Bostwick Lake Congregational UCC proudly calls itself "A Church for All Seasons"—a title deeply rooted in a visual and spiritual journey inspired by Ecclesiastes Chapter 3. In 2006, the sanctuary was illuminated with 14 intricately crafted stained glass windows—each representing a specific "time" from the passage "To everything there is a season..." These windows form a liturgical and visual arc of human experience—from birth to death, planting to harvesting, mourning to dancing.
The idea began in the spring of 1996 when the congregation undertook sanctuary renovations, including new brick, carpet, and reconfiguration for accessibility. While stained glass was part of the dream, funds ran out before it could be addressed. Three years later, in June 1999, a Stained Glass Committee was formed—led by Harold Zahm and supported by members Barney Bruinsma, Sandra Davis, Chris Dudderar, and Dick Oole. They visited churches in multiple states, studied the works of Chagall, and reached consensus on timeless, non-trendy design choices that would endure.
A sermon by Rev. Dr. Gary Davis on Ecclesiastes sparked the Committee’s breakthrough: 14 verses could become 14 windows, expressing the spiritual rhythm of life’s seasons. Their concept, “A Church For All Seasons,” took shape.
Eric Brown of
Eric Brown’s Stained Glass and his assistant Maria Orr were chosen to bring the vision to life. Scriptural moments were transformed into visual art. Over time, committee members passed away—including Harold Zahm, whose wife Kazz carried the project forward with creative vision until her own passing. The Zahms’ bequest funded the final third of the work.
The stained glass installation began in phases during Holy Week of 2006, requiring nearly 19,500 individual glass cuts and 850 hours of labor. Fourteen windows now cast radiant light across the sanctuary, each a sacred portal into a season of life and faith. One is tucked behind the altar, unseen—“a time to embrace and a time to refrain”—quietly honoring what’s too intimate to display.
On June 29, 2006, the Rockford Squire published a three-column feature highlighting the windows. The Grand Rapids Press soon followed. A pastor once said, “From a pastor’s point of view, they transform the space.”
It is the Committee’s hope that this lasting art leaves a permanent mark on all our souls.
