The Advantage - Spring 2024

EQUIP SERVE IMPACT

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOLS

Dear NorthPointe Christian Families and Friends, The following is a speech written by one of our 5th grade students for our annual Speech Meet. It is entitled, Idols, and truly exemplifies our mission to equip students to impact their world for Jesus Christ.

-Todd N Tolsma, Head of Schools

“Idols”byBethany,NPC5thGrader

Idols tend to be an uncomfortable topic that lots of people want to avoid. But, it’s very important to know what they are and why we can’t just live with them.

First, let’s talk about what an idol is. Basically, an idol is anything we think is more important than God. For some people, it’s money. For others, it could be an object like a toy or device. Still, for others, it could be a person like a friend or family member. As long as we put it above God, it’s an idol.

“But no matter how many times we mess things up, God is always there waiting at the cross for us.”

616.363.4869

Continued on page 6.

When there is an idol in our life, it can be really destructive. It can ruin our relationship with God and distract us. God is our best friend. Think of your best friend. Imagine you’ve known each other your whole life, and then all of a sudden, he ignores you all day. That would be pretty annoying, wouldn’t it? Well, sometimes we do that to God. We focus on our idols and ignore what He’s saying. Then, we can get tempted to do things that we shouldn’t. That’s why we’ve got to be so careful with how we spend our time, who we think is important, and the decisions we make. Even though idols can be very destructive, we have the freedom that God gave us to choose to let go. We have the authority to say no, put God first, and follow Him. That’s what Peter did in the Bible. It says in Luke 5:10-11, “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.” Peter could have easily just not left his job and not taken any risks with God. But he didn’t. He trusted God with everything: his life, his heart, and where his next meal was coming from. If Peter can have that kind of faith, so can we.

But what would faith look like now in the twenty-first century? It might just be something simple like being nice to your sister or brother when they’re being super annoying, or putting someone else first when you want to go first. It’s not the size of the act that matters. But is it what God’s calling you to do?

God wants us to be with Him all the time, constantly in His Word, living with and for Him. But He knows that we are all sinners and that our sin gets in the way time and time again. So He sent His Son down to save us and took the punishment for all our sins.

The word “sin” is an archery term in the ancient Greek language. It means, “You missed” or “you missed the mark.” When we sin, we miss God’s mark. Our idols are like distractions that keep us from the mark of God. It’s hard to shoot when you’re distracted, so don’t let your idols distract you; get rid of them.

I know I keep saying to get rid of your idols, but I haven’t really explained how. Getting rid of an idol is just like getting rid of a bad habit. The first thing to do is to notice your bad habit or idol. Then, after you’ve identified it, the next step is to see when you do it and stop yourself right there. Another thing that could help you is to replace it with something better. No matter what your idol is, you can replace it with reading the Bible, getting a praise and worship music playlist, finding some good Christian friends for encouragement, or even hanging Bible verses around your house so that you’re constantly thinking about His Word.

In conclusion, idols are a pretty serious thing. However, it’s nothing to be afraid of. God reminds us over and over again to just trust in Him. We’re all humans so we all sin, not one of us is perfect. But no matter how many times we mess things up, God is always there waiting at the cross for us.

As it says in Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Front cover: NorthPointe Christian’s high school quartet (Alyssa Rethman, Susan Gormley, Ian Jones, and Zach Van Wyngarden).

STUDENTS AS STEWARDS

What do you get when you mix an intentional Creator, resourceful teacher, empowered third graders, power tools, buckets, leftover food, and worms? Answer: a veritable tower of power!

Much like hungry robins in early spring, our third grade students scoured the earth for worms, not for food, but for processing the leftovers of school lunches! As students searched the school yard, they studied the habitat of worms and what worms need in order to survive, all while living out the motto of leaving the earth better than we found it. Each worm gathered was stored in a manner that preserved life.

Under close teacher guidance, students then to used drills and buckets to fashion a functional worm garden tower into which they placed all of the worms appropriate soil into the custom garden. The final addition was the lunch leftovers. The completed garden now gets daily use outside of Mrs. Wright’s 3rd grade classroom, with third graders regularly feeding their lunch leftovers to the worms in the

tower garden. If the composting process takes place as predicted, the worm population will double before students leave for summer vacation, accomplishing the goal of giving these students a hands-on stewardship experience focusing on the process and benefits of composting, and how we can actively contribute as God’s image bearers and caretakers of His Creation.

–Karen Vanderberg, Elementary Principal

READING MONTH AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

The last several years, in honor of Reading Month, Sr. Kaboos, our 6th and 7th grade Spanish Immersion teacher, has planned a carnival for our kindergarten students at NPC. They also invite kindergarten students

from his wife’s school in Zeeland Public Schools where she teaches kindergarten as well. Our middle school students prepare, plan, and put on a Reading Carnival full of games, prizes, and reading time. This is a great opportunity for our students to engage with reading in a meaningful way, celebrate the Spanish Language, and enjoy time together. “I love this because it gives kids an authentic audience and motivates them to continue serving!” says Sr. Kaboos.

–Megan Willink, Middle School Principal

STUDENT STATEMANSHIP INSTITUTE

Back in January, our Government and Economics students participated in the Student Statesmanship Institute. Over the years, this has become quite a rite of passage for our (mostly) junior students. Over the course of a couple of days off-site, students simulate the legislative process, arguing for and against bills through the committee level, hearing from and interacting with lobbyists, and ultimately holding a session of congress and passing a bill (or not) by vote of their peers. Best of all, our partners at SSI share our Christian convictions. We’re grateful for them, Magnify Church, and especially the community members who volunteered to assist, many of whom have spent years in public service.

