Page 14 E.A. MacKay Enterprises, Wednesday, October 10, 2012

OUT AND ABOUTJane Charmelo

Christian Reformed Church turns 100If you were to attend a Sunday

church service at the LombardChristian Reformed Church, theRev. John Huizinga says themessage you would hear is thatbeing of the faith means not justattending church on Sunday, butliving that faith each and everyday—whether it be at work, atschool or during leisure time.

“It’s everyday living for Jesus,”he emphasized, and it’s a similarmessage that has reverberatedthroughout the 100-year history ofthe Lombard church, which will beholding a celebration this weekend.

In a history of the churchprepared by congregation memberJohn Rice, he writes that the church,located at Meyers Road and 22ndStreet, started out in a storefront onChicago’s West Side, when it was“an ethnic-based church, dominatedby Dutch-speaking members.”

Huizinga explained that theChristian Reformed Church (CRC)originated in the Netherlands, and is“along the lines of thePresbyterians.”

The CRC Web site, www.crcna.org,likens denominations to the trunk of atree, dividing after some 1,000 years ofgrowth into two major branches, or theEastern and Western churches. TheWestern, or Roman, branch becamedivided into several new branchesfrom the Protestant Reformation in1517, further dividing churches into“several new branches.”

One was the Lutheran Church,under the influence of Martin Luther,and another developed throughUlrich Zwingli and later JohnCalvin. In Scotland this was thePresbyterian Church and ReformedChurch in continental Europe, theCRC describes, adding that it was inthe Netherlands where the ReformedChurch thrived.

When some of those peoplemoved to the United States in themiddle 1800s, they formed theChristian Reformed Church in NorthAmerica.

Rice’s history of the Lombardchurch indicates that the 12th StreetChurch “had the radical idea ofholding services in English.”

“That did not happen overnight,”the CRC Web site states, but at thesame time, the shift enabled thechurches to “forge relationships withother Christians.”

As the Chicago congregationgrew, the church moved to a numberof locations before building a churchin Cicero in 1925. At the time,

Timothy Christian School waslocated across the street.

When the school moved toElmhurst and congregationmembers began moving to theWestern suburbs, the church decidedto move as well, and began buildingthe current church—on what wasonce farm land—in 1975.

The current church would go onto build the addition of a largeFellowship Hall, expanded theparking lot and purchasedsurrounding properties.

Rose Van Reken remembers thedays when the CRC was located inCicero, where she lived at the time. Sheand her family began attending churchthere because she liked the pastor, theRev. Rolf Veenstra, remarking that itwas “quite a big church.”

In fact, the church was sopopular that church goers might findthemselves sitting on chairs in theaisle “if you didn’t get there earlyenough,” she recalled with achuckle.

When the church moved to

Lombard, Van Reken said, “We justdrove all the time,” adding that hernow-late husband was still apracticing doctor at West SuburbanHospital in Oak Park.

When he retired, the Van Rekensmoved to Lombard around 1985.She moved to Downers Grove just afew years ago.

All of her five children wereraised in the church, said Van Reken;in fact, one of her sons, who teachesat the Calvin Seminary, will beparticipating in the 100th anniversaryservice on Sunday, Oct. 14.

“I enjoy the church very much,”Van Reken said emphatically,recalling that she led an adultfellowship after the morning servicefor 21 years, and adding that it was avery special time for her.

She also taught women’s classesand helped write memorials aboutcongregation members who hadpassed away.

“I was quite active, really,” shecontinued. “I loved being involvedwith the church.”

Rice’s historical accountindicates that even before moving toLombard, the CRC “was alsoprogressive in its music and itsoutreach to the community.”

In addition to recalling her daysleading the adult fellowship, anotherof Van Reken’s fond memories wasthat “We had a beautiful choir,”under the direction of Neal Kickert.

She said his daughter, VirginiaFolgers, was a longtime organist,and “She was a wonderful organist atour church for many years.”

As for community outreach,Huizinga said his congregation ofabout 400 is very civic minded,especially “in response to economicconditions in the last few years.”

The church offers a family-to-family-ministry, has volunteers forPublic Action to Deliver Shelter(PADS) in Lombard and BridgeCommunities in Glen Ellyn, andoffers a summer sports camp “thatbrings a lot of the community kids.”

The church also supportsTimothy Christian School and at the

same time, “Christian Reformedrelief work is a big thing for us; thatgoes around the world,” the ministersaid.

He said part of the church’s—andhis—message is “to be a blessing toothers [and] to bring the love of Godinto all aspects of life.”

He posed, “What can we offer?What can we give up for others? Allof us have some sort of skill or apassion. We all have something [toshare]” that can result in meaningfulinvolvement.

He said that after growing up inOak Park and then spending some 20years in Alberta, Canada, when hegot the chance to come to theLombard CRC four years ago it waslike coming home.

