About

About Us

What is RYS?

RYS is a youth ministry organization committed to the spiritual and social nurturing of our covenant youth. We affirm a biblical worldview that emphasizes that young people live all of life to the honor and glory of God. We strive to model a vibrant, joyous and challenging reformed faith that is inspiring and contagious. We are dedicated to a covenantal, confessional way of life exhibited in our local churches and homes.

We believe that both the content and form of youth ministry is important and must be consistent with our beliefs and at our events. As the post-modern culture wages war with our youth, the Church must do everything it can to counter these attacks. Through its retreats, conferences, conventions and lesson material, RYS strives to encourage, edify, and equip the young people led to our programs so they can grow in the grace and knowledge or our Lord and become healthy 21st century disciples of Christ.

RYS offers young people from junior high to age 30 opportunities to grow in their faith and glorify the Lord. Some of these events include junior high retreats, regional high school retreats, an international high school convention, post-high retreats and conferences, and topical lesson material. At all of our events, we aspire to do everything in a winsome manner and to the glory of God. We are dedicated to promoting the timeless truths of the historic reformed faith and the heritage of our forefathers.

Who is RYS?

Our membership consists of churches that promote and agree with RYS’ perspective of reformed youth ministry. Since 1996, more than 85 congregations representing 25 states and provinces throughout the United States and Canada have joined our fellowship. We view our member churches as our partners in this ministry. RYS’ ministry is accountable to a representative board, which is in turn accountable to the consistory of Cornerstone United Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI. To contact RYS, email us at rysdirector@gmail.com or (360) 842-1130

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Member Churches

Our members consist of churches from the United Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church, Presbyterian Church in America, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Reformed Church in the United States, as well as other independent reformed churches. Any church which promotes and agrees with RYS Reformed perspective of youth ministry and the historic Three Forms of Unity are eligible for membership. Since 1996, 95 churches representing 25 states and provinces have joined our membership. If your church is not a member of Reformed Youth Services and is interested in more information about our organization, please have your pastor, elder, deacon or youth leaders contact RYS Director Paul Van Dyke at rysdirector@gmail.com

Beaverdam CRC, Hudsonville, MI
Bellingham URC, Bellingham, WA
Bethany URC, Wyoming, MI
Bethel CRC, Manhattan, MT
Bethel Reformed OPC, Fremont, MI
Bethel URC, Jenison, MI
Burlington URC, Burlington, WA
Calvary CRC, Orange City, IA
Calvary URC, Loveland, CO
Cedar OPC, Jenison, MI
Central Ave. CRC, Holland, MI
Chain-o-Lakes OPC, Central Lake, MI
Christ Reformed, Nampa, ID
Christ Reformed, Santee, CA
Christ Reformed, Sioux Falls, SD
Cloverdale URC, Boise, ID
Community URC, Schererville, IN
Cornerstone Christian Church, Medford, OR
Cornerstone URC, Hudsonville, MI
Cornerstone URC, Sanborn, IA
Covenant Grace Reformed Church, Lynden, WA
Covenant Reformed, Kansas City, MO
Covenant Reformed, Pella, IA
Covenant Reformed, Carbondale, PA
Covenant URC, Byron Center, MI
Covenant URC, Pantego, NC
Covenant URC, Kalamazoo, MI
Covenant URC, Newton, NJ
Doon URC, Doon, IA
Dutton URC, Dutton, MI
Eastmanville URC, Eastmanville, MI
Escondido URC, Escondido, CA
Faith URC, Beecher, IL
Faith URC, West Olive, MI
First Church PCA, Lansing, IL
First CRC, Orange City, IA
First CRC of Prinsburg, MN
First URC, Oak Lawn, IL
First URC of Chino, Chino, CA
Gig Harbor URC, Gig Harbor, WA
Grace Fellowship OPC, Zeeland, MI
Grace Reformed, Lethbridge, AB
Grace URC, Alto, MI
Grace URC, Milwaukie, OR
Grace URC, Waupun, WI
Harvest OPC, Wyoming, MI
Hills URC, Hills, MN
Hudson Valley URC, Middletown, NY
Immanuel Covenant Reformed, Abbottsford, B.C.
Immanuel Fellowship, Kalamazoo, MI
Immanuel URC, DeMotte, IN
Immanuel URC, Listowel, ON
Immanuel’s Reformed (URC), Salem, OR
Lamont CRC, Coopersville, MI
Little Farms OPC, Coopersville, MI
Lynden URC, Lynden, WA
Lynwood URC, Lynwood, IL
Messiah’s IRC, Holland, MI
Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship, Brooklyn, NY
New Covenant URC, Twin Falls, ID
New Haven URC, New Haven, VT
North Street CRC, Zeeland, MI
Oak Glen URC, Lansing, IL
Ontario URC, Ontario, CA
Phoenix URC, Phoenix, AZ
Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church, NJ
Preakness Valley URC, Wayne, NJ
Providence Reformed Church, Des Moines, IA
Providence Reformed Church, Winnipeg, MB
Providence Reformed Church, Meridian, ID
Providence URC, Strathroy, ON
Redeemer OPC, Ada, MI
Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA), Holland, MI
Redeemer Reformed (RCUS), Crystal, MN
Redeemer URC, Orange City, IA
Redeemer URC, St. John, IN
Rock Valley URC, Rock Valley, IA
Rockford Springs Community OPC, Rockford, MI
Rusk CRC, Allendale, MI
Second CRC of Kalamazoo, MI
Seventh Reformed, Grand Rapids, MI
Sioux Center URC, Sioux Center, IA
The United Reformed Church of Sunnyside, Sunnyside, WA
The Well Church, Boise, ID
Trinity CRC, Sparta, MI
Trinity Reformed Church, Cape Coral, FL
Trinity Reformed Church (URC), Lethbridge, AB
Trinity URC, Visalia, CA
Trinity URC, Caledonia, MI
URC of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay, ON
Walker URC, Grand Rapids, MI
West Sayville URC, West Sayville, NY
Worthington CRC, Worthington, MN
Zeltenreich Reformed, New Holland, PA
Zion Reformed Church, Ripon, CA

