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PRC Weekly Congregational, Denominational, and Sister-Church News - July 23, 2017 ***(Updated)

Psalms 37 5On this fourth Lord's Day of July 2017 (July 23) we may report on the following updates on news and information from PRC congregations, mission fields, and sister churches.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS:

  • On July 16 Rev. R. Kleyn (Covenant of Grace PRC, Spokane, WA) declined the call from First PRC (Holland, MI).
  • On July 16 the congregation of Southwest PRC (Grandville, MI) voted to extend a call to Candidate Justin Smidstra.
  • On July 2 the congregation of Immanuel PRC (Lacombe, AB) voted to extend a call to Rev. A. Brummel (Heritage PRC, Sioux Falls, SD). *UPDATE: This morning he announced that he had DECLINED this call.
  • The Council of Edgerton PRC announces a trio of Rev. Huizinga (Redlands, CA), Candidate Matthew De Boer, and Candidate Justin Smidstra. *UPDATE: Tonight the congregation voted to extend a call to Cand. Matt DeBoer.
  • The Council of Zion PRC has drawn up a new trio from which to call her first pastor: Revs. B. Huizinga (Hope PRC, Redlands, CA), A. Lanning (Covenant ERC, Singapore), and Candidate J. Holstege. *UPDATE: Cand. J. Holstege received this call on July 23.
  • The Council of First PRC of Holland, MI announces a new trio from which to call a pastor: Rev. G. Eriks, Rev. C. Spronk and Candidate J. Smidstra. The congregation will vote next Sunday morning, July 30.

DENOMINATIONAL NEWS:

  • DgKuiper 2017The Synod of 2017 called Rev. D. Kuiper to serve in the PRC Seminary as professor of church history and NT studies, in replacement of Prof. R. Dykstra. On July 2 he announced his acceptance of this call. We give thanks to God for providing a man for this position, and pray for him and his family as well as Edgerton PRC as he makes this transition and prepares for his new post (cf. picture below).
    • Rev. Kuiper's farewell from Edgerton PRC is planned for Sunday, August 13.
    • His installation as professor is planned for Wednesday, Sept.20, in Faith PRC, D.V.
  • The Contact Committee is sending Prof. R. Dykstra and Rev. J. Engelsma to Australia to visit the Evangelical Presbyterian Churches on behalf of the PRC. They will be taking part in a two-day Reformation Day conference, attending the meetings of the Presbytery of the EPC, and preaching in the EPC. The 2015 Synod of the PRC approved holding a conference with the EPC on the ground that “such face-to-face meeting and discussions with the men of the EPC are excellent ways both to make the corresponding relationship meaningful and to further the relationship.” Prof. and Mrs. Dykstra leave July 18, and will return (after a time in Singapore) August 16.  Rev. and Mrs. Engelsma will leave July 24 and return August 7. All the Lord willing.

  • Synod of 2017 concluded its sessions on June 21, at Hudsonville PRC. Summary reports on each day may be found under the synod section of this website.

SISTER-CHURCH NEWS  - This from Covenant PRC in Ballymena, N. Ireland:

The Stewarts will be in N. America from 17 July to 14 August. The Lord’s Day schedule in the CPRC while Rev. Stewart is away is as follows:
23 July - services led by the elders with DVDs (Pastor preaches in Spokane, WA)
30 July - Rev. McGeown preaches while Rev. Bleyenberg takes services in the LRF (Pastor preaches in Edmonton and Lacombe, Alberta, Canada)
6 August - Rev. Bleyenberg preaches (Pastor preaches in Lynden, Washington)
13 August - Rev. Bleyenberg preaches, with tea after the evening service—Group A on the tea rota (Pastor preaches in Providence and Hudsonville in Michigan)
20 August - Rev. McGeown preaches (Pastor preaches in the LRF)

 

MISSION NEWS:

  • On July 2 Byron Center PRC voted to call Rev. A. Spriensma (her pastor) to serve as home missionary.
  • The Council of Doon PRC announces a new trio from which to call a missionary to serve as a third missionary to the Philippines: Rev. Allen Brummel (Heritage PRC in Sioux Falls, SD), Rev. Clay Spronk (Faith PRC in Jenison, MI), and Rev. Richard Smit (First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI). Doon plans to vote on Monday, July 24. *UPDATE: Rev. C. Spronk received this call from the congregation.
  • From the Provident Christian Church bulletin we find the following notes concerning our missionaries and their labors today and in this coming week:
    • Today Rev. D.Holstege will preach both times. Also, beginning next week, Rev. Holstege plans to start giving brief instruction on the articles of the Church Order (CO). The goal is to prepare PCC for organization as a Protestant Reformed Church. Rev. Kleyn and Sem. Kortus will worship with the Maranatha PRC today.

    • Rev. and Sharon Kleyn and Matt and Sarah Kortus traveled to Negros for the pastors classes in Sipalay this past Monday-Wednesday.

  • And from the bulletin of the Berean PRC in Antipolo City (where Rev. V. Ibe is pastor) we find these significant announcements:
    • The visit and fellowship of our pastor, Rev. Holstege and Seminarian Matt Kortus with the saints in Sitio Karugang, Gabaldon NE on Friday (July 21, 2017) went well. Rev. Ibe led the saints there in their study of the Essentials of Reformed doctrine on lesson #11.

    • The next 7M is scheduled on July 25, 2017 at Provident Christian Church in Provident Village at 9:30 A.M. Seminarian Matt Kortus is scheduled to give a speech on ‘Theistic Evolution,’ the Lord willing.

On Saturday (July 8), the men of the PRC Philippine's Delegation along with the Steering Committee members of the PRFA visited with the families and individuals of the PRFA at their homes.  Brother Eric Mescallado and Rev. Kleyn visited some of the families together and Rev. Flores and Seminarian Matt Kortus visited the other half of the fellowship.  The Kleyns' recently posted pictures and descriptions of this trip. Below are a couple of samples. Find more at the link provided.

Leyte July 2017 1
The PR Fellowship gathered for worship in Albuera, Leyte.

 Leyte July 2017 2
Sem. Matt Kortus with some of the members with whom he visited.

And Mrs. S. Lanning recently posted some pictures on her blog about the recent installlation of new officebearers in our sister church in Singapore, Covenant ERC. Below are a couple from that post.

officebearer installation 2017
The new officebearers in the CERC.

laying hands 2017
The laying on of hands on the newly installed officebearer.

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Last modified on 26 July 2017