Ivanrest Church Discipleship

Pastor Brandon shared an update on Synod 2026. He provided information about what was decided at Synod, along with some of his thoughts and reflections.

Listen to Kelsy Vining, Director of Advancement at Family Promise of West Michigan, who shared about their services for families facing housing crises, current community needs, and updates on their recent expansion efforts, including emergency shelter and housing initiatives. It was a meaningful opportunity to learn how we can better support families in our community.

In this episode, Pastor Brandon shares about the sabbatical he will be taking in the spring and summer of 2027, recently approved by the Ivanrest Council. He explains what a sabbatical is, why pastors take them, and how this time away is intended to bring renewal and refreshment for continued ministry at Ivanrest. Pastor Brandon also talks about what he hopes to do during that season—including the...

Jake Tornga, April Palmbos’ coworker, shared with us about his work with The International Association forRefugees  (IAFR). IAFR is a Christian mission organization dedicated to helping people survive and recover from war and persecution in their home countries. Since their founding in 2009, immigration policies affecting refugees and asylum seekers have changed dramatically—both globally and in t...

Ever wondered how to read the Bible—or even what it really is? Listen to the third session of our special three-part Gather & Grow series with Pastor Brandon on our podcast. As we prepare for a year of reading and engaging with Scripture together as a church, this episode explores what the Bible is, how to understand its big story, and how to read it well.

Ever wondered how to read the Bible—or even what it really is? Listen to the second session of our special three-part Gather & Grow series with Pastor Brandon on our podcast. As we prepare for a year of reading and engaging with Scripture together as a church, this episode explores what the Bible is, how to understand its big story, and how to read it well.

Ever wondered how to read the Bible—or even what it really is? Listen to the first session of our special three-part Gather & Grow series with Pastor Brandon on our podcast. As we prepare for a year of reading and engaging with Scripture together as a church, this episode explores what the Bible is, how to understand its big story, and how to read it well.

Pastor Brandon Haan answers questions based on the sermon based on sexual orientation . As we continue our current sermon series on topics related to human sexuality, we’ll look at God’s intended context for human sexual activity (marriage between one man and one woman) and how the Bible protects the “pre-Fall” sexual ethic of Genesis 1 and 2.

Pastor Brandon Haan answers questions based on the sermon based on gender . As we continue our current sermon series on topics related to human sexuality, we’ll look at God’s intent for biological sex and gender and how it relates to some of the questions we’re facing in our culture today.

Pastor Brandon Haan answers questions based on the sermon based on Singleness . As we continue our current sermon series on topics related to human sexuality, we’ll explore what it’s like to be single in the Church, as well as God’s design for singleness in the Christian life.

Pastor Brandon Haan Song of Songs

Brandon Haan July 6, 2025

Listen to Jim Heyboer's reflection from his time at Synod 2025.

Six Ivanrest couples traveled to New Mexico as our "Rehoboth Team" in early October. They attended Zuni CRC and toured the school there, and in Rehoboth, they completed a variety of work projects and experienced the Navaho culture while being part of their Indigenous persons celebration. Please listen to learn more about their time in Classis Red Mesa.

Rev. Susan LaClear began her CRC ministry journey in 2005 when Classis Red Mesa ordained her to serve as the commissioned pastor of a Navajo church called Maranatha Fellowship CRC in Farmington, NM. It was an incredible joy to find herself continuing the work of her great-grandfather, L.P. Brink, who had planted this church in the early 1900's. Listen to learn more about Classis Red Mesa and how w...

Josh and Mandy Shaarda and their five children are longtime missionaries in Uganda, where they serve with Freedom in Christ Ministries, partnering with Resonate Global Mission. Their work involves discipleship, equipping pastors, prison ministry, and much more. Listen to hear more about their work.

With the renewed violence in Israel and Palestine in the news and on many of our minds, we will offer two special Adult Gather & Grow sessions on Sunday, November 5 and 12, where Pastor Brandon will talk about the history and religious implications of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the summer of 2011, Pastor Brandon spent four weeks in the Palestinian West Bank and Israel, studying the c...

With the renewed violence in Israel and Palestine in the news and on many of our minds, we will offer two special Adult Gather & Grow sessions on Sunday, November 5 and 12, where Pastor Brandon will talk about the history and religious implications of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the summer of 2011, Pastor Brandon spent four weeks in the Palestinian West Bank and Israel, studying the c...

If you missed our seminar on navigating the Medicare system take some time today to listen to what our speaker had to share. Our speaker, Dan Sarkipato, a retired CRC Pastor from Kalamazoo, has a heart for helping people understand their options. This is a great seminar to learn not only for yourself but also for those helping their loved ones as they navigate the medicare system.

Listen to Pastor Brandon and Jim Heyboer as they share and reflect on their experience at Synod.

Tony Tendero is a Fellow in Residence at Safe Haven Ministries. Safe Haven Ministries aims to follow Christ's example and is motivated by our community needs, their mission is to prevent and end relationship abuse. Learn about ways to build healthy Kingdom relationships as well as understanding how they can turn unhealthy. This will be a two part series, over the two sessions we will learn abo...

Tony Tendero is a Fellow in Residence at Safe Haven Ministries. Safe Haven Ministries aims to follow Christ's example and is motivated by our community needs, their mission is to prevent and end relationship abuse. Learn about ways to build healthy Kingdom relationships as well as understanding how they can turn unhealthy. This will be a two part series, over the two sessions we will learn abo...

We’ve all experienced the unexpected, painful twists of life and Lisa is no different. Seven years ago, the precious world she held so dear unraveled overnight through finding out that her husband was living a life of unfaithfulness. The effects of unfaithfulness in marriage is devastating to both the spouse and the children. While life certainly holds the unexpected, it also holds the precious fa...

Porn is everywhere today; it's no longer a stigma issue only a few men deal with. Men, women, teens, and children are faced with the possibility of porn and its many gateways every time they turn on their phones. Listen to pastor and author Noah Filipiak share his story and ways you can protect yourself and your family. Noah's Resource Recommendations: Technology Accountability: Get a free month o...

Viviana and Idella both work for the Race Relations office of the CRCNA. They will share with us the history of the CRCNA and racism, what prompted the CRCNA to create an office to fight racism, and what we can do to improve the work of racial reconciliation both individually and as a church. Come and learn more about what the CRC has been doing to bring about more racial reconciliation and how yo...