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

Congregational Activities

Even though our churches’ catechism classes have all come to a close for this year, we want to make note of one last class held at our Doon, IA PRC. In that class, students from both the Heidelberg Catechism and Essentials classes met together for a lesson on the Reformation of 1857, the formation of the Christian Reformed Church – a lesson which explained some of the history of our mother church, and consequently some of our history as well.

On Sunday morning, May 22, the congregation of our Georgetown PRC in Bauer, MI met after the service for a short program with cake and coffee, to bid farewell to Seminarian Allen Brummel, his wife Crysta, and baby son Dean, members of Georgetown, who planned to leave for a six-month internship with Pastors Lau Chin Kwee and Jason Kortering, and the First and Covenant Reformed Churches in Singapore.

On May 31, Rev. B. Woudenberg left his congregation in Kalamazoo, MI for two weeks to visit among the Reformed Churches in Romania. On the two Sundays Rev. Woudenberg was gone he was able to preach at Szek, known to be the most traditional of the Transylvania villages, and the following Sunday in a new church in Kohalm (Rupea), a congregation recently formed among the Diaspora, the Hungarian people who were moved from their historical villages into that area by the forces of Communism.

The congregation of our Loveland, CO PRC was able to welcome their new pastor, Rev. G. VanBaren, his wife Claire, and daughter Rachel with a program on May 20. All societies planned special numbers, and a cash gift was given to the VanBarens in order that the parsonage cupboards could be stocked with some groceries. On Sunday, May 22, Rev. VanBaren was installed as Loveland’s sixth pastor, with Rev. R. Moore, Loveland’s moderator, leading the service. That evening Rev. VanBaren preached his inaugural sermon based on II Thessalonians 3:1-3 and entitled “Prayfor the Free Course of the Word.”

For its last Adult Bible Society meeting of the season, the Adult Bible Societies of our Peace PRC in Lynwood, IL, along with the Adult Bible Society of the South Holland, IL PRC, met together to consider the topic of tithing and Christian giving. Pastors Houck and Terpstra introduced the subject with pro and con presentations.

After discussion for several months, the Council of our Hope PRC in Walker, MI has made arrangements to sponsor worship services of a daughter group. This group first met on Sunday, June 5 at the Orthodox Christian Reformed Church of Grand Valley, O-11225 8th Ave., Standale, MI. These services will be held for a trial period of six months. At its beginning, this group was made up of 14 families and 5 individuals. And in an effort to make minister supply easier, services are scheduled for 1:00 and 7:30 p.m.

Upon the request of the Second Christian Reformed Church of Randolph, WI, Rev. Key, pastor at Randolph PRC, was able to preach at their evening worship service. His sermon text for that service was Mark 4:35-41.

Evangelism Activities

In mid-April, Pastor C. Terpstra, along with elder Eric Ophoff from our South Holland, IL congregation, were in Florence, KY to visit a group of believers from that area and from southern Ohio who are interested in our churches. Their visit served as an occasion for an introduction to our churches. Rev. Terpstra was also able to preach for them the one Sunday they were there. In mid May, Rev. G. Laming, one of our churches’ retired ministers, along with Gerrit Holleman from South Holland’s Council and Ed Stouwie from their Evangelism Committee, traveled to Florence to visit and preach to the group there.

Our Grandville, MI PRC made a special effort to invite friends and neighbors to a special worship service on Sunday evening, May22. The sermon theme was “The Gift of Contentment.”

On Sunday, June 5, at its evening service, the Byron Center, MI PRC made a special welcome to those friends and neighbors in their community to come and hear a sermon based on Romans 8:29 and entitled “Foreknowledge: The Basis of Election.”

Minister Activities

Rev: C. Haak, pastor of our Lynden, WA PRC, declined the two calls he was considering. First he declined the call from our Hudsonville, MI PRC and then, one week later, he declined the call from our Georgetown PRC in Bauer, MI.

Since then Hudsonville and Georgetown have formed new trios. Hudsonville’s trio consisted of the Revs. Bruinsma, Gritters, and Terpstra. On Sunday, June 5, Hudsonville met and extended a call to Rev. Terpstra. Georgetown’s trio was made up of the Revs. Key, Slopsema, and VanOverloop. After their evening service on June 12 they called Rev. VanOverloop.