday School stimulates spiritual growth and enables a more practical application of ones faith to daily living through presentations and discussion. A wide variety of areas are examined from a Christian perspective such as parenting, current issues, books of the Bible, marriage and family, cults, etc.
GEMS and Cadets (GEMS and Cadets runs from Sept. to May)
GEMS is a girls club for first through eighth graders. Meeting time is
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. every other Wednesday evening from September to May. They are involved with Bible lessons, badge work, special projects, crafts, special trips and the Pine Wood Derby.
Cadets is a boys club for first through eighth graders. The club meets every other Wednesday,
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., September to May. Meetings include Bible lessons, merit badge work, craft projects. There are also special activities such as a fall outing, the Pine Wood Derby races and a spring campout!
These clubs give children an opportunity to build healthy relationships with other youth and adults in a safe context, while learning about God, the world, and themselves!
Childrens Church
Children three years old through 2nd grade are invited to leave the service prior to the sermon. They are told a Bible story, do artwork related to the story, sing songs and pray together.
Youth Groups
Middle School students, grades 6-8, led by the Youth Team, meet at the church twice a month for a Bible-based lesson and fun and games. Other activities are scheduled throughout the year as well. They meet the Wednesday nights there is no Cadets or Gems, 6:30 8:00 p.m.
Senior High school students, grades 9-12, meet weekly, 6:00-8:00 pm each Sunday night, with the Youth Team to enhance their faith through life-changing messages based on the Bible. They are also involved in community service projects, mission activities and social events.
Bible Study Groups
The church offers several Bible study opportunities which provide support through prayer and fellowship to grow in the Lord. Anyone from the community or surrounding area is invited to come to these studies.
Members usually meet in homes and use the Bible either as the sole text or along with an array of study aids covering various topics.
Various Small Groups
The church offers other small groups which meet on varying schedules. All members are encouraged to be in a small group. Groups vary from Bible Study to a motorcycle riding group.
Activities
Music: A Worship Team leads the congregation in worship and singing during the Sunday morning services. Vocalists, keyboardists, and various other musicians comprise the team.
Sports
Many of the men and women of the church enjoy athletics. They often form teams that play volleyball, basketball, softball and golf.
VACATION
BIBLE
SCHOOL
Each summer we offer a week of
Vacation
Bible
School to community children four years old through 5th grade, Monday through Friday. Bible stories, crafts, singing, and meeting old and new friends make this an exciting week. To wrap up the week of learning, families are invited to a program given by the children. Many children and families look forward to this annual event!
Nursery
A supervised nursery is available for children under 4 during morning and evening worship services for both infants and toddlers. Nursery is also provided during the Sunday School hour.
Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS)
MOPS is for all mothers with children from birth through kindergarten. Meetings include fellowship, speakers, discussion groups, creative activities, refreshments, leadership opportunities and child care. MOPS meets the third Wednesday of the month (Sept.-May) 9 -
11:15 AM. Bible/Book study and social activities are also periodically provided throughout the year. All are welcome. MOPS is a non-denominational organization. It is a privilege for Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church to sponsor them here at our church. Call the church office for more information.
Community
MASON
CITY
One of the most common things said about
Mason City is that it is a nice cross between a big city and a small town. It is big enough to offer a wide variety of professional services, and yet small enough to be friendly.
Mason City continues to attract new business. It is a hub to North-central Iowa, located half way between
Des Moines and
Minneapolis, each about two hours away.
EAST
PARK: This picturesque area includes a foot bridge over a small river coming into the
Winnebago
River. There are Picnic areas, play equipment, shelters and towering oak trees and wild flowers on the East bank. Unique is a grassy fenced in area where deer roam (NW corner.)
TENNIS COURTS: We have tennis courts at
East
Park,
West
Park and the
Mason City
High school. The park courts have lights for night playing.
LIBRARY: This library is a joy to spend time in! Anyone who likes to read will find this a favorite spot. It has a beautiful setting, overlooking the river and has a special section for children. It will be getting a major renovation soon.
MACNIDER
MUSEUM: Located next to the library is an art museum featuring a large puppet display by Billy Baird, including those from the movie, The Sound of Music. They also offer various educational opportunities to the community throughout the year. The museum also has a darkroom for photo work and a large pottery workshop. They have a great ART Festival in August each year.
LIME
CREEK
NATURE
CENTER: This is a must for anyone who likes nature, the outdoors, or cross country skiing. There are various exhibits, hiking trails, a superb nature library, many informative programs throughout the year, and a real bee hive behind glass that you can observe!
SWIMMING: The City has a beautiful water park. Some prefer the Big Blue gravel pit. Big Blue & Big Black have wonderful paved walking trails around them.
FISHING:
Clear
Lake is known for its walleye, and has other fish as well. Other lakes are nearby. The
Winnebago
River is fished successfully a lot in
East
Park. For trout, St. Ansgar is the closest with
NE Iowa having many stocked streams.
MUSIC
MAN SQUARE: Built in 2001. Located East of the Mall. It commemorates Meredith Wilson with a replicated street from the Music Man. It has a state of the art sign board out front.
YMCA: Built in 2001 with many opportunities for adults & kids and state of the art equipment. There is a good recreation department offering fall and winter volleyball leagues. The churches have a Friday night softball league.
GOLF:
Highland Golf course after 4:00 PM is cheaper. There are courses in
Clear
Lake, Manly,
Rockford, Thorton,
Nora
Springs and Rockwell. The best two courses are at
Rice
Lake and
Spring Valley near Algona.
PILOT
KNOB
STATE PARK: This is a favorite State Park about 35 minutes northwest. It has a tower kids love to climb and shout in, forest area, fishing, and is a congregating point for deer.
NORTH
IOWA
MERCY
HOSPITAL:
Mason City has great medical services with a large hospital which serves the surrounding area. Mercy was rated in 2000 as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for coronary care.
SCHOOLS: True to
Iowa,
Mason City has a good school system, and being
Music
City, it has a great music department.
NORTH
IOWA
CHRISTIAN
SCHOOL: An interdenominational, accredited school covering K through eight grade. Call 641-423-6440 for more information. Located at 811 North
Kentucky in
Mason City.
ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM: includes
Newman
High School.
NORTH
IOWA
AREA
COMMUNITY COLLEGE (NIACC): This is a good community college east of town on highway 18. It has a beautiful auditorium and offers many interesting adult electives. It is rated one of the top community colleges in the state, and does a lot of cooperative teaching with
Mercy
Hospital and the
Mason City
High school.
