So many ways to serve, so many needs to fill…this month The Porch hopes to offer some known, perhaps some unknown, information about a multi-faceted gentleman who serves Gashland faithfully as an elder, sometimes a Sunday School teacher, a choir member and even a substitute worship leader.  

Prior to his retirement, approximately 10 years ago, Jeff Van Der Weele served as a Reformed Church pastor for 30 years. (His last name is Dutch, meaning “near the pond.”) He spent about ten years working in two churches simultaneously in upstate New York.  Lawyersville Reformed Church and Sharon Reformed Church are 9 miles apart, and the latter is actually celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, having been established in 1771!  After this, he pastored Doster, a church in the same denomination, near Kalamazoo, MI, for around 10 years.  Next came another 10 year stint, again serving two congregations in north central Kansas, Prairie View Reformed Church and Luctor Christian Reformed.

Mr. Van Der Weele was born and grew up in Sheboygan, WI, to where his ancestors had immigrated in the 1800’s.  A graduate of North High School, he grew up in Hope Reformed Church, making his profession of faith and following with baptism during his teen years.  He attended the University of Wisconsin in his hometown for 1 ½ years, before transferring for the next 2 ½ years to Northwestern College, a Reformed Church college in Orange City, Iowa, between Sioux Falls and Sioux City.  While there, he enjoyed studying under an excellent teacher in the field of missions.  This professor was instrumental in arranging for Jeff to move to Kenya, where he taught high school history, religion and sociology for two years at a secondary boys’ boarding school.  His home church provided the support necessary for this mission work.

When returning to the United States, the young history afficionado settled for a while in Statesboro, GA, where he took additional courses at Georgia Southern College.  Jeff had a good friend from his beginning college years who lived in Savannah and encouraged him to escape the cold, snowy winters for a time.  (Jeff maintains his long-time friendship with this man with whom he had spent 11 weeks trekking across Europe in 1971.)  His teaching career continued as he spent three years working with high school history and social studies students in northern Wisconsin.

The Lord called him to further his studies in 1978 at Western Seminary in Holland, MI, graduating in 1981.  During this time, he was blessed to meet his lovely Linda, who would become his bride in 1982 in a ceremony in the Seminary Chapel there.

The Van Der Weeles have two children, daughter, Priscilla, who was born in 1985 and now lives in Raytown, MO, and son, Phillip, who was born in 1987 and resides in Hays, KS.  Jeff has two younger brothers, Dave, 4 years younger, and continuing to live in their home town of Sheboygan, and Bill, 12 years his junior, who makes his home in Montana.

Linda and Jeff united with GEPC in 2012 after relocating to the KC area, actually on Ritchey’s first Sunday at Gashland.  In addition to previously teaching an adult Sunday School class here, he has helped during the summer with the children’s classes as well.  Among his favorite scriptures are Philippians 1:6; John 3:16 and the last part of the 8th chapter of Romans.

When he isn’t busy enjoying his hobbies of stamp collecting and working on genealogy, Jeff might be found working as a “youth friend” at Clardy Elementary School.  But his primary retirement task is serving as a Spiritual Advisor at City Union Mission every Wednesday afternoon from 1-3, which he has faithfully done for 5+ years.  Through the Community Action program, clients first see a social worker and then spend approximately 20 minutes with Jeff or one of the other advisors.  They are given a copy of “Our Daily Bread”, a Bible (if they don’t have one) and a printed Bible study to take home.  As his ministry there, he will ask each person if they know Jesus as their Savior, if they have a church home, and to share any prayer needs.  This part of his life is so important that he will soon start taking a course in Spanish to better communicate with some people who seek out this program.

The Lord called him to further his studies in 1978 at Western Seminary in Holland, MI, graduating in 1981.  During this time, he was blessed to meet his lovely Linda, who would become his bride in 1982 in a ceremony in the Seminary Chapel there.

The Van Der Weeles have two children, daughter, Priscilla, who was born in 1985 and now lives in Raytown, MO, and son, Phillip, who was born in 1987 and resides in Hays, KS.  Jeff has two younger brothers, Dave, 4 years younger, and continuing to live in their home town of Sheboygan, and Bill, 12 years his junior, who makes his home in Montana.

Linda and Jeff united with GEPC in 2012 after relocating to the KC area, actually on Ritchey’s first Sunday at Gashland.  In addition to previously teaching an adult Sunday School class here, he has helped during the summer with the children’s classes as well.  Among his favorite scriptures are Philippians 1:6; John 3:16 and the last part of the 8th chapter of Romans.

When he isn’t busy enjoying his hobbies of stamp collecting and working on genealogy, Jeff might be found working as a “youth friend” at Clardy Elementary School.  But his primary retirement task is serving as a Spiritual Advisor at City Union Mission every Wednesday afternoon from 1-3, which he has faithfully done for 5+ years.  Through the Community Action program, clients first see a social worker and then spend approximately 20 minutes with Jeff or one of the other advisors.  They are given a copy of “Our Daily Bread”, a Bible (if they don’t have one) and a printed Bible study to take home.  As his ministry there, he will ask each person if they know Jesus as their Savior, if they have a church home, and to share any prayer needs.  This part of his life is so important that he will soon start taking a course in Spanish to better communicate with some people who seek out this program.