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

From the trio of the Reverends Kenneth Hanko, Gise Van Baren, and Bernard Woudenberg, the congregation in Holland has extended a call to Rev. G. Van Baren, presently pastor of Hudsonville, to become their undershepherd.

On Monday, December 21, First Church in Grand Rapids held their annual congregational meeting. The first item of business that night was to call a second missionary for the island of Jamaica from a trio of the Reverends DeVries, Gritters, and Koole. From that trio Rev. DeVries was chosen.

The Lord willing, on January 8 Rev. Rodney Miersma and his family will have begun their long trip to New Zealand. The New Zealand government has granted the Miersmas permission to immigrate. However, that permission is only for a six month period. It is hoped that once they are there the time period can be extended. This of course will have to be left to the will of our heavenly Father. Rev. and Mrs. Heys hope to be able to arrange a flight to New Zealand sometime in early February, with the purpose of installing Rev. Miersma as pastor of our sister church in Wellington, New Zealand.

From Faith Church’s November 22nd bulletin we learn that Pastor Bekkering has been working the past several weeks with two area pastors with a view to resuming his work in the congregation in the future. Although Pastor Bekkering has made some good progress, he is still unable to handle the pressures of the work, especially of preaching. Pastor Bekkering and his family are extremely appreciative for the support the congregation has shown through their cards, letters, and prayers. Let us all continue to pray for Pastor Bekkering and his family.

December 14 the Heritage Christian School Society in Hudsonville met in a special session to consider a proposal from their School Board to add an addition of four classrooms to the south wing of the school. The school presently has ten permanent classrooms and two portable classrooms. Although the present need is thirteen classrooms, they have been able to operate with the existing twelve by using the library, lounge, a storage area, and a split room, because their ninth grade class has only twelve students. They anticipate approximately forty students in next year’s kindergarten class which will increase their classroom needs to fourteen rooms next year. Heritage presently has an enrollment of just about 300 students. The proposal passed by a unanimous vote.

Did you know that the Evangelical Reformed Church of Singapore publishes a bi-monthly magazine entitledThe Pillar and Ground of Truth? Their latest issue contained, among other things, an editorial by Pastor Lau, the text of a speech by Rev. G. Van Baren on the Reformation, which he gave while visiting Singapore in the Fall of 1986. There is also an article by Rev. Dale Kuiper on “Knowing God.” This fine magazine is free to anyone who requests it, but I might add that gifts to help defray the expenses of this publication are greatly appreciated. You can get on the E.R.C.S.’s mailing list by writing their business office:

The P.G.T.

Apt. Blk. 307, 10-106

Bukit Batok St. 31

Singapore 2365

Pastor Mahtani also informs us that the Lord willing, starting January 10, the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church, the second congregation in Singapore, will be holding a second service each Lord’s Day. Pastor Mahtani asks us to continue praying that God will continue to bless this work.

Now that the holidays are past, it becomes clear through all our church bulletins that our congregations are singing congregations. This is true during the entire year, but it seems to reach a climactic point around Christmas. Just about everyone of our churches has a Sunday School Program this time of the year. Besides that, there are Choral Societies.

The Doon Choral Society presented a Thanksgiving Program November 29. Faith Choral Society presented their Christmas Program on the same night. And Hope and Hudsonville’s Choral Societies each gave a Christmas program on December 6. Christmas Singspirations were also sponsored by the Federation Board in Hudsonville’s Church, by the Christian Fellowship Society in Hull, by Edgerton’s Young People, and by South Holland’s Mr. and Mrs. Society.

Covenant Christian High School gave their band and choir concert at First Church in Grand Rapids on December 13.

Faith’s Sr. Young Peoples Society planned a pancake breakfast for Dec. 12. All donations from the breakfast, which was held at Hope School, were to go towards the 1988 Young Peoples’ Convention.

Hudsonville’s societies held a combined Christmas meeting Dec. 8. Discussion was from Matt. 2, particularly the events involving Jesus’ flight to Egypt. Afterwards Rev. G. Van Baren showed slides from their recent trip to England.

Contemplation from Randolph: “Humility—a quality that disappears the moment you think you have it.” E.D. Hulse