Accountability

Reformed Tradition – Accountability

Throughout time, the Reformed tradition has placed a strong emphasis on the importance of supervision by a local consistory. We believe that a representative board accountable to a local consistory is the best model for youth ministry.

The consistory of Cornerstone United Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan, supervises RYS, with one of its elders or pastor serving as the chairman of the RYS board. Cornerstone collects and dispenses all funds raised for Reformed Youth Services.

The director is immediately accountable to a board consisting of 8-10 individuals representing churches contributing to the ministry. The board strives to be representative of both the denominational and geographical membership.

Reformed Youth Services Board of Directors 2023-24

Elder Larry Huttinga, Chairman

Cornerstone URC – Hudsonville, MI

David Kroll 2024

North St. CRC – Zeeland, MI

Brian Postma 2026

Escondido URC – Escondido, CA

Roger Tubergen 2026

Doon URC – Doon, IA

Mark Uittenbogaard 2025

Cornerstone URC – Sanborn, IA

Michael Vander Kooi 2024

Messiah’s IRC – Holland, MI

Philip Vannette 2026

Faith URC – Holland, MI

Jon Verduin 2024

Dutton URC – Dutton, MI

Mike Winters 2025

Trinity CRC – Sparta, MI

Kevin Veenstra 2025

Covenant Reformed – Pella, IA

Convention Records

The first Kyrie youth convention took place in June of 1995 at the Kettunen Center in northern Michigan.

Ed and his wife served on the Kyrie planning committee. Interestingly, RYS has hosted LOGOS events at the same site every other year since 1998 (through 2020). 23 people attended the inaugural LOGOS young adult conference, including Rev. Talman Wagonmaker. Approximately eight pastors have attended LOGOS over the years, including our first Canadian attendee, Rev. Jeremy Veldman, a pastor in the URC.

RYS first national convention was held July 30-August 3 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. 375 people from 37 churches attended. Rip Pratt and Dr. Bill Dennison of Covenant College were the keynote speakers, speaking on the theme “Every Thought Captive.”
2001-Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA	375 people
2002-University of Colorado in Colorado Springs	505 people
2003-Lake Williamson in Carlinville, IL	425 people
2004-Biola College in La Mirada, CA	620 people
2005-Evangel University, Springfield, MO	485 people
2006-Covenant College, Lookout Mtn., GA	610 people
2007-Concordia University, Irvine, CA	605 people
2008-Bethel University, St. Paul, MN	715 people
2009-North Carolina Wesleyan, Rocky Mount, NC	650 people
2010-George Fox University, Newberg, OR	695 people
2011-Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA	815 people
2012-Covenant College, Lookout Mtn, GA	810 people
2013-Northwestern University, St. Paul, MN	730 people
2014-George Fox University, Newberg, OR	740 people
2015-Asbury University, Wilmore, KY	720 people
2016-Evangel University, Springfield, MO	695 people
2017-Biola University, La Mirada, CA	825 people
2018-Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA	715 people
2019- Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH	695 people
2021 – Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, ID	765 people
2022- University of Northwestern, St. Paul, MN	775 people
2023- Asbury University, Wilmore, KY	850 people
2024 George Fox University, OR	883 people

We started the LOGOS young adult conferences/ retreats on January 1, 1998 and have held two events each year for a total of 57 young adult events. Approximately 2,500 singles from across the country and Canada have attended LOGOS in the past 26 years. 30 couples have met their spouse at LOGOS, for which we praise God!

STEP began in 2000 to provide our mature, professing high school students with an opportunity to participate in local evangelism. Almost 100 students participated in the program which lasted 11 years.

RYS has held high school retreats in the states of IA (discontinued) MI, WA (discontinued), CA, PA since the late 1990s, plus a Midwest Junior High retreat. I would estimate approximately 7,000 youth and leaders have attended these events.

Member Church Benefits

Our members consist of churches from the United Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church, Presbyterian Church in America, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Reformed Church in the United States, as well as other independent reformed churches. Any church which promotes and agrees with RYS Reformed perspective of youth ministry and the historic Three Forms of Unity are eligible for membership. Since 1996, more than 85 churches representing 23 states and provinces have joined our membership. If your church is not a member of Reformed Youth Services and is interested in more information about our organization, please have your pastor, elder, deacon or youth leaders contact RYS Director Paul Van Dyke at rysdirector@gmail.com.