Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.

Congregation Activities

Parents of catechism students at the Bethel PRC in Roselle, IL were invited to their children’s final catechism session, which included pizza, games, singing, and thanksgiving for the blessing of another catechism season. Final papers were handed out and memory awards were also given.

Many of our churches continue to experience a pressing need for church organists. The need seems to grow more acute year by year. To answer this growing need in our churches in the Chicago, IL area, two men, Mr. Don Haak and Mr. Ernie Medema, have established an Organists Memorial Fund in memory of their wives, Mrs. Pat Haak and Mrs. Grace Medema, two long-time organ players in their churches. Those individuals who wish to learn to play may apply for assistance. This fund was established to encourage organ playing for the benefit of our Bethel, Cornerstone, Peace, South Holland, and any other PRCs organized in the future in the Chicago area.

After their Good Friday worship service, March 29, the congregation of the Lynden, WA PRC was invited to remain and enjoy an Easter Singspiration and Program from their church choir.

The Choral Society of the South Holland, IL PRC presented their annual Spring Concert Sunday evening, April 7.

You may have thought that spring comes later and later each year. The cold of winter seems to last longer each year, but at least by March we usually see some nice weather, enough so that when we gather together in early March (March 13 this year) for Prayer Day worship services we can anticipate the coming growing season. But spring comes later in Canada than in the US, and our Immanuel PRC in Lacombe, AB has adjusted to this by holding their Prayer Day services on April 10, one month later than the congregations to the south in the US.

The congregation of the Edgerton, MN PRC arranged a welcome-home potluck supper for Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Bleyenberg on April 11. The members of Edgerton were given the opportunity to visit with the Bleyen-bergs, and they in turn were able to extend greetings from Ghana as well as share some of their experiences from spending a year as volunteers to our missionaries there.

Mission Activities

Rev. M. Dick, pastor at Grace PRC in Standale, MI, recently wrote his congregation from Fayetteville, NC where he and his family are spending the first six months of this year serving the “Fellowship” there, that he had a plan to keep in closer touch with them. He was going to try and write each member of Grace a note, one every day, and he promised they would not all be the same. The hope was, of course, that each member of Grace would in turn write back, or call, or e-mail him and his family.

Evangelism Activities

In news concerning evangelism efforts in our churches, we find that the Evangelism Society of the Southeast PRC in Grand Rapids, MI recently mailed the pamphlet “Is the Christian Faith Easy” to the entire area around their church and have received a number of responses, which is always encouraging.

On April 19 the Evangelism Committee of the Grandville, MI PRC sponsored a lecture by Prof. H. Hanko at their church. Prof. Hanko spoke on the topic, “The Events of September 11, 2001: The Devil’s Work or God’s Plan?”

Minister Activities

The faculty of our seminary has made arrangements with the consistories of the Bethel PRC in Roselle, IL and the Southeast PRC in Grand Rapids, MI to have Mr. Paul Goh and Mr. Bill Langerak serve their six-month internships at the respective churches beginning July 1.

Rev. B. Gritters declined the call he had been considering to serve as pastor of the Grandville, MI PRC. Their new trio is Rev. C. Haak, Rev. D. Kleyn, and Rev. J. Slopsema. Rev. R. VanOverloop declined the call to Covenant. Their new trio is Rev. D. Kleyn, Rev. K. Koole, and Rev. J. Laning. Rev. W. Bruinsma declined the call he had received to serve as the next pastor of the Byron Center, MI PRC. The Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, MI was to call a pastor from a trio of the Rev. G. Eriks, Rev. D. Kleyn, and Rev. R. VanOverloop. Rev. R. Hanko has accepted the call he received from the Lynden, WA PRC to serve as their next pastor.