Norm Vander Wel, 64, died in January after a 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Vander Wel was the director of FirstFruits at Barnabas Foundation for 11 years and a member of Pullman Christian Reformed Church, Chicago, Ill.
Barnabas Foundation provides planned giving and estate planning services with the goal of helping Christians to handle their finances in a way that honors God. The FirstFruits program offers stewardship education for Christian Reformed congregations.
Vander Wel was also instrumental in initiating a 10-week program at Calvin Theological Seminary that offers a scholarship and challenges participants to live lives of good stewardship, as well as equipping them to preach about stewardship to their congregations.
Henry Doorn, executive director of Barnabas Foundation, said, “Norm moved the FirstFruits program forward significantly during his 11 years here, and we remain committed to continuing the work he loved so much and inspired all of us to do in the CRC.”
