Seminary October 2014 Update

The PRC Seminary has now entered its third month since classes began anew, and a few news items may be mentioned to keep you updated. Fall is definitely in the air here in West Michigan as temperatures have fallen into the 50s and 60s and the trees have begun to turn. We have plenty of beauty to behold right around us, as you can see.

First, we wish to congratulate our 2014 graduate (Rev.) Joshua Engelsma on his successful examination at the meeting of Classis West on Sept.24 and his subsequent ordination and installation into the office of the ministry of the Word in Doon, IA PRC on Oct.3. With humble thanksgiving to our faithful God and Father we share in the joy of this occasion and pray that the Lord may give him a rich and fruitful ministry in our churches.

Second, senior Sem. Ryan Barnhill continues to experience the rich benefits of his internship in Edgerton (MN) PRC, where he is already over half-way through this program. From his own testimony, he is enjoying and growing from the full range of pastoral experiences under his mentor Rev.Doug Kuiper. Lord willing, he will rejoin Seminary for his second semester in January of 2015.

Third, the nine second year students are busy with their classes and course work (Hebrew reading, NT Exegesis, Dogmatics, Church history, Catechetics, and Church polity). But, most significantly, their first round of practice preaching begins this week, with three Seminarians delivering their first "real" sermons today and Wednesday. This is, of course, the heart of their preparation for the ministry of the Word, so remember to pray for them and our professors as they go through this process. This makes for a rather busy - and nervous! - time for them.

Lastly, besides their busy teaching and preaching (weekly!) schedules, our professors have plenty of "extra" work they do and will be doing in the churches, especially this month and next. On Sept.23 they participated in a special Classis West conference on preaching, which the students also attended. And with this being Reformation commemoration season, all three professors will be giving lectures in churches nearby and far away. Here is a list of those:

• Prof.B.Gritters, Oct.24 - "What Does It Mean to be Reformed?" - at Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA.
• Prof.R.Dykstra, Oct.25 - "The Reformation's Zeal for Christian Education" - at Hope PRC, Redlands, CA.
• Prof.R.Dykstra, Oct.31 - "Abraham Kuyper: A Flawed Reformer" - at Crete (IL) PRC.
• Prof.R.Cammenga, Oct.31 - "What Was the Reformation?" - at First PRC, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
• Prof.B.Gritters, Nov.7 - "What Does It Mean to be Reformed?" - at Pittsburgh, PA PR Fellowship
• Prof.B.Gritters, Nov.14 - "The Prince of Darkness Grim: The Reformed Teaching About Satan" - at Kalamazoo (MI) PRC.