1️⃣ This Week’s Highlights
Kroc Center 15th Anniversary Celebration
We’re excited to celebrate 15 years of the Grand Rapids Kroc Center this October!
15 for 15 Kroc Challenge
- Runs October 1–31
- Challenge cards available at the Welcome Desk and Fitness Desk
- Members complete activities to earn 15 points and finish the challenge
- Finishers will receive a special edition 15th Anniversary Kroc t-shirt (distribution in November)
Gratitude Cards
Throughout October, there will be gratitude cards on the Kroc refrigerator for staff and members to share their love for the Kroc.
Membership Special
From October 1–15, all memberships are just $15 for the first month.
Anniversary Day Celebration – October 23
- Members can bring a friend for free
- Morning refreshments
- Evening refreshments
- Photo booth
2️⃣ Program Updates
- Fall 1 programs – Week 4
- Fall 2 registration continues
- FAME – Tuesday, WPAC, Fireside C, Art Room, 12:45–2:45 PM
- UPREP – Tuesday & Thursday, Fireside, Art Room, Gym, Classroom C/D, 9–10 AM
- AYSO – Tuesday–Thursday & Saturday
- Restoring Health – Tuesday & Thursday, Music Room & WPAC, 10:30 AM–1:30 PM
- Potter’s House Gym – Wednesday, 1:30–2:30 PM (South Gym closed during this time)
- Fit Kids – Wednesday, WPAC and Music Room, 5–8 PM
- Swim Lesson Scholarship Reminder:
- 50 scholarships to give out by the end of the year (brings cost down to $10)
- Extending opportunity to non-members (please send those inquiries to Jess, James, or Allison)
3️⃣ Facility Notices 🛠️
Facility Updates/Closures
Rentals
- Monday & Wednesday: East FC Fall Practices, 5–8 PM
- Friday–Sunday: East FC Games
- Saturday, 3:30–7 PM
- Sunday, 12:30–5:30 PM
4️⃣ Staff Announcements 🎉
Green Dot Moments & Staff Shoutouts
- Shout out to all those who are helping to keep everything running while we’re going through some staff issues
- Shout out to Steve for helping while the officers were gone
- Shout out to Mark for helping fill in the gaps while the officers were gone
- Shout out to all the Kroc staff!
- Shout out to the aquatics staff for nailing our last lifeguard audit
- Shout out to membership leadership while short staffed
- Shout out to Eddie for his hard work replacing ceiling tiles
- Shout out to Caroline for being a utility player and stepping up
- Shout out to program managers for getting all their info in for the next round of guides
- Shout out to Ronda for helping Mckenna with inventory
- Shout out to Albert for being everywhere last week
- Shout out to whoever changed out the Diet Coke machine!
- Shout out to all staff who helped with the GR Symphony event
🎂 Birthdays This Week
- October 7 – Samuel T.
- October 10 – Rachel M.
- October 11 – Liam N.
👋 Welcome New Staff
- Benjamin B. – Welcome Desk Attendant
📌 Open Positions at the Kroc Center
- Lifeguard
- Welcome Desk Attendant
- Fitness Attendant
- Aquatics Lead
- Child Watch Attendant
- Dance Instructor
- Swim Instructor
- UPREP Instructor
Apply here: grkroccenter.org/learn-more/careers
5️⃣ Reminders & Resources 📌
- Benefit Enrollment continues
- Enroll by October 31
- Changes effective January 1, 2026
- Kroc Center 15th Anniversary Celebration
- 15 for 15 Challenge runs through the end of the month
- All memberships are $15 for the first month (October 1–15)
- Day celebration is Thursday, October 23
- Staff Christmas Party
- Save the date! Saturday, December 6, 5–8 PM
🙌 Missional Moment
Safe Answers or Courage to Listen?
Booth declared: “While children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight.”
He didn’t fight with slogans but with listening—going into the streets to hear needs firsthand. Jesus asked more than 300 questions in the Gospels, showing that listening and drawing people out mattered more than lecturing. At the Kroc, real change happens when we listen beyond ourselves.
Scripture: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)
Practice: Ask one coworker or guest this week: “What’s one thing we don’t see that you wish we did?” Listen without correcting.
— Pastor Mark
✝️ Note from the Pastor
In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, because Jesus has overcome the world, and so can you through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. We have been given the power of Christ in our lives to overcome the things of the world when we surrender them to the will of God. Each one of us has a choice to turn from the things of the world and instead follow Jesus.
Sometimes, along the way, in our struggles against the world we tend to stray. Occasionally, we tend to veer off the path that God has given us and instead, allow ourselves to get caught up in worldly pleasures. Friends, today is the day to be reminded that when we stray, God comes looking for us. Matthew 18:12 says this: “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”
Remember that when you stray, you must pray, and when God hears and sees you in the distance, He will make His way to you and bring you back into the family. God wishes that no one would perish but instead have everlasting life. Remember, He is working on your behalf to keep you in the family. So do your part and stay focused on Him and His voice today, and you will never stray so far that you can’t be brought back.
— Captain Jack Huffman
🙏 Prayer Requests
- Prayers for our employees dealing with sickness.
- Prayers for aging parents.
- Prayers for a staff member handling a family emergency.
