E VERY summer since I can re- downtown area to Reverend the service of the Lord.
member, the Christian Re- Klapema’s twenty-minute sermon, He objected at first. “We
formed Church in Our tOWn Would which he always cut short because p-p-p-play very loud,” he warned
h0ld an Outdeer evahgelietie Service of the poor turnout. If the truth be her.
under the hi-1nd5hell in Chippewa known, our singing was not very “Maybe you could play softer
Park, on the first Friday evening in impressive. Sometimes the voices than usual, just this one time.”
August. The purpose Was to fulfill would almost fade out altogether, “No way," he said.
the missionary mandate Of the and Reverend Klapema himself And because Trudy had a great
church. The service was intended would have to really bellow a few deal of respect for such things as
to bring the message of salvation to verses out for a while to get artistic integrity, she agreed.
the people of the community, espe- everybody going again. There were some objections raised
cially those Who Were unchurched That was the situation until two by members of the congregation.
or Roman Catholic. “Go ye forth years ago when Trudy Hofstede Reverend Klapema put these objecahd Preelaim/’ it W35 Said» and $0 joined the Summer Evangelism tions to rest with his personal
we did. The harvest, unfortunately, Committee, becoming its youngest, assurance that he, for one, was imwas pitifully invisible. We gained prettiest, and most enthusiastic pressed with the ability of gospelnot a single convert. member all at the same time. rock groups to reach the young
Nevertheless, with Calvinistic Though she was not very well people. He promised that they
zeal, we persisted. And it was educated, Trudy had a remarkable would not be too loud or disreclear, from congregational meetings ability to persuade other people to spectful, though he certainly had
and phone calls to the minister, do things they would not normally no grounds for saying so. The conthat feelings ran high on the mat- consider doing. It was her sugges- sistory, infected by Klapema’s enter. There was no question of giv- tion that Morris Bergman’s gospel- thusiasm and his predictions for a
ing up. Reverend Klapema pointed rock band be invited to perform at very large crowd, backed him up,
out that even if We didn’t gain any that year’s summer service, and it though they took care to point out
new members from the experience, was at her insistence that Morris that the idea was being tried on a
at least we were not losing any old Bergman accepted the offer. “trial basis” only.
ones. Morris Bergman was a frighten- As the day drew nearer, RevThis service always began and ingly unconventional person with erend Klapema noted with satisfacended With a good Psaltéi’ hymn, long hair and a stutter (when he tion the “Midnight Madness” sales
sung a capella with more than a was not singing), who wore scheduled by the downtown mertrace of modesty by whoever T-shirts with obscure political chants for that Friday evening. The
showed up. The singing was sup- slogans and often was seen in the weather forecast was excellent.
posed to attract people from the middle of the day doing absolutely The flowers in the park were in exnothing. Until the moment Trudy uberant blossom. The band had
William Van Dyk teaches English, Hofstede cornered him in the foyer been practicing hard every night
mass media, and music at Chatham of the education building after that week. Klapema was imbued
Christian High School, Om‘a1'i0, church, he had never ever been with a feeling of festivity and exCahada. asked to put his talents to use in citement. He took special care in