Rev. Dr. Amanda Benckhuysen came to Bostwick Lake Congregational Church in Fall 2025. She is an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church of America. She holds an M.Div. from Calvin Seminary and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the University of Toronto. Throughout her years in ministry, she has served in university campus ministry, as a church planter, and has taught Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at multiple seminaries. She continues to teach in the Religion Department at Calvin University.
Amanda loves talking about the Bible and Jesus but even more than that, she loves exploring with others ways to live out the radical call of the gospel in our world today. Amanda is married to Martin and they have two adult daughters, Kiya and Syann. She loves to travel, hike, curl up with a good book, and drink good coffee.
Olivia Youmans is new to the staff at Bostwick Lake Congregational Church, having started in the summer of 2026. Welcome Olivia!! Olivia has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Aquinas College and is completing her Master’s degree this December.
Olivia’s mission is to teach kids about God’s unconditional love in a way that is meaningful, engaging, and easy for them to understand so that every child can build a lasting relationship with Christ.
In her spare time, Olivia competes in Miss America Organization pageants. During high school and college, she was involved in competitive dance and cheerleading. And she plays a variety of instruments, including piano, violin, guitar, cello, and flute.
Our Musicians and Worship Leaders
At Bostwick Lake Congregational Church, we are blessed to have three incredible musicians, each who plays once or twice a month for our worship services, and who helps us out with special music and choral opportunities. They are:
- Madilynne Potter
- Joe DeWinkle
- Cindy De Boer
