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

The Church Extension Committee of our Randolph Church reported to their congregation recently on some very ambitious plans. “We want to continue to emphasize in our congregation the need for doing the work of evangelism in our community. In the past we have sponsored lectures to which we have invited people of our community. Though the fruit of our efforts has been small by human standards, let us not be discouraged. We must continue to do the work which the Lord calls us to do. For this reason we have planned several programs for the future. We plan some time in the beginning of April to conduct a short series of study classes dealing with the subject of personal evangelism. After this short series of studies we want to have a special community evening at our church where Pastor den Hartog will present a program on the work of our churches in Singapore. We hope very much to invite some people from our community to our church for this meeting. We are also working on plans to hold Bible discussion groups especially adapted to invite non-members of our church.”

And some news from Kalamazoo similar to the above. A committee there has begun to lay out plans for a series of seminars during the month of May.

I would say to you all; watch this news column for more details as they become available. It sounds like some exciting times coming in these two congregations.

The Building Committee of First Church in Grand Rapids brought a proposal to their Council last July to air condition the church sanctuary and narthex. This proposal was voted down at the Council’s February meeting. One can only wonder how the vote would have gone if the Council had voted on a hot summer night instead of a cold winter one.

The Building Committee also is examining the pros and cons of selling their present parsonage and building a new parsonage on the church grounds.

The Consistory of Byron Center has given their Building Committee permission to do minor site improvements on their land purchased on 84th Street. Though plans for building are not finalized, the Building Committee is working on them and they should be presented to the congregation for suggestions and response soon.

Byron Center also held their Church Potluck Supper-Volleyball Night on March 31, all those 9th Grade through adult were invited.

Rev. R. Dykstra was the featured speaker at the Spring Ladies League Meeting held in Doon, Iowa on April 2.

Rev. M. DeVries gave the Meditation at the Men’s Lenten Breakfast on Tuesday, March 17 at the First Ref. Church. All the men of the congregation in Edgerton were invited to attend all of these breakfasts.

The Ladies of our Doon congregation have a Cash-for-Trash project for the Organ Fund of their church. For those of you who may not be familiar with what this is, it is simply saving your wrappers, boxes, labels, etc., and turning these items in to their respective companies for cash refunds.

As the ladies of Doon no doubt know by now, it is a lot of work but well worth the effort.

As this year’s Young Peoples Convention looms closer and closer, our churches’ Young People’s Societies are gearing up by sponsoring many varied fund-raisers.

March 21, the Faith Church Y.P. held a pancake breakfast, which also featured french toast and sausages at the Hope Christian School gym.

March 26, Southeast’s Y.P. sponsored a pot luck supper. After dinner the young people also auctioned off their services.

Southwest’s congregation was also reminded recently to attend their Young People’s Societies’ Soup and Sandwich Supper, also held at Hope School.

And the Y.P. of Randolph also invited their fellow members to a Soup Supper on Friday, March 27. The Y.P. promised that this year they won’t run out of soup.

Parents and Grandparents Visiting Day was held March 18 at N.W. Iowa Prot. Ref. Christian School in Doon. And in connection with Christian Education Week, Heritage Chr. School in Hudsonville also invited parents, friends, and grandparents to come and visit their school. Along with visitation they held an Art Fair so the students could display their art work, projects and crafts. On Tuesday, the 31st, those who were visiting were invited to an all school assembly. During this assembly the students sang, spoke and performed on musical instruments.

And one last item to leave you with, taken from the Reflector, a school paper published by the Prot. Ref. Christian School in South Holland, IL.

Be careful of the words you say

Keep them soft and sweet

You’ll never know from day to day

Which ones you’ll have to eat.