6.18.2026 - Katie Van Koevering

This week’s devotions are written by Katie Van Koevering. Katie lives in West Michigan with her husband and three sons. Katie works in the Athletics Department at Unity Christian High School and serves as a leader on the worship team at Covenant Life Church in Grand Haven, MI.  

Read Philippians 2:12-13

Our family has lived in our home for exactly 2 years. We moved into the house with the hope that our children would grow up in it. Our lot sits at the end of a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighborhood and backs up to a pond that allows for fishing in warm weather and pond hockey in cold. The location is close to our workplaces and kids’ school. There were many things we knew when we purchased the property. What we did not know was the blessing that living on our street would become. Most of the residents on the street are either in their 30s with young children or retirees. The development is new, so no one has lived here for long, but in that time, a community has been created. It’s impossible to go for a walk without stopping to chat with a neighbor. During the summer, our kids ride bikes together and play games in front yards. We bring out a firepit to the street in the evenings and roast s’mores together and during the fall, we bring a TV out so we can watch Michigan football. During the winter, the dads on the street work late nights on the pond with their homemade zamboni creating a perfect rink to spend the following days playing hockey with all the kids. God’s kingdom is present through the conversations that we have with our neighbors around the campfire and on our walks. Some of them know Christ, others don’t. It comes up occasionally and we’ve had questions from neighbors about our faith, but it’s never a forced conversation. But we see God’s work all around on our little street. The Spirit is at work in a neighbor who mows the lawn of another neighbor while he battles cancer. The kingdom is present in a neighbor who brought over a meal when we recently had a baby. God was moving in conversations between my husband and our neighbor as he processed a family member’s suicide. We never know where God will lead and how his presence in our lives can impact others. Opening our hearts to follow his guidance will grow the kingdom. Today, look for ways you can build community with others around you and thank the Spirit for how he works in those places.