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

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, 86 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
  • Central Ave. CRC, Holland, 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, Holland, MI
  • First CRC, Orange City, IA
  • First CRC of Prinsburg, MN
  • First URC, Oak Lawn, IL
  • First URC of Chino, Chino, CA
  • Grace Fellowship OPC, Zeeland, MI
  • Grace Reformed, Lethbridge, AB
  • Grace URC, Alto, MI *
  • Grace URC, Milwaukie, OR
  • Grace URC, Waupun, WI
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • Second CRC of Kalamazoo, MI
  • Seventh Reformed, Grand Rapids, MI *
  • Sioux Center URC, Sioux Center, IA
  • 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 URC, 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

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.