Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matthew Plantenga. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

MATTHEW, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

I remember my first day managing The Point Community Center and my first encounter with Dennis, a janitorial employee, vividly. I have a bright and bubbly personality. Combine that with customer service training from the Disney company and Merlin entertainment, and I can be “a little much” to some. My first encounter with Dennis was one of those encounters. There was a fear in his eyes. A worry. I learned quickly that he had a stroke and wasn’t able to speak very well. I could tell that he wasn’t expecting a great work relationship after day one. I vowed to support, encourage, and inspire Dennis to become his best version of himself. He has become a leader for our center. He helps me with training new employees. He has been promoted and works with our preschool. He has volunteered at our disabilities ministry. His smile is infectious and brightens our center every morning. I can’t say enough good things about his work ethic. I also can’t wait to see what amazing things he will do in the future!

MATTHEW, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We are a community center that focusing on serving an all encompassing community, from the able bodied to disabled, ages 0-99, and sharing the love of Jesus with them. We want to help seniors live longer and engage with their community in their golden years. We want them to help young marginalized people learn financial literacy. We want our disabled individuals to work with us and for us, finding out exactly what passions they have and find ways to develop those passions into leadership positions. We want to get involved in anything that produces “good fruit” based on the fruits of the Spirit.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Listening to the Holy Spirit. When you work in a serving capacity, especially in the name of ministry, it is hard to discern what produces the best “fruit” and learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is crucial. This is a constant battle which requires prayer, scripture reading, Bible studies, small groups, mentors, mentees, respecting your elders, honoring your parents, resisting temptation, and so so so much more. The deeper you dive into Jesus the better equipped you will be to succeed in ministry.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It took me 15 years and 3 attempts to graduate from Western Michigan University. I was a bright kid, with good grades and a positive attitude. I fell into drugs and alcohol my sophomore year of college and let my grades slip. I ended up dropping out with a GPA around 1.3. When I was in my mid-twenties, I reapplied and got extremely close to graduating. My GPA had risen to 2.7 and I was really proud of myself. Then I lost a child and handled it poorly. I resorted to drugs and alcohol and almost took my life in 2017. When I was laying on that hospital bed I heard the Holy Spirit tell me, clear as day, “Matt you’re being too selfish with your time, you need to start serving me.” For six years I served God in many different capacities. At 34 years of age the Holy Spirit called me to go back and finish school. I worked 3 part time jobs and took 1 class per semester until I FINALLY graduated from Western Michigan University with a 3.2 GPA. The joy I felt when I got my degree from Ed Montgomery is one of the best experiences in my life. I want to help other prodigals feel the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thepointkzoo.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepointcommunitycenter/profilecard/?igsh=OXhqaDNybXgzcHAy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-plantenga-6a91a3129?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Twitter: https://x.com/thepointcc?s=11

Image Credits

Carmaria Beeke and April Kelly