Rev. Jennifer Ryden

"Preaching for Young People and All People: Sing an Alleluia!"

Rev. Jennifer Ryden is the Senior Chaplain at Hope College, Campus Ministries. She has ministered to the Hope College Community since 2017. 

Originally from Minnesota, Rev. Ryden spent several years teaching prior to completing her Master of Divinity at Western Theological Seminary in 2015. She loves pastoring the Hope College community and especially ministering to college students.  

Rev. Ryden is ordained in the Reformed Church of America and is passionate about building up the church of Jesus Christ as hope for the world and the joyful witness of our God.

Dr. Steve Norman

"The Preacher as Sermon: How who you are shapes what they hear."

Dr. Steve Norman has spent 28 years serving local churches in the Detroit and Grand Rapids areas as a church planter, teaching pastor, lead pastor, and preaching coach. 

As an award-winning author, Dr. Norman has written articles for Christianity Today, Preaching Today, and the Covenant Companion. He is the author of The Preacher as Sermon: How Who You Are Shapes What They Hear. 

Dr. Norman holds a Doctorate of Missiology from Fuller Seminary and is passionate about helping individuals, families, churches, and businesses take the next step in their growth and development.   

Dr. Ron Rienstra

"Preaching with Emotional Intelligence"

Since his ordination in the RCA in 1993, Dr. Ron Rienstra has lived and ministered at educational institutions in Iowa (Central College), Michigan (Calvin College), and California (Fuller Seminary), pursuing his primary interest: helping preachers, congregations, worship teams, and individuals learn to deepen and enliven their gatherings with God. All the while, he remained active in local church life as an interim pastor, preacher, worship leader, and consultant.

Ron currently serves as Professor of Preaching and Worship Arts and Director of Worship Life at Western Theological Seminary.

Rev. David Bast

"Why Preach?"

The Rev. David M. Bast served from 1994 until 2017 as President and Broadcast Minister of Words of Hope, a media ministry focusing on building the church in the world's hard places. 

From 2011 to 2021, Bast was the co-host of a weekly Bible teaching program called Groundwork, produced by ReFrame Media. Before coming to Words of Hope, he served as a pastor for 18 years in RCA congregations in Michigan and Illinois.

David Bast is a graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both in Holland, Michigan.

He has also studied at Fuller Theological Seminary and Calvin Theological Seminary.