Congregation transforms empty parsonage into group home for people with disabilities

A wonderful, perhaps even groundbreaking, example of a church reaching out to people with disabilities came to life recently at Westview Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Faced with the question of what to do with their empty parsonage, Westview members decided to transform the spacious, four-bedroom structure into a group home for six women, most of whom have Down syndrome, said the Rev. Mark Stephenson, director of the Christian Reformed Church's Disability Concerns office.

"This is a good model of what a church can do," said Stephenson. "They looked at their resources and saw a huge need for comfortable, adequate, caring housing for people with disabilities."

Supported by a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Stephenson is working with Westview to help determine how the congregation can build bridges between the church and the women in the nearby group home.

While Westview came up with the idea, "The grant will allow us to help the church better understand how to build inclusive community around those with disabilities," said Stephenson.

The grant is part of a $20,000 overall award that the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship gave to the Disability Concerns office as well as the Christian Learning Center Network, Friendship Ministries and the Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding. All of these organizations are based in West Michigan.

The aim of this grant, says Stephenson, is to renew worship that has for various reasons become stagnant or irrelevant for people with disabilities.

Marv and Joyce Koets are the members of Westview who spearheaded the effort to use the parsonage for a group home.

"Our church was talking about bulldozing down that gorgeous home," said Marv Koets, a retired public schools superintendent. "We worked very hard to make this happen."

Westview is leasing the former parsonage to an agency that staffs the group home. Meanwhile, members of the church volunteer at the home and also help to bring those who live in the home to church for services and events.

This story is provided by Worldwide Faith News.