Our newly organized congregation in Houston, Texas has published the following trio: Rev. George Lubbers, Rev. Ronald VanOverloop, and Rev. David Engelsma. 

The Synodical Committee for Contact with other Churches has submitted a slate of nominees to the congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Christchurch, New Zealand. They will call a minister on loan from the slate of Rev. Engelsma, Rev. VanBaren, Rev. VanOverloop, Rev. Bekkering, and Rev. Joostens. The basis for this action can be found in the decisions taken in the 1976 Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches. 

Most of the information found on this page concerns events which have already taken place. Once in a while enough advance notice is received to give information about a worthwhile event which is still to happen. So, with the co-operation of the editor, the typesetter, the printer, the mailing crew, and your postman, you may receive this issue before April 21. The evening of Thursday, April 21, is the day scheduled by our West Michigan churches for our Annual Spring Lecture. Rev. David Engelsma, pastor of our church in South Holland, Illinois is scheduled to speak on “Reprobation—Is It Reformed?” The lecture will be held in the new church building recently occupied by our Hudsonville congregation. A new church building is not exactly a common thing. In recognition of this, many denominational events have been scheduled in Hudsonville this spring, including League meetings, Classis East, lectures, and the 1977 Synod of our Churches. 

In a recent issue of the little paper published by our church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Rev. Moore writes “By now many of you have heard that the undersigned and his wife have been blessed by our faithful covenant God in the birth of twin girls. Stacie and Stephanie are healthy and growing and Mom is doing well. For the Church what a blessed event is the birth of children in her midst! ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.’ Ps. 127:3. This is the Word of God that sounds forth in a day when the birth of children is frowned upon. God through His people brings forth His heritage, the church of Christ. With each of His covenant seed born Christ makes complete His body, and the day of glory draweth near. Blessed be the name of our God.” 

Various organizations in our South Holland church have been quite active of late. The Ladies’ Auxiliary sponsored a Beef Stew Supper on March 18th. The Men’s Society sponsored a public lecture on March 21st. Rev. Bernard Woudenberg, pastor of our church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was scheduled to speak on the topic, “The Missionary Calling of the Local Church.” The Choral Society planned a Singspiration for Sunday evening, April 3rd, after the worship service. Special numbers were scheduled by the quartet and the school choir. 

Judging from the amount of information in the February 20th and 27th bulletins of our newly organized congregation in Houston, the new church has enjoyed a rather busy schedule. Three children were baptized on the 27th, the consistory was organized on the 16th, delegates to the Classis West meeting on March 2 were selected, and the consistory was scheduled to hear the confession of faith of two young people of the congregation on March 8. Sunday services are scheduled at 10:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. Sunday School is at 9:30 A.M. Catechism classes meet on Monday afternoon and a mid-week Bible study meeting is scheduled for Thursday evenings. The book, of I Timothy is being considered.

Our people in Hull, Iowa enjoyed a Hostess Supper on February 7th. Rev. Hoeksema spoke on “The Authority-Relation of the Home and the School.” 

Hull ‘made’ the Isabel bulletin. Rev. Miersma concluded an account of the recent Classis West meeting with this note, “On the lighter side we can say that. Hull did it again. It somehow managed to arrange Classis to be held in the middle of a snowstorm keeping all the delegates in town for the night. Instead of automobile travel many of the delegates had their first snowmobile ride. Lodging was doubled up and some of the delegates came the next day a little rumpled and unshaven. I guess these are the things that make such meetings live in our memories for years.” It seems this is not the first time that Classis West and a terrific snowstorm have met in Hull on the same day.

—KGV