Bear stories, pheasant hunting, skeet shooting, eating fish and game . . . adventure is in the air at Caledonia ( Mich. ) Christian Reformed Church.
Hundreds of people have joined in monthly outings since Steve Wierenga started the Outdoor Club at the church this past hunting season.
Caledonia CRC, which has about 700 members, is full of hunters, including the pastor. “[The Outdoor Club] is something everybody can come to—the whole family, not just the guys,” said congregation member Jim Naber.
The club has become a new way for people to participate in the church’s life. “You see a lot of new faces—people who don’t fit in every other niche,” said Naber.
Naber, his wife, daughter, and two sons all came out for family night at the shooting range, along with about 200 others.
“That was my favorite thing so far because I really got to shoot a lot,” said 12-year-old Austin Naber.
Wierenga started the club with families in mind. “It’s becoming harder and harder to find inexpensive, fun things for families to do,” he said.
For information on starting an outdoor club, contact Wierenga at 616-554-1220, or Rev. Maury De Young, president of Sportspersons Ministries International, at 616-291-4041 or mdeyoung@spi-int.org.
About the Author
Roxanne VanFarowe is a freelance writer who claims both Canadian and American citizenship and grew up in the Christian Reformed Church. She is a member of Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.
