Evangelism Activities

The Evangelism Committee of First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI invited all interested parties to attend this year’s Summer Parenting Workshop. This year’s workshop was a continuation of the series from Tedd Trip that First started last summer. The dates were set for the last three Wednesday nights of June and all the Wednesday nights of July. This year’s workshop promised to give good instruction about different age groups and how to parent them in a godly manner.

The Reformed Witness Committee of Hope PRC in Walker, MI presented their annual Summer Class Series for 2010 on each Tuesday in the month of July. Prof. Herman Hanko was scheduled to speak each week on the theme, “A Survey of the Book of Revelation.”

Minister Activities

We are sure that we echo the sentiments of our readers when we extend to Seminarians Daniel Holstege and Martyn McGeown our congratulations on their graduating from the Protestant Reformed Theological School this June. In addition to our congratulations, we also give thanks to our heavenly Father for providing these men for the ministry of the Word.

Since Seminarian McGeown passed his synodical examination and graduated from our Seminary, the Council of our sister church in Northern Ireland, the Covenant PRC in Ballymena, where Mr. McGeown is a member, declared him to be eligible for a call and presented his name to their congregation to call him to be their missionary based in Limerick, the Republic of Ireland, working with the Limerick Reformed Fellowship. A significant congregational meeting, to say the least. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this event for our sister-church congregation, which is located in a country where the Reformed faith is scarce. We thank God that He has been pleased to give them a second minister and a field where he might labor. A call was extended to Candidate McGeown on Sunday, July 4.

Since our last “News,” Rev. Garrett Eriks and Rev. John Marcus declined the calls they received from the Edgerton, MN and Trinity (Hudsonville, MI) PRC’s respectively.

Rev. Michael DeVries has accepted the call to serve as the next pastor of the Kalamazoo, MI PRC.

Calls to “come over and help” were extended to Rev. Garrett Eriks from the First PRC in Holland, MI, and to Rev. Andrew Lanning from the Hope PRC in Walker, MI.

Rev. Dennis Lee preached his farewell sermon to the congregation of the Edgerton, MNPRC on Sunday evening, June 20, preaching from Jude 20-21 under the theme, “Keep Yourselves in the Love of God.”

Rev. Lee and his family have since moved to Bethel PRC in Roselle, IL, where, the Lord willing, he will be installed on July 9 as their fourth pastor, with Prof. David Engelsma officiating.

Mission Activities

The Domestic Mission Committee of our churches sponsored another “Mission Awareness Day” on Saturday, June 12, at Georgetown PRC in Hudsonville, MI. This day serves to inform and inspire members of our denomination about our mission work. Sectionals included speeches and multimedia presentations on topics such as the history of our new Heritage PRC congregation in Sioux Falls, SD; the ongoing work in Myanmar; life as a missionary in the Philippines; and much more. An ethnic lunch gave the attendees also a “taste” of everyday life on the mission field.

Rev. and Mrs. Daniel Kleyn traveled to Singapore and the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church there to be part of their annual Family Camp. This year’s camp was held June 14 to June 18 at the Awana Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia. About 120 registered for the camp this year. Rev. Kleyn preached four times in Singapore and also gave five speeches during the week on the theme, “We Are One,” based on Ephesians 4.

Prof. Russell Dykstra and Prof. Barry Gritters traveled to Namibia on June 17. They went to Namibia on behalf of our churches’ Contact Committee to visit with six Reformed churches who have requested the Contact Committee to send a delegation. They met also with a contact in South Africa. The main focus of this visit was to introduce these contacts to the teaching of the PRC and to find a common appreciation for and commitment to the Reformed creeds and the doctrine of sovereign grace. They planned to return home on July 8, the Lord willing.

Young People’s Activities 

The YP Activity Committee of the Calvary PRC in Hull, IA organized a softball game activity for parents and young people for July 7. We assume that means parents vs. teenagers for the game. Refreshments followed.

The Young People’s Society of Hope PRC in Redlands, CA had a window-washing fund-raiser during the month of July. For a donation they promised to wash the inside and outside of all the windows of your house. Not a bad deal for our Hope congregation. Too bad they are not closer to our house!

Denomination Activities

The Senior Singles Fellowship of our west Michigan churches held their most recent monthly dinner and program on June 17 at the Southwest PRC in Grandville, MI. Mr. Bruce Klamer gave a PowerPoint presentation on the various aspects of the Reformed Witness Hour radio ministry.