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

Congregation Activities

Two members of the Bethel PRC in Itasca, IL are currently working on a recording of the entire Psalter. The tunes will be played in order, with up to four stanzas repeated and with an introduction and short ending (piano or organ only). This large project was undertaken for the assistance of one of our missionaries. The recording would consist of approximately 15 CDs and would be available on CD only. The purpose of the recording is for accompaniment with singing as it is done in the worship service. With CD it is possible to go directly to the song desired without fast forward or reverse.

For planning purposes, those two members of Bethel would like to know if others, besides the missionary for whom it is being prepared, are interested in such a set of CDs. Anyone interested (families, teachers, schools, shut-ins, missionaries, etc.) are asked to contact Deborah A. Benson, Box 5173, Elgin, IL 60123 or 847-464-5012 or dbenson@dis.net. It is not expected that this project will be completed until mid 1999.

From Bethel we also learn that their deacons recently sent a gift from their Benevolent Fund to help a group of Reformed believers in Souenyfalva, Romania, where some 60 families experienced devastating floods this past summer. The money will be used to repair their homes and to buy food through the winter, as many of their gardens and fields were destroyed.

In church building news from Bethel, we learn from their most recent bulletin that their heating system is being installed, their parking lot has been paved, and the siding for the building was about ready to go on.

Progress also continues on the new church home of the Georgetown PRC in Hudsonville, MI. All the cement floors have now been poured, and the brick-layers continue to make good progress. Trusses for the fellowship hall and south wing have been delivered. They did, however, experience a setback on November 10, when very high winds collapsed a large wall behind the platform area. It is being replaced and should be completed long before you read this.

The council of the South Holland, IL PRC recently approved sending letters to all the members of their congregation to determine whether there is sufficient interest to start another congregation in the northwest Indiana area.

Young People’s Activities

From information I was able to obtain, approximately 70 young adults met for a Post High Retreat on November 13 and 14 in Benton Harbor, MI. Benton Harbor is located about halfway between Chicago, IL and Grand Rapids, MI, so young adults from many west Michigan churches, as well as our three churches in the Chicago area and even Randolph, WI, were able to attend. Bible discussion centered on the Christian’s Attitude Toward Environmentalism.

Not to be outdone, the young people from First PRC in Holland, MI, Grace PRC in Standale, MI, and Kalamazoo, MI PRC planned a retreat at Pine Trail Camp in Saugatuck, MI for the same weekend. Discussion was on “Stewardship of Money.”

The Young People’s Society of the First PRC in Holland, MI hosted a Y.P. Mass Meeting on Sunday, November 15. Rev. C. Terpstra, First’s pastor, spoke on “A Holy Thanksgiving.”

The Young People’s Society of the First PRC in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada recently sponsored a supper for their congregation on October 31. This was followed by a time of singing songs of the Reformation and good fellowship together.

School Activities

In late September, the bulletin of the Bethel PRC in Itasca, IL encouraged those who were interested in the subject of Christian education and would like to work toward the goal of a Christian school in their area to meet and discuss Chapter 1 of Prof. D. Engelsma’s book, “Reformed Education.” Mr. Lamm Lubbers, principal of South Holland Protestant Reformed Christian School, led the discussion.

The PTA of the Free Christian School in Edgerton, MN met in early October to hear Rev. D. Kleyn, pastor at Edgerton, speak. Also of interest to many that night was the auctioning off of an antique piano stool that was in the school, as well as some old style desks which were taken out of storage for the occasion.

Rev. M. Dick was the featured speaker at the annual P.R. Teachers’ Institute Convention, hosted this year by the staff of Heritage Christian School in Hudsonville, MI. This very worthwhile speech, entitled “Giving Attention to Reading,” was given at Southwest PRC in Grandville, MI, with an invitation for all interested to come and take advantage of the opportunity to hear about a timely subject.