“I had always wanted to giveback in the community where I grewup,” he said of the Western suburbs.

Upon returning though, Huizingawas disheartened to see “how manypeople are [often] on their own,alone.”

Therefore, he wants the Lombardchurch to be seen as “a safe placewhere you can be you.”

Just as the Dutch reformersbegan holding church services inEnglish, “We’re supposed to be partof the community,” Huizingareiterated.

In fact, one of his hopes for thefuture is that “the church remains asa community place, much like alibrary or fire station.”

Lombard Christian ReformedChurch will celebrate its 100thanniversary with a banquet onSaturday, Oct. 13, after which therewill be a program that includesinterviews with former pastors and aslide show of the church’s history.The weekend will conclude with aspecial Sunday service.

Lombard Christian ReformedChurch is located at 2020 S. MeyersRoad, Lombard. Traditional churchservices are held on Sundays at 9:15a.m., with a contemporary service at11:15 a.m. For more information,call 630-495-3080 or visitwww.lombardcrc.org.

Celebrating arts and humanities in LombardThe state has designated October

as Illinois Arts & Humanities Month,and the Village of Lombard isreaping some of the benefits.

The Lombard Arts Coalition(LAC) will be showing the work ofvarious artists for all to enjoy, both atthe Helen M. Plum MemorialLibrary and at the NationalUniversity of Health Sciences(NUHS), noted Marj Placzek, LACsecretary and past president, in apress release.

The LAC is currently hosting itsNUHS “Open” Fine Arts Show,which Placzek related is “our annualshow where we invite [local artists]”to display their work at theuniversity art gallery.

Placzek explained that the artscoalition—which she said“originally formed to help supportthe DuPage Theatre”—hosts anumber of shows each year,including a member show inFebruary and the open show inOctober.

Artwork at the NUHS art gallery,which is open to the public, changesat various times, including every twomonths in one wing and every four

months in the patient wing, Placzekcontinued, adding that all the workon display is “wall” art.

She mentioned that the artworkincludes “faces and places” and thatmembers often have their ownshowing, or share it with anothermember artist, with names being

chosen from a drawing. “It’s a great opportunity for our

artists to show their work,” thesecretary said, adding, “There’salways artwork there.”

In addition to offering the publica chance to see the work of localartists, each year the LAC also gives

residents a chance to try their hand atan art project, in cooperation withthe Lombard Park District, Placzekoutlined, adding that most recentlythe theme was Mexico’s “Day of theDead,” in which workshopparticipants could make skulls andMexican flowers, to be displayed atthe Helen M. Plum MemorialLibrary during the month of October.Also as part of the display are somepaintings from LAC member BlancaCampos of Westmont.

“Past exhibits have includedmasks, mosaic pots, banners andfound-object art,” Placzek describedin the press release, which stated thatthe display can be viewed duringlibrary hours.

“We do our best to offer a freeworkshop to the public each year,”she said, adding, “We supply thesupplies. We teach them to do it.”

As for the display at NUHS,“Illinois Arts & Humanities Monthis a big time for us,” stated coalitionPresident Eve Reed in the pressrelease. “We love it because it givesour members several opportunitiesto show what they can do.”

She also said that the showing

offers the public a chance to viewsome art for free that they might notnormally see, it offers aneighborhood feel and may justprompt someone to join the LAC.

This year’s open show is runningnow through Dec. 3 at the NUHS artgallery. The gallery is free and opento the public during clinic businesshours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday; and from 7:30 a.m.to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

In addition to the art display, theLAC will be holding an openingreception at the gallery on Sunday,Oct. 14, from 1-3 p.m., where thepublic can view the artwork andmeet the artists. Refreshments willbe served.

“It’s a great time to meet andgreet,” Placzek concluded.

The NUHS art gallery is locatedin the Health Sciences Clinic,Building B., 200 E. Roosevelt Road,Lombard. For more informationabout the gallery or the LAC, call331-645-3992 or visitwww.LombardArts Coalition.com.

For more information on theHelen Plum Library, call 630-627-0316 or visit www.helenplum.org.

Photo submitted by Marj PlaczekTHE LOMBARD ARTS Coalition will be holding its annual “open” art

show this month at the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) inLombard. The public is also invited to an opening reception Sunday, Oct.14, from 1-3 p.m. at NUHS to meet the artists.

Photos submitted by Kevin FischerLOMBARD CHRISTIAN REFORMED Church is turning 100 this

year. The photos above show various locations the church calledhome, including (from top left, clockwise) 12th Street (1912) and WestGrenshaw (1913) in Chicago, the Cicero church (1925) and groundbreaking in Lombard (1975). In the lower left photo is the Rev. JohnHuizinga, who has been at the CRC for four years. He is originally fromOak Park and spent much of his career in Alberta, Canada.