Amazing Grace

 This summer we had several baptism's — families, children and individuals.  We consider it a privilege to participate in God's work.  This is what it's all about for the believer —  being used by God as  instruments of truth and love, and then seeing God step into peoples lives and bring them out of that darkness and into the light.  It's that "Amazing Grace" that makes our hearts sing while at  the same time tears of Joy and praise stream down our faces.  There is nothing more beautiful than seeing God touch a life, remove the veil; But sometimes  a person's spiritual wakening doesn't happen as a young person or while they still have life left  to live and grow in their faith, and gain deeper understanding of God's Word.   Sometimes it's like the thief on the cross. Sometimes it's at the very end of ones life.  But that grace is just as powerful and awesome as when given to the one that will walk many years with God.   This is Dan Bustards' story. 

Dan has lived in the Coit neighborhood for years.  He has heard the Gospel and about Gods love and grace many times from Pastor Jerome and others, but he never showed any interest.   Dan's rough living brought hardship on his body and three years ago he was diagnosed with black Lungs, a tumor in his throat, and cancer of the pancreas.  Dan's the kind of guy that would help anyone, and in fact did a lot of work at our church with Pastor.  He'd even get up early in the winter to make sure our sidewalks were shoveled before anyone got to church, but would never attend a service or Bible study.  Dan's body started to deteriorate shortly after the diagnosis, but even though he knew he was dying, and had been in and out of the hospitals with near death experiences, he still didn't show any interest in knowing God, receiving forgiveness or having assurance of his eternal destination.  

But on August 3, 2010,  the seeds that had been planted and God's perfect timing for Dan to hear Him call came.  With urgency in Dan's voice, he called  Pastor Jerome wanting to talk to him immediately.  When  Pastor arrived at Dan's home,  Dan wanted to know how to be saved.  Jerome answered and asked Dan a few questions and then led him in a prayer of repentance, and confession of his need and desire to know Christ.   Dan immediately was filled with joy and tears, and asked if he could be baptized, so the next day Pastor and several other members from Coit Church went to Dan's home, because he is bedridden, and had a church service in his living room.  They sang songs, read scriptures, and then baptized Dan right there.  This frail  man stood to his feet and said over and over again with tears in his eyes "I am happy, I am so happy".   

As we began embracing Dan he started asking questions like any new believer would, and with every  answer his face and his eyes lit up with hope and assurance.   His face looked like that of a child  after receiving a gift they had always wanted.   If he’d had the strength I just know he would have been jumping dancing around - it was in his eyes, and that precious voice when he spoke.    Dan’s in the hospital now, and it’s only a matter of time before he leaves this world, and though he may not be able to quote scriptures or explain doctrine, he does know that on that day Jesus has said to him, "I tell you the truth, this day you will be with me in paradise". 

On September 24th 2010 The Lord called Daniel Buscard home.  We praise God that we know he is in the presence of The Lord Jesus.

Family sells century-old home to Coit Community Church to be used for youth center

By Paul R. Kopenkoskey | The Grand Rapids P...

January 09, 2010, 4:13AM

Octavian Cantilli | The Grand Rapids Pressb Laura O’Brock, right, is selling her late aunt’s home at 606 Lafayette Ave. NE to Coit Community Christian Reformed Church, which is next door. The Rev. Jerome Burton, center, will be in charge of the ministries at the house, which is where O’Brock and her sister, Norma Boeham, left, grew up.GRAND RAPIDS — The Rev. Jerome Burton is eager to convert a century-old Northeast Grand Rapids home into a youth center for church-shy teens.

Burton, pastor of Coit Community Church, said he hopes the next-door residence at 606 Lafayette Ave. NE will draw neighboring kids to its homey surroundings where they can shoot pool, paint pictures on walls and dig deep into a Christ-centered life.

“Coit Church wants to reach the un-churched, not the traditional Christian,” said Burton, 52. “If you don’t know anything about church, it can be intimidating to be in a church.”

(This paragraph is a correction to the Grand Rapids Press)  The Christian Reformed Church purchased the home at 606 Lafayette NE, last month for $45,000.  The $45,000 came through the donation of  a house back in 1998 which was used by Coit Church for ministry, and than later sold in around 2002, at which point the money from that sale was put aside  in hopes of one day purchasing this home for the purpose of expanding the ministry. So this has been the vision of Pastor Jerome and Coit Church for many years.

The city’s Planning Commission granted the congregation a special land use permit, which opens the door for the youth center.

Burton said he wants to widen the church’s biblical sway in the neighborhood he’s lived in for 20 years. It’s bounded by Division Avenue to the west, College Avenue to the east, Michigan Street to the south and Leonard Street to the north.

Burton’s wife, Kristin, plans to set up a boutique in the home’s parlor to provide clothes for job-seeking women and possibly men and children as well.

“That little parlor has so much character to it,” she said. “I thought it would be a beautiful place for women to walk through the home’s front glass doors instead of some big, institutional building.”

The home already has a rich Christian heritage, say sisters Norma Boeham and Laura O’Brock, who lived in the home 21 and 30 years, respectively.

Home built in 1906

Jacob and Wilhelmina Burggraaff emigrated from the Netherlands and then built the home in 1906.

Four generations of Burggraafs — the second “f” in the last name was lopped off later in the 20th century — lived in the residence before it was sold.

The last relative to own it was an aunt of Boeham and O’Brock’s, who died last year. Before her death, the aunt said she wanted the house sold to Coit Community Church.

Family memories

The home’s sale conjures many meories for Boeham and O’Brock.

They recall with pride six Burggraafs who were ordained ministers in the Reformed Church in America and Christian Reformed Church denominations, five who had an atrium dedicated in their honor a few years ago at Western Theological Seminary in Holland.

Boeham and O’Brock also rejoice that the home’s new owners will put it to good use by helping a new generation of Christians.

“The continuation of ministry is kind of a comfort to us,” said O’Brock.

Boeham said she hopes Coit Community Church members sense a warm afterglow throughout the home’s 2,200 square feet of space.

“We feel the love when we’re here,” she said. “We leave that behind.”

Pastor Jerome & Kristin Burton

The purpose of Coit Church is reconciliation. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that God gave us the ministry of reconciliation. At Coit Church , we seek to reconcile people to God, to the church, to their families, and to people of different colors. We also want to make people into "ministers of reconciliation." In other words we want to train people to be able to share God's love on their job, at home, in their neighborhood, and in the church.

Coit Church has sometimes been described as a hospital of the Lord Jesus Christ because many of us here have been saved by God from drugs, alcohol, crime and other hardships. As such, one strength of Coit Church is that we are very welcoming to people from all walks of life. We want to reach out to others who are going through what we went through, and to help them experience God's power to walk in victory just as we have. 

Coit Church is also unique in that our congregation is made up of a diverse group of individuals and families from various ethnic backgrounds including many interacial families. In many churches, you may feel uncomfortable if you aren't dressed right or if you aren't the same color as everyone else. Coit Church doesn't want to be like that. We want everyone to feel comfortable, no matter how they're dressed, where they've come from, what they look like or what they've done.

Within the context of the Coit/Belknap community of Grand Rapids , we purposely aim to attract people of all different colors and ethnic backgrounds, desire kids to come to church and participate with their parents, and encourage people to settle down, buy homes, and live in the community. Through this our intention is to make this into a reconciled community.