-Tom Molenkamp, High School Principal

RAISING CHRIST-CENTERED ATHLETES

The Mustangs had tons of highlights from the winter sports season! Competitive Cheer finished 3rd in the District Finals to advance to the Regional Finals. Mary Nitengale (10) qualified for the Individual State Finals in Girls Bowling. Girls Basketball were OK-Silver Conference Champions and won the District Championship for the second consecutive year!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Chip Huber, NPC Bible Teacher, Student Life/Activities Director, and Boys Varsity Soccer Coach, received the “Making a Difference On and Off the Field Award,” a national honor recognizing his immense impact within education and interscholastic sports. Unaware of the surprise ceremony, Mr. Huber entered a packed gym to thunderous applause from students, staff, friends, and family. His commitment to faith-based education, coaching, and service resonates with students who admire his passion and sincerity. Beyond his immediate community, Mr. Huber’s dedication extends globally through his founding of “Night of Nets,” a campaign providing thousands of mosquito nets to Sub-Saharan Africa. The recognition comes with a donation to a local charity (FCA West Michigan) reflecting Mr. Huber’s emphasis on leveraging sports to foster positive change. –Drew Losee, Athletic Director

A ROARING SUCCESS: TUITION AUCTION RAISES $223,000

The Roaring Good Time Tuition Assistance Auction lived up to its name! A roaring good time was had by all! Many dressed for the party, with feather headbands and pinstriped suits appreciating the ambiance of yesteryear at Thousand Oaks Country Club. Attendees enjoyed bidding on silent and live auction items. Bidders fought it out the following week online, being able to select from teacher experiences to trips.

We are so grateful to our sponsors, donors, and all those who bid! This was a record year, bringing in $223,000! Roughly 25% of our students benefit from tuition assistance. On behalf of those families, thank you for your generosity! What a gift it is to raise a child in the Word. Thank you for being part of our students’ stories!

–Deb Diepenhorst, Director of Development

Future Home of the legacy walk!

HIGH SCHOOL QUARTET SETS RECORDS

Our high school string quartet has been making waves with their extraordinary performances. They were selected by the Grand Rapids Symphony to perform at the BRAVO! Gala, a prestigious black-tie fundraising event. Over the past two years, they’ve dazzled audiences at various weddings and competed at the Michigan Chapter of the American String Teachers Association Chamber Music Festival. Their consistent excellence is evident with consecutive Division 1 ratings at District and State Solo & Ensemble festivals. Additionally, they were nominated as one of Michigan’s top string ensembles. Their performances at events like mFaith and the NPC Auction further highlight their remarkable talent and dedication.

After high school, Alyssa Rethman (violin) plans to major in music at Calvin University with a focus on music production. Zach Van Wyngarden (cello) will major in Physics at Calvin University with a minor in music. Ian Jones (viola) will attend Indian Weslyan University as a music major. Susan Gormley aims to pursue a music education major.

–Aaron Tenney, Director of Music and Arts

GRANDPARENT’S VIEW

Christian education uniquely prepares students for the next stage of life, whether that be success in moving from middle school to high school or from high school to college or a career. Any school can provide technical instruction and sharpen the intellect of its students. NorthPointe seeks to develop its students as a whole person. Their students learn the value of character through intellectual growth, integrity, humility in success, and spiritual formation.

Because NorthPointe embraces character as well as knowledge, they have set the stage for its students to gain true wisdom.

This wisdom will be earned over a lifetime, but a foundational Christian education will help to make young minds fertile ground for genuine wisdom.

I believe the opportunity for America to see a revival in its collective soul will come from young men and women who have or will attend Christian elementary, high schools, and universities.

–Mick McGraw, NPC Grandparent

REIMAGINE, RECREATE, THRIFT!

Volunteers are needed at ReNew. Come when you can, stay as long as you wish. Sort, tag, arrange ... lots of things to do. All store proceeds benefit NPC!

SUPPORT NPC

Make a direct impact on our students. Contact Deb Diepenhorst, Director of Development, to learn more: diepenhorstd@npchristian.org

Follow ReNew Upscale Thrift on Facebook.

Pictured: NPC’s high school quartet performing at the Grand Rapids Symphony Fundraising Gala at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

THE MAKING OF A GLOBALLY-MINDED CHRISTIAN

For our recent Spiritual Emphasis Week in the high school, our focus was “The Globally-Minded Christian: Seeing and Living God’s Heart for the Nations.”

Our hope was for students to expand their view of God’s kingdom and see the many ways in which God is at work among the nations. God truly has a heart for all nations and desires that his “salvation would reach the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

On multiple occasions, students were greeted via video from NPC alumni and families who are currently serving as missionaries around the world. This was certainly a highlight for many, as they witnessed former students who once

Corps Center as a math teacher.

2010s

(2) Benjamin Boverhof ‘10 founded and established Elevate Window and Exterior Cleaning in 2023. Ben believes every customer is important. Big or small. Building a

Linda Bowald, Former NPC Staff

Susan (Huyser) Brom, Class of 1986

Bryan Koetje, Class of 2003

Joy (Miller) Mueller, Class of 1980

Duane VanBuren, Class of 1984

Share your Life Update! Email alumni@npchristian.org

“

Iamexcitedtohearthatyou

[NPCStudents]arebeing remindedoftheneedofthe Gospelallaroundtheworld. Godgivesussomanyavenues andopportunitiestoshare HisloveandHisword.Ipray thatHewillstiryourhearts greatly....Itisamazingtosee whatHewilldoasyouwalk withHiminfaith!

Michelle (Mohr) Telman, NPC Class of 1990, Currently serving in Uganda