People in the State College area will readily take a liking to Nicholas Boonstra, the new senior pastor at Blue Course Community Church. An energetic 35-year-old, he’s brilliant and fun, and he has a lovely wife and three sweet kids, including 8-year old twins.
And even though Boonstra is from faraway western Michigan, he’s got strong Pennsylvania connections: He earned his bachelor’s degree at Clarks Summit University near Scranton, spent three years as a youth pastor in Lock Haven and his wife is a native of Palmyra.
But there is this one thing.
Boonstra is a lifelong fan of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program.
Of course, I can imagine how that statement un-resonates throughout Happy Valley. But how’s this for a redemptive entry in Boonstra’s resume? The aforementioned Mrs. Ashley Boonstra is not just a Pennsylvania native, but she’s an extremely passionate Penn State fan. Or as Pastor Boonstra says of her Nittany Lion allegiance, “My wife is very, very hardcore.”
DOMESTIC RIVALRY
The Boonstras are far from the dour clergy couple that is so often portrayed by Hollywood. Their household culture is faith-filled and fun-loving, with a dash of football-based teasing. All of it was launched in 2009 when the former Ashley Harro brought home this guy named Boonstra so he could ask for her hand in marriage.
Alas, Nick asked the crucial question in the midst of an important Penn State game, and Ashley’s dad, a diehard Lion fan who himself played football for Lebanon Valley College, now claims, “I almost said no.” Why? “For one reason, he’s a Michigan fan, and two, this was a big game.”
To this day, the Harros seek to “convert” their grandchildren to Nittany Nation—with mixed results. Malia, the only girl, is following her mom’s Penn State loyalty. Her twin, Micah, and 5-year old brother Noah are still Michigan fans.
“They can tell you the stats for their favorite Michigan players,” says Nick, the maize-and-blue man, “but they also know the Penn State players. Once I was telling them how much weight I had squatted and Micah responded by saying, ‘That’s not nearly as much as Saquon Barkley.’”
“They may be converted,” admits the Michigander. “I’m taking that chance by walking into this territory.” But even if the boys switch their loyalties, their dad should weather that storm. “I do cheer for Penn State and support Penn State when they’re not playing Michigan,” says Nick.
TIME OF TRANSITION
The move of the Boonstras to the State College area was precipitated by the decision of Keith Maurer to retire as senior pastor at Blue Course Community Church, the church where my wife and I are members. Maurer, a 1980 graduate of Penn State, had led BCCC (formerly known as State College Evangelical Free Church) for the last 17 years.
Although they intend to remain active in local ministry, Maurer and his wife, Jody, felt it was time for a change. “We’ve been doing this for a while,” says Keith, “and we’ve seen exciting things happen while dealing with a lot of challenging things. So it’s time for a new season, and of course we’re excited about helping to take care of our granddaughter.” (1-year-old Maddilyn LaVan lives with her parents, Michael and Danielle Maurer LaVan, near Bellefonte.)
According to Maurer, BCCC is healthy and poised to take the next step under Boonstra. “We have a clear vision of being a transformational community. We put a high value on scripture and expository Bible teaching, and we’re known for being a church where the people care for each other in tangible ways.”
As for outreach into the community, Maurer notes that there is “room for growth,” even though the church has sponsored huge public Easter egg hunts (with State College Alliance Church) and monthly social events for the community. Also, says Maurer, the congregation has made its building available as an election polling place, a hosting site for Out of the Cold, a gathering spot for bridge clubs and quilting groups and a meeting location for Bible Study Fellowship, Mothers of Preschoolers and Child Evangelism Fellowship.
LEARNING THROUGH CRISIS
Meanwhile, Nick Boonstra has walked a steady path of preparation for his new role. He majored in Bible at Clarks Summit University and there he met Ashley, an education major. After each graduated and they were married, Nick began serving with Lock Haven’s Big Woods Bible Church in 2012. Specializing in youth ministry, he started a youth group from the ground up by training and mobilizing Lock Haven University students as leaders. Ashley, meanwhile, was heavily involved in the ministry at Lock Haven, and she also gave birth to the twins, Maliah and Micah, while the couple lived there.
In 2015, the Boonstras moved to Middleville, Michigan, where Nick served as associate pastor for First Baptist Church, the congregation in which he was raised. It was a role that allowed him to develop a wide range of skills—preaching, training, organizing—while he earned a master of arts in interdisciplinary studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
Boonstra’s pastoral readiness also grew through exposure to the struggles of others. Among the many challenging situations that he faced in Middleville, one stands out as the most dramatic and perhaps most meaningful.
“We had one student who was in a car accident on the way to a youth event,” says Boonstra. “We were at the youth event when we heard a helicopter fly over and it was coming to life-flight her to the children’s hospital. So I prayed with the students and then went to the hospital to be with the family. She was unconscious when I got there, and we thought we were going to lose her. I went there every day for a week, and she finally regained consciousness.
“Then, when she was in the rehabilitation center, we took our entire youth group to the center and sang praise songs on the lawn so that she could be a part of it. She loved the youth group and had missed it so much.”
It was a story that ended happily—and in fact, Nick enjoyed the chance to baptize that young lady, now 17, at his last Sunday service in Michigan. But that difficult period of waiting for her recovery proved formative for the young pastor.
“There are times,” he says, “when we don’t have the answers and don’t know what to do, but we do know where to turn. It’s OK not to have all the answers. We have the God who does, right? The God who holds us in the palm of his hand.”
PREPARED BUT STILL GROWING
But of course, Boonstra didn’t earn Bible-centered bachelor and master degrees without gaining some answers for life’s big questions. Like his predecessor Keith Maurer, he typically preaches expository sermons that examine the truths of a particular scripture. And he’ll often enhance key points by quoting from such theological giants as Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon and St. Augustine. This Sunday’s service at 10:30 am will mark his first preaching opportunity as BCCC’s pastor.
Although Boonstra has made his mark through training and developing lay leaders throughout the week, he has a clear vision for an ideal Sunday morning experience. “There’s teaching where Christians are growing and maturing,” he says, “but it’s welcoming to an outsider.”
And then there’s the need for his own spiritual stimulation and growth. “I need to continue to be in awe of God, to be stirred in my love for him. The gospel is never something that we move on from, but it’s something that we get deeper in. Today’s Gen Z, especially college students, can see through a phony, so I need to continue cultivating my personal relationship with the Lord.”
ALL ABOUT ASHLEY
Of course, Ashley will be a major force in all things Boonstra—family, ministry and the proper selection of a favorite football team.
Most importantly, she brings a huge heart for children that she’ll invest into the State College area. As for her own triad of kiddos, Ashley is thrilled by the chance to raise them in the “gorgeous and really safe” environment of Happy Valley with bike trails and Creamery ice cream nearby.
Ashley will also be teaching full-time at a local school. She had taught at Bellefonte’s Centre County Christian Academy during the family’s Lock Haven stint, and she’ll be returning there after a 10-year absence. She phoned the school this spring when it appeared her family would be moving to Centre County, and she was stunned to hear administrator Kristy Smith say, “We just learned today that our third grade teacher is not coming back. I said, ‘The Lord will provide,’ and here you are, Ashley!”
Although the Palmyra native will be extremely busy with her own children and her teaching responsibilities, one group at BCCC—young mothers—will certainly feel her support and influence. “I love living life with other moms,” she says, “encouraging one another and praying for one another. Mom life can be tiring, all-consuming. So I just want to love on other moms and talk together about how to love our children the best.”
FUN WITH FOOTBALL
The Boonstras would both assert that football pales in importance compared to their faith. But somehow, various football rivalries help to flavor life in their circle of relationships.
And yes, that word “rivalries” is plural on purpose. Until now, I didn’t mention that even though Ashley was raised in eastern Pennsylvania, she is a lifelong supporter of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And then there’s the fact that Nick gave up on his home-state Detroit Lions so he could root for the Philadelphia Eagles. It must be true that opposites attract: Ashley’s Nittany Lions vs. Nick’s Wolverines; Ashley’s Steelers vs. Nick’s Eagles.
With the Boonstras following the Maurers, I am confident that Blue Course Community Church will continue to be a body that exalts God and cares for the State College community. And I’m pretty sure it will also be a place where folks can enjoy the freedom to root for any football team and be lovingly hassled in the process.
