Our Welcome to You
About Us
Parkside is a place where you belong!
At Parkside Community Church, we believe that all people — body and soul, are created in the image of God. All are valued under God’s love and grace. We seek to grow in our faith and commit to sharing God’s unconditional love with one another and the world.
We welcome every individual to experience this fullness of God’s love. We affirm that people of all races, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities can worship, serve, and advocate in our church as God’s humble servants. We seek to maintain a diverse community under the shared belief in Christ’s life and resurrection and commit to valuing the gifts of all who walk through our doors.
We invite you, just the way you are, into a community where you will find a welcoming and Christ-centered worship experience.
About Us
Who we are...
Parkside Community Church (formerly known as the Westwood Reformed Church) has been an integral part of the Westwood community since first opening its doors in 1868. We are a member of the Reformed Church in America (http://rca.org) which is the oldest protestant denomination in the United States. As old as our roots may be, however, Parkside Community Church is anything but old fashioned! We are a small but tight-knit community of believers who are committed to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, studying his powerful word and enjoying the fellowship of coming together in dynamic worship each week. Our services are meant to inspire, comfort, challenge and awaken us to the many possibilities that exist when we make God the center of our lives.
Meet the Pastor
Hi and thank you for checking out our Website. My name is Rodney Haveman and I have been the pastor of Parkside Community Church since August, 2001.
My wife Jennifer (we call her Jen) and I moved here from Grand Rapids, Michigan shortly after I graduated from Western Theological Seminary. We have since had two children, Ethan and Grace.
Since coming to New Jersey, I have been active in the Westwood Clergy Council as well as serving in leadership positions in our local RCA Classis.
Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I am a huge sports fan and that I am especially passionate about baseball (Go Tigers)! I also love reading, writing and seeing great movies that stimulate great conversation.
I believe that faith is a journey. It is a pilgrimage with God and the people of God to our Home. Our Home is with God, in the Kingdom of God. As pilgrims we are gathered and cared for by God, united on that journey, always looking with the eyes of faith for Home, the Kingdom of God. As such, our faith, that journey, may call us within the walls of the church, but that is not Home. The church is not the goal. Home is. And Home is the Kingdom of God.
So, what is the Kingdom of God? A simple answer: “the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit breaking into the world with the grace and love of God through Jesus Christ.” We see this happening in church, and that is why the journey takes us there, but we also see it in our homes, and our neighborhoods, our places of employment and our schools. And our faith journey takes us to all these places looking for glimpses of Home, serving and loving so that our Home with God may flourish in the world.
I invite you to come to our church, not to “find God” but draw closer to the Kingdom through a profound relationship with Jesus Christ. In the meantime, please feel free to drop me an email if you have questions about our church or would like more information. I can be reached at pccwestwood@gmail.com.
Grace and Peace in Christ, Pastor Rodney
The Consistory
The three offices of minister of Word and sacrament, elder, and deacon are brought together in the consistory.
As the liturgy states, by gathering the three offices, “the consistory continues the full ministry of Christ in our day.”
This gathering of officers is the governing body of the congregation and is chosen periodically from the membership of the congregation.
It is responsible for all the spiritual and practical day-to-day affairs of the church.
The minister is always the president of the consistory.
While it usually meets together, the consistory is divided into two orders. One order is that of the elders. Elders are responsible for sound teaching and discipline within the church and for the spiritual well being of the congregation. The elders are to make sure that members are nurtured through Scripture, worship, the sacraments, and prayer.
The other order in the consistory is that of the deacons.
Deacons play a key role in moving their churches into missions of justice, mercy, and compassion. They focus on six key areas of concern:
- Stewardship education and congregational giving
- Special individual and family concerns
- Mission involvement
- Disaster response and volunteer service opportunities
- Hunger advocacy and Reformed Church World Service
- Caring for creation and simple living
2020 Consistory
Elders
Deacons
Christine Green
George Tomko
Lois Shipman
Dianne Conklyn
About Us
Vision and Purpose
Our Perspective...
Vision: At Parkside Community Church, we are transformed by Faith, Hope, and Love, the virtues that make a difference in our lives today and for Eternity. We are transformed from sin, brokenness, and isolation into Grace, Wholeness, and Community.
Mission: By the Grace of God and the power of prayer, we strive to make a difference …
With our Faith: We trust the Word of God and God’s promises, so we are willing to live Christian lives, we are willing to risk ourselves in service, and we are willing to give of our time, energy and life for the Kingdom of God. This is the essence of Community.
With our Hope: We believe in Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of the body, and Eternal life, this is the essence of Wholeness, so we share our faith, in word and deed, with each other, our community and the world.
With our Love: We love because God loved us first in Jesus Christ. This is the essence of Grace. We live out God’s grace when we worship with everything we can offer, serve as Jesus served us, teach as Jesus taught us, and welcome as Jesus welcomed us.
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has your church been around?
Over 100 years! Parkside Community Church was formerly known as “Reformed Church of Westwood” up until 1997. The name changed, but the church is the same and it is still part of the denomination of the Reformed Church of America. It is actually the oldest church in Westwood having originally been incorporated in 1886.
What does “Reformed” mean anyway?
The full title of our church helps with the meaning of Reformed. “The Church of Jesus Christ Reformed according to the Word of God.”
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we believe that the Word of God, the Bible, is a special witness, revealing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, our Lord and savior. Therefore we seek to form our lives according to that Word, as we follow the Way of Jesus. We are not perfect, so we must always return to that Word to Re-form our lives according to that Word of God. Hence, we call ourselves Reformed.
What is the music like?
At Parkside Community Church we believe that the purpose of music is to bring us closer to God in worship and to praise Him. We try as best as possible to select songs that relate to the sermon and help us feel closer to God when we are singing. The songs we sing may range from ones you may hear on a contemporary Christian radio station involving guitars, drums and keyboards, to those traditional hymns that are played out on a pipe organ. On any given Sunday the music may make you want to dance, or it may bring you to tears and sometimes even both during the same song! All the lyrics to the songs are projected up front so that you can easily follow along.
What should I wear?
God doesn’t care what you wear to church and neither do we. Some people were brought up in a traditional manner of wearing dresses and suits to church and some of our members like to dress up on Sunday in this manner. But we have just as many who feel more at ease in jeans and casual clothes. All manners of dress (within tasteful reason, of course) is welcome at Parkside.
Are there opportunities to be involved in ministries?
Absolutely! We believe everyone has spiritual gifts to offer and church is where we are given the chance to use those gifts for the glory of God. We are always interested in encouraging anyone with specific talents and gifts to share those with the church. Opportunities include teaching, assisting with children’s programs, music ministry, administration, community outreach, mission trip participation or coordination, and so on. Often we have had newcomers say to us “This seems like the kind of church where I can make a difference and offer my services.” So if God has placed it on your heart to DO something that can make a difference, then this just may be the church for you.
Am I welcomed at Parkside if I identify as LGBTQ?
Parkside Community Church’s motto is “A Place Where You Belong.” We fully affirm, include and welcome people of all sexual identities and orientations to participate in every aspect of church life — from worship, to fellowship, and leadership, etc. In 2018 Parkside adopted an official welcoming statement (see our About page) affirming this commitment. We are proud to be an open, affirming and inclusive church