Our Organization:
The New Jersey Christian Ministries, Inc (NJCM), formerly known as the Northern New Jersey Sunday School Association, is a nonprofit, interdenominational corporation. It encourages churches and Christian organizations representing a variety of evangelical denominations to become partners with the ministry every year.
Our Purpose:
The purpose of NJCM is to equip Christians to be better prepared to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and then to help them mature in Christ by learning to apply God's Word.
How NJCM Was Born:
This ministry started 48 years ago when Peter De Graaf and John Van Houten were flying back from the National Sunday School Convention in Detroit. Van Houten told De Graaf that he wished they had a convention in New Jersey so that all his teachers could have the advantages of their wonderful materials. At the time, he was Superintendent of the Sunday School at Brookdale Baptist Church. De Graaf was a representative of Scripture Press.
De Graaf challenged Van Houten by saying that, if he would get a group of churches together and organize an Association, then De Graaf would plan and staff a curriculum. That's how it started. Van Houten called a half dozen or more churches, and they were all interested. They had a meeting at Brookdale, divided up the duties they thought necessary to make up an Association such as By Laws, Statement of Faith, elect a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer and an Advertising Manager, etc. De Graaf was appointed President, which he accepted providing Van Houten would be Vice President and would take the Presidency 3 years later. It was called the New Jersey Sunday School Association.
They agreed to a conference in the Spring of the following year and it was held at Brookdale. About 500 teachers attended. That verified the need and acceptance of the Association.
Our Activities:
Since it began 48 years ago, NJCM has helped people from many denominations, located mostly in New Jersey- but increasingly from New York and Pennsylvania as well- to be challenged and stimulated in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and in their specific ministry skills and interests. NJCM sponsors several events during the year.
