This week Wednesday, January 15, a delegation from Doon’s council and the Foreign Mission Committee will be traveling to the Philippines for nearly two weeks to encourage our missionaries and their families (Revs.D.Kleyn and R.Smit) and evaluate the work there.

Elder Eugene Van Den Top will be the Doon representative and Ron Brands from Edgerton will represent the FMC.

We pray for traveling mercies and for God's rich blessing on their work while there.

Note: We have received word of the delegates' safe arrival. For information and pictures on the delegation's visit, follow the Kleyn's blog.

In her bulletin Doon PRC also carried this note of interest from Missionary D.Kleyn:

"We recently added a new page to our audio and literature website (called “Current News”). Here is the website that should take you to the page where you will be able to click on (“Current News”) tab near the top."

For example, here is what is posted for this month:

January 2014 Schedule

Pastor Vernon Ibe and his wife Melody have published their latest family and church family newsletter. In it they bring us up to date on their personal family life as well as on their life serving in the Berean PRC in Manila, the Philippines. You will learn much about their life and labors from this newsletter. It is included here in image form as well as attached in pdf form.

On Sunday, December 29, Rev.W.Bruinsma, missionary-pastor laboring in the Pittsburgh PR Fellowship, declined the call extended to him from Doon PRC on December 8, 2013.

Classis East met on Wednesday, January 8, 2014, in Southeast PRC in Grand Rapids.  The following is the Stated Clerk's public report of this meeting. It is also attached here in pdf form (see below). May the King of His Church bless these decisions for the good of the churches.

Report of Classis East

January 8, 2014

Southeast Protestant Reformed Church

Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at the Southeast PRC.  The churches, with the exception of Wingham, were represented by two delegates.  The Wingham delegation was unable to attend because of the weather.

Classis did the usual January duty of elections.  The following were elected to serve as delegates to Synod 2014:  Ministers: