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

Ministerial Calls

We begin this first installment of the “News” for the year with word that Rev. R. Hanko, who for the past seven years has served as pastor of the Trinity PRC in Houston, TX, has accepted the call extended to him from the Hudsonville, MI PRC to serve as missionary-pastor to the Covenant Reformed Fellowship of Northern Ireland. 

This will be no small undertaking for Rev. Hanko, his wife, and their eight children. Let us remember them, as well as the congregation in Trinity, in our prayers.

Mission Activities

Rev. G. VanBaren, in his most recent letter to his congregation in Hudsonville, MI writes that “We are especially thinking at this time of the Thanksgiving celebration and the coming Christmas and New Year period which follows. In the Fellowship here there are no special days in which church services are held . . . . As a church, we have been provided with much. Over here there are not all of the church and school activities to which we have become so familiar. We have missed these.”

Young People Activities

The congregations of the Hull, IA PRC and the Edgerton, MN PRC were invited to join that of Doon, IA PRC in their auditorium on Sunday evening, November 29, for what has become the annual Fall Young People’s Singspiration. The theme, as you might expect, was connected with Thanksgiving Day. All three of the YP Societies were also planning to give special numbers. 

The YP Societies of the West Michigan area were invited to First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday afternoon, November 29, for their annual YP Thanksgiving Mass Meeting. Rev. M. Joostens spoke on the theme “Anatomy of Thankfulness,” basing his remarks on Ephesians 1. 

The young people of the Immanuel PRC of Lacombe, AB, Canada have just recently organized themselves into our churches’ newest YP Society. Their first meeting took place on December 6, and their first Bible discussion was the study of the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5. They also discussed “Keeping the Sabbath,” for after recess.

The Senior YP Society of the Hudsonville, MI PRC asked their congregation if they needed a break, had shopping to get done, or just needed to get away for the day with no children. On Saturday, December 5, the congregation was invited to drop off their children at church anywhere from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The young people babysat all day. Activities were planned, including lunch, which promised to keep the babies, toddlers, and older children busy all day.

School Activities

The school society of the Loveland Christian School in Loveland, CO approved the concept of a new school addition, including two new classrooms and a gymnasium. It was also reported that significant contributions have been received towards a gymnasium from individuals outside of the Loveland PRC congregation.

Congregational Activities

Rev. A. Spriensma was installed as the second pastor in the eight-year history of the Grandville, MI PRC on November 20. Two days later, on Sunday, November 22, Rev. Spriensma preached his first sermon as Grandville’s new pastor. Reading from Ephesians 6 and choosing as his text verses 18 and 19, he entitled his sermon Pray for Me. That is something we all could do more of for our own pastors. 

The Adult Bible Study of Grandville invited Rev. C. Hanko to speak to them concerning the 1953 split in our churches. He spoke on the evening of November 17. 

The Men’s Society of the Loveland, CO PRC sponsored a program after their evening service on December 6. Mr. Don Windemuller presented a slide program on the “State of the Hungarian Reformed Church.” Mr. Windemuller accompanied Rev. Woudenberg in June of 1990 on a trip to Hungary and Romania shortly after the collapse of Communism. 

An adult night of fun and fellowship was held in the Pella, IA PRC on the evening of November 13. Along with games and refreshments, there was also a ping-pong tournament. 

The congregation of the Hope PRC in Redlands, CA has established an on-going project to upgrade and expand their church library. Recently more shelves were added, which indicates more books. 

Already they have a very valuable complete set of bound volumes of the Standard Bearer. The most important thing in the coming months, however, is that this library (as well as our other church and school libraries) gets used.