Thoughtful, compassionate, and kind, Tim Koster served his church and community with love, respect, and integrity. He had a heart for missions, helping those in the church to “look outside of ourselves,” as one good friend put it. In June, he entered the hospital to receive a stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma. Koster had twice successfully battled brain tumors and this time, the myeloma. However, on September 21 Koster died as a result of Graft vs. Host Disease, a complication of his stem cell transplant. He was 54.
A graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary, Koster was ordained in 1987 and served the following Christian Reformed congregations: Parkersburg (Iowa) CRC; Christ’s Fellowship CRC in Springfield, Ill.; Good Shepherd CRC in Flushing, Mich.; and Emmanuel CRC in Sauk Village, Ill., where he served for 15 years until the time of his death.
In Sauk Village, Koster led the congregation to start a food pantry, thrift store, addiction recovery groups, and more. He guided members of the congregation on mission trips to Nicaragua to build schools and churches and served on numerous boards and committees, many with a mission focus. He co-wrote the book Take Your Church’s Pulse and contributed to Planting Healthy Churches, a seminary level textbook on starting new congregations.
Koster loved to fish and went on annual fishing trips to Canada with a group of men from church. Although undergoing treatment for cancer, Koster still joined the group on their most recent trip at the end of May.
As well as fishing, Koster liked playing guitar, woodcarving, camping, reading, and spending time with his family.
Among those left to mourn his loss are Mary, his wife of 33 years, and their children Michael and Ursula, Thomas and Nathan, Marie and Evan, and Karissa.
About the Author
A former nurse and chaplain, Janet Greidanus is a freelance news correspondent and long-time writer of the In Memoriam column for The Banner.
