The July 3rd bulletin of our Hope Church (Walker, Michigan) reported on the return of our Home Missionary as follows, “Rev. and Mrs. Harbach returned from the investigative trip which they made to the area of Canada just north of Lynden, Washington. He expects to make a report of this trip to the next council meeting and to a Mission Committee meeting on July 12. We thank God for their safe trip and pray He might have used these efforts to further the cause of His kingdom.” 

In other mission activity, the Mission Committee of our churches asked Professor H. Hanko to go to Birmingham, Alabama, to inquire into the interests of some four families there. 

The consistory of our church in Randolph, Wisconsin, has organized a Church Extension Committee “to help us better share the glorious truth with those in our area.” The committee will function under a constitution adopted by the consistory. 

At a special congregational meeting held on June 13 in Hudsonville, it was decided to build a new parsonage on the southeast corner of the property on which the new Hudsonville Church is already located. Plans for the new parsonage were presented and adopted. The cost of this project will be approximately $55,000. This will allow Hudsonville’s pastor, Rev. C. Hanko, to move out of the old parsonage which is adjacent to the old Hudsonville Church, now used by another congregation from another denomination. 

Apparently our church in Holland, Michigan, is one of the churches in the denomination which schedule their Sunday School classes during the summer months. As of the middle of June, however, Sunday School classes were canceled until further notice. Due to the fact that the Holland Church building is in a state of construction and destruction all at the same time, there is no place to hold classes. Walls are being knocked out and an addition being put on the building to give the church a larger meeting place and more classroom area. 

Hope Church in Walker scheduled a special congregational meeting on June 15. The congregation approved purchase of a drapery to cover the rear windows of the sanctuary. This will take care of a problem which ministers on the pulpit at Hope have been complaining about since the construction of the building; It seems that the evening sun comes through a window in the rear of the building, shining brightly in the face of the minister—almost to the point of blinding the pastor at times, according to some reports. The Hope congregation also decided to add about 20 parking spaces to the church parking lot. It seems that the lot has not, for some time, been large enough to accommodate all the autos. 

Both the men and women of our congregation in Randolph have been busy of late. The ladies were asked to come to the church on Saturday, May 14, to help with a spring cleaning of the church. On the same day and for some subsequent Saturdays, the men were asked to help with scraping and painting the parsonage. Sounds like quite a work bee. 

In the Isabel, South Dakota area, the Reformed Witness Hour Radio program is now heard over KBHB at 12:15 PM on Sundays. 

The ladies’ society of Hudsonville Church provided a picnic luncheon for the senior citizens of the congregation in Hager Park on June 14. The young people of 1st Church sponsored a similar activity this spring. The “senior citizens” were given invitations to a luncheon and program held in the “church parlors.” It is well that we do remember those in our congregations who are advanced in years. 

Rev. Slopsema, of our church in Edgerton, Minnesota, led the chapel service at Edgebrook Rest Center on Sunday afternoon May 22. A special number was provided by a group of preschoolers from the Edgerton congregation. 

During the past two months, most of our congregations have scheduled their annual congregational picnics. Many of our western churches schedule these picnics on the 4th of July.

The various ladies’ groups in our schools and churches come up with all kinds of clever activities which not only provide good Christian fellowship, but also raise funds for church and school. During the past year, novel activities have included “bakeless bake sales” and a number of “tasting bees.” The Ladies’ Guild in Hull, Iowa, has scheduled another event which needs some explanation for those of us outside the area. They are having “Bean Walks” to raise funds. What do you suppose a “Bean Walk” is? 

—KGV