Denomination Activities

On Tuesday, November 15, and Wednesday, November 16, Revs. G. Eriks and K. Koole were in Atlanta, GA on behalf of our denomination’s Contact Committee to represent our churches as observers to the annual meeting of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, as authorized by this year’s synod. For what this gathering of conservative Presbyterian and Reformed churches is all about, please confer Acts 2010, Arts. 22 and 27 (pp. 18, 21), and Acts 2011, Art. 34 (pp. 26-28). If you don’t have these Acts handy, we add here that this makes the second year these two men have gone as observers, each time going with the mandate from Synod to (1) express thanks to the NAPARC for the invitation to attend; (2) explain the reasons we as churches have ac-cepted the invitation; and (3) give a brief introduction to the PRCA.

Minister Activities

The congregation of the First PRC of Holland, MI rejoiced with their pastor and his wife, Rev. and Mrs. Daniel and Leah Holstege, who were given the gift of a son, Gabriel James, born November 4.

Rev. A. Lanning declined the call extended to him to serve as pastor of the Edgerton, MN, PRC.

Evangelism Activities

On Friday evening, October 28, the Lynden, WA congregation invited their neighbors in Lynden to gather with them for a lecture given by their pastor, Rev. R. Hanko, entitled, “Excellencies of the King James Version.” This lecture was a commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the KJV.

As part of their Reformation commemoration, the Immanuel PRC in Lacombe, AB, Canada sponsored a lecture on October 28. Their pastor, Rev. T. Miersma, spoke on the subject, “The Battle for Sovereign Grace and the Covenant in the Reformed Church World: PRCA, A History of Reformation.”

Prof. R. Dykstra had the opportunity to speak at a Reformation Day Lecture at the Crete, ILPRC on October 28. He spoke on the theme, “False Prophets and the Certain End of the World: What the Reformation Can Teach Us.”

Mission Activities

The members of the Pittsburgh Mission sponsored a Reformation Day Lecture on October 28. Mis-sionary Pastor W. Bruinsma spoke on the subject, “John Knox and the Reformation of Worship.”

Rev. M. McGeown, pastor of the Limerick Reformed Fellowship, in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, a mission field of our sister church in Northern Ireland, the Covenant PRC in Ballymena, gave a Reformation Day Lecture in Limerick on October 29 on the subject, “Freewill and Predestination.”

Sister-Church Activities

Rev. A. Stewart, pastor of our sister church in Northern Ireland, the Covenant PRC in Ballymena, recently wrote in his bi-monthly newsletter to our churches that their church websites are doing very well. Their main website (www.cprc.co.uk) averages about 12,500 users per day and about 5,000 pages per day. The CPRC You Tube site is also proving to be a very helpful witness (www.youtube.com/cprcni). Covenant has now had over 50,000 videos watched and a good number of people have subscribed to it, especially recently.

Congregation Activities

Rev. Jonathan Mahtani, newly installed pastor of the Cornerstone PRC in Dyer, IN, preached his first sermon as pastor on Sunday, November 6. Rev. Mahtani chose to preach from I Corinthians 2:1-2 under the theme, “What the Pastor Came to Do.”

The Building Committee of the Providence PRC in Hudsonville, MI planned a work bee for the last Saturday of October, with weeding, clean-up, and some general maintenance around their church property planned. Providence members were also invited to feel free to drop off any leaves they needed to get rid of at the designated leaf drop-off area on their property. It was also the intent of Providence to have a public leaf-drop that same day, and continuing through the month of November.

Both young and old members of our churches in west Michigan were invited to the Faith PRC in Jenison, MI and the Reformed Doctrines Class held there on November 9, to hear Prof. D. Engelsma expose and refute, from Scripture, the confessions, and John Calvin, the deadly errors concerning church membership as evidenced by attacks on the RFPA book Bound to Join.

During the month of November both our Georgetown and Hudsonville, MI congregations were given the opportunity to share what the Lord had given them, in a food-drive for others in their church family. Members were encouraged to bring canned and non-perishable food-items or gift certificates, for distribution by the Deacons in December.

Young-Adult/Young-People Activities

The Young Adult Society of the Lynden, WA PRC planned a Thanksgiving Singspiration on November 20 after their evening worship service. A collection was taken, with proceeds going towards the Young Adult Retreat they are planning to hold, the Lord willing, at Warm Beach Camp on July 2-5, 2012.

The first-ever Trinity Trot 5K/1 Mile Race was hosted by the Young People of the Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, MI on Saturday morning, November 12 at nearby Millennium Park in Grand Rapids. Those who registered for the event could choose either to walk or to run the course. All proceeds from the race will be used for the 2012 convention.

The Jr. and Sr. Young People of the Faith PRC in Jenison, MI met for a special meeting after their evening worship service on Sunday, November 20, to hear Rev. J. Kortering talk about issues that young converts face and how they are to deal with them properly and biblically.