Trivia question:
What did the congregation at Doon, IA PRC use recently to take a full group picture of the congregation? Answer later in this column.

Sister-church activities
From the August 23 bulletin of the Berean PRC in the Philippines:
Beloved, Metro Manila and other nearby provinces are reverted to GCQ (General community quarantine) to September 30, 2020. We pray earnestly to God that in soonest possible time, He may be pleased to lift us up from this crisis so that our regular corporate public worship services are restored, the Lord willing. The guidelines are reiterated: 1) Everyone should stay home under the GCQ, except front-liners and those who are buying essentials with their Quarantine Pass. 2) Small gatherings, including religious ones, are allowed to ten participants. 3) Island travel and domestic flights are permitted. 4) Classified transportation are allowed to ply with limited passengers only. Let us continue to pray for our Theological School (PRCP), which is currently giving instruction on line. Let us pray for both our instructors and students. Those who wish to visit Hermeneutics (Rev. Holstege), Reformed Symbols (Rev. Kleyn), Church History (Rev. Kleyn), or Reformed Dogmatics (Rev. Smit) should contact the instructor in advance for details about visiting.

From the CERC in Singapore we learn the following:
So far, our church has tried out worshiping in group of 50 for the last few weeks and the experience, as testified by some, had been good despite having to follow the strict restrictions of social distancing, not singing, etc. We are able to worship God meaningfully as we hummed along in our hearts when we “sang” the Psalter numbers, prayed together as a church, and attended to the hearing of God’s Word. It was certainly good to see some of us eagerly coming to the Lord’s house to worship. We thank God the COVID-19 situation in Singapore is improving. Recently the authority has allowed a few religious organizations to conduct their meetings with 100 people instead of the 50 allowed. We pray that this arrangement will be opened to our church soon. We can then come to worship the Lord every Sunday at one of the services. In the meantime, Session has made a provision of an extra 10 persons to join each of the worship services on the Lord’s Day.

Congregational activities
The annual Special Education Peer-to-Peer Walk has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Look for information on the next walk to be held again at Millennium Park in September of 2021, Lord willing. Please remember our special education students, teachers, aides and board members in your prayers. Minister activities From her trio of Rev. Rodney Kleyn, Rev. James Laning, and Rev. Stephan Regnerus, Kalamazoo PRC called Rev. R. Kleyn on September 6. Cornerstone PRC extended a call to Rev. Matthew DeBoer, which he declined on September 6.

Denominational activities
Let us remember in prayer the needs of Rev. J. Marcus, who awaits a call to the churches; of Rev. M. McGeown, who awaits permission to enter the States to be installed in Providence PRC; and of Covenant ERC, our sister church in Singapore, as she awaits both pulpit supply from the PRC and a call for minister-on-loan through Grandville PRC—both on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Classis East met in Byron Center PRC on Wednesday, September 9. Classis West was scheduled to meet in Edgerton PRC at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23.

Trivia answer
If you guessed the group in Doon used a drone to take the congregational photo, then you are correct. The thing hovering overhead seemed a bit intimidating to some, but the mission was accomplished. You may want to try it! More trivia next time.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:3