PRC Weekly Congregational, Denominational, and Sister-Church News - August 6, 2017 **(Updated)

On this first Lord's Day of August 2017 (August 6) we note the following news and information from PRC congregations, mission fields, and sister churches.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS:

• Candidate Justin Smidstra is considering the call from Southwest PRC (Grandville, MI), received July 16.
• On July 30 the congregation of First PRC in Holland, MI extended a call to Candidate J. Smidstra.
• Candidate Matt DeBoer is considering the call from Edgerton PRC, received on July 23.
• Candidate Joe Holstege is considering the call from Zion PRC, received on July 23.
• The Council of Immanuel PRC (Lacombe, AB) has a new trio consisting of Rev. E. Guichelaar and Candidates Matthew De Boer and Brian Feenstra. There will be a congregational meeting TODAY after the afternoon service. *UPDATE: The congregation voted to call Rev. E. Guichelaar (Randolph, WI PRC).
  

DENOMINATIONAL NEWS:

• The 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 PRC Contact Committee has sent 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.

• *Update: If you would like to listen to the speeches given at the most recent EPC-PRC Conference, you may find them on the EPC homepage, or at the links below.

  • EPCA & PRCA Conference

    Lecture 1
    Genuine Church Unity - Prof. Russ Dykstra

    Lecture 2
    Singing Again the Songs of Zion - Rev. Mark Shand

    Lecture 3
    The Doctrine of the Church Visible and Invisible - Rev. David Higgs

    Lecture 4
    The Sweetness of the Heart - Rev. Joshua Engelsma

    Lecture 5
    Church and State in the Scottish Reformation - Rev. David Torlach

    Lecture 6
    The Reformation's Response to the Radical Reformation - Prof. Russ Dykstra

SISTER-CHURCH NEWS  - This bulletin information from Covenant PRC in Ballymena, N. Ireland pertains to her pastor's current furlough in the U.S.:

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 30 Rev. A. Spriensma ACCEPTED Byron Center PRC's call to serve as home missionary. We thank the Lord for providing us a home missionary once again and we pray for pastor Spriensma and Byron Center PRC as they transition to this new position.
  
• On July 24 Doon PRC voted to extend a call to Rev. C. Spronk to serve as a third missionary to the Philippines.
  
• From the bulletin of Provident Christian Church in Marikina, the Philippines we find the following notes concerning our missionaries and their labors today and in this coming week:
  

  • Rev. Holstege will preach both times today. The first service will be at 9:00, Church Order at 10:15, merienda at 10:45, and second service at 11:00.

  • Next Sunday, August 13, Sem. Matt Kortus will lead both of our worship services, Lord willing. He and his wife Sarah are in the Berean PRC today. They plan to return to the USA on Monday, August 21.

  • Rev and Leah invite you all to church Wednesday night at 6:30 for a fellowship meal which they will provide. Afterward at 7:30, we will have our Bible study of the Canons of Dordt, Heads III/IV, Articles 16-17.

  • The Kleyns arrived safely in California last week and Rev. Kleyn gave a presentation on our Philippine mission work. They are now in Michigan where Rev. Kleyn will give another presentation, a speech to the young people, and some preaching. They plan to return to the Philippines on Tuesday, August 29.

The Kleyns' recently posted pictures and descriptions of the summer mission internship of Seminarian Matt Kortus. Below are a couple of samples. Find more at the link provided.

Participating in the 7M meeting

Leading the worship service at Provident CC, Marikina

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