Our Southeast Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan has extended a call to Rev. Jason Kortering of Redlands, California, to serve as their pastor. 

The Mission Committee of our churches has decided to begin preaching services in Charlotte, Michigan beginning January 7, 1979, at the request of four families there. 

The Foreign Mission Committee has requested through the consistories of Hope Church in Walker, Michigan, and Doon (Iowa) that permission be given for Rev. Marvin Kamps and Elder Dewey Engelsma to go to Singapore. Apparently permission has been given, as present plans are for these two men to leave in early January. They expect to labor in Singapore for a two month period. Last Spring Elder Engelsma and Rev. James Slopsema of Edgerton, Minnesota, spent several weeks in Singapore working with a large group of young people who expressed interest in the Reformed faith and in the work and teaching of our churches. 

The above items were all gathered from the Hudsonville Bulletin—a veritable gold mine of information—at least in the December 10th edition. 

Hudsonville has undertaken a very interesting project in that’ they have engaged the professional services of a local studio to supply the church with a colored pictorial directory. The committee which is in charge of this project states that “this directory, complete with names, addresses and telephone numbers, will be a valuable asset to our church, particularly the new families.” The committee has distributed a nine point list of guidelines concerning grooming, dress, glasses (to wear or not to wear) which appear to be quite complete. This should be a very fine directory. Each church family that sits for their photograph will receive a free directory. The studio hopes to make a profit on this venture by selling portraits to those who wish them. 

A group of about 50 alumni of Covenant Christian High School have formed an Alumni Choir. The choir presented an evening of music for the holiday season after the evening service in First Church on Sunday, December 3. It was apparent from the quality of the presentation that these young people were singing because they wanted to. The group plans to continue. Hopefully those of us in the Grand Rapids area can look forward to more fine music from this group. They have asked Mr. Roland Petersen, who was their choir director at Covenant, to lead them. 

Professor Robert Decker of our Seminary gave a lecture in our Randolph, Wisconsin, church on Wednesday, November 15. His topic was “Women in Office.” A very timely topic. 

The Randolph congregation gathered for a number of worthy occasions during the month of November. In addition to the lecture, the church enjoyed a Fellowship Supper on Friday the 10th. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Christian grade school gym was reserved for members of the congregation in order that all might enjoy an evening of recreation and fellowship. It sounds as if these gatherings involved a bit of work on the part of the ladies of the congregation, as they were asked to provide refreshments for the lecture and the gym nite and serve the Fellowship Supper. 

There have been quite a number of changes at our Southwest Church of late. The congregation moved into their new church building in August, installed a new pastor in October, and made a number of changes in their order of worship effective Sunday, November 12. These include: that the silent personal prayers before the service are made at the same time by all the members of the congregation, the ‘Amen’ is now sung at the conclusion of the hymn of praise “Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow,” and that the Scripture reading follows the singing of the third Psalter number and just before the announcement of the text upon which the sermon is based. The scripture reading is then followed by the sermon. The Council brought these changes to the congregation supported by a number of rather convincing grounds. 

November and December are the months when our churches schedule their annual congregational meetings to elect office bearers and adopt a budget for the coming year. Some of these meetings are scheduled at rather unique times. For instance, our church in Pella, Iowa, holds their annual meeting after the Thanksgiving Day worship service. 

Our Reformed Witness Hour has made available a cassette tape of anthems and songs sung by the Reformed Witness Hour Choir on the radio broadcast. Also available is a tape of Psalms. These tapes may be obtained for $2 each by writing The Reformed Witness Hour, PO Box 1230, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501. 

—KGV