Trivia question

Which Protestant Reformed Church in Classis East has been served by the largest number of different ministers? Answer later in this column. Minister activities Rev. Cory Griess preached his farewell sermon January 28 in Calvary PRC, after which a program was held for him and his family. The Griess family moved that week to the parsonage of First PRC of Grand Rapids. Rev. Griess was installed on February 11, with Rev. J. Slopsema leading the service. Rev. Griess preached his inaugural sermon that evening. May God provide for them as they leave one church family for another.

On January 21 the congregation of Calvary PRC of Hull, IA voted to extend a call to Rev. Brian Huizinga (Hope PRC, Redlands, CA) to be their next pastor.

On January 28 Candidate David Noorman announced his acceptance of the call extended to him from Southwest PRC in Wyoming, MI. We give thanks to God for supplying a pastor to our sister congregation and for opening up the way for Candidate Noorman to serve in the ministry! Candidate Noorman was examined at the special meeting of Classis East on February 28. Upon approval of his exam, his ordination and installation were scheduled for March 7 with Prof. Cammenga leading the special service.

Sister-church activities

BRF Conference: Join Reformed believers from around the world at the 2018 British Reformed Fellowship Family Conference at Hebron Hall in South Wales from Saturday, July 21, to Saturday, July 28. Prof. David Engelsma and Rev. Andy Lanning will lecture on “The Reformed Family—According to the Word of God.” More information and booking forms are available at http://brfconference.weebly.com or contact Briana Prins (616-214-2779; bprins@covenantchristianhs.org).

Congregational activities

The congregation of Byron Center, MI PRC is growing enough that there is an increasing strain on the capacity of their sanctuary. Therefore, the Council approved an improvement of seating, lighting, and HVAC for their fellowship hall to make it more conducive for use during worship services. The Council planned to prepare a list of families to worship in the fellowship hall in rotation. A time to be thankful for the growth God has given!

At a special congregational meeting the members of Kalamazoo, MI PRC approved by a large majority the proposal to obtain drawings and artist renderings for a possible expansion project.

The Young Calvinists invited all young people and young adults to join them at the Special Needs Bible Study on February 15. The Bible study was to be held at Faith PRC at 6:30 p.m. There was a brief Bible study followed by a time of games and refreshments. All were encouraged to bring a game and a friend.

The dates for the 2018 Family Conference have been finalized! The Edmonton, Alberta PRC plans to host a Family Conference July 20-22, D.V. Hear from Revs. B. Huizinga, N. Langerak, and J. Marcus on the topic of ‘Seeking the Lord.’ Mark your calendars and plan to attend what promises to be a spiritually encouraging time of growth and fellowship with saints from Canada and abroad, as well as an opportunity to see some of the beauty that God has created in Canada. For more information or to register, please visit the website https:// edmontonfamilyconf.wixsite.com/conference2018, or contact Scott Ferguson at EFC2018@outlook.com.

Cake and coffee were served downstairs after the morning service on February 4 as the congregation of First PRC, Grand Rapids welcomed Rev. Cory Griess and his family on their first Lord’s Day there. In honor of the Griess family, a church potluck is planned for Friday, March 9 at 6 p.m. in the church basement. Games and an open gym were to follow in the basement and school.

Young people’s activities

The young people of Grandville, MI PRC recently sold delicious fudge from Old Bell Bakery (Moelker Orchards) as a way to raise funds for the convention. For those of us with a sweet tooth, that sounds like a tasty fundraiser!

Providence PRC of Hudsonville, MI young people hosted their annual Chili/Soup Cook-Off fundraiser in February. Delicious soup and chili recipes were accepted, with proceeds going toward the 2018 PR YP’s Convention to be held in Minnesota.

Providence and Grandville young people both hosted fundraisers at Rainbow Grill in West Michigan, and Southwest PR YP’s Pancake Breakfast is back on the schedule this year—March 24 from 8-10:30 a.m.

School activities

Genesis PTA of Lacombe, AB, Canada sponsored a bowling night at Ambassador Bowling Lane in Lacombe in February. The bowlers worked up an appetite, and satisfied that by meeting at Boston Pizza later in the evening!

The Loveland Youth Band thanked everyone who gave to the collections taken at the last two band and orchestra concerts. Because of the generosity, the band was able to purchase 18 music stands and a storage cart. Now the students can look forward to using the stands regularly in rehearsals and concerts as their band program continues to grow.

Trivia answer

According to the PRC Acts of Synod, First PRC of Holland, MI and Southwest PRC in Wyoming, MI have had 12 different ministers in their history. Rev. Justin Smidstra recently became the 13th pastor of First PRC of Holland. And Candidate Dave Noorman recently accepted the call to be Southwest’s 13th. More trivia next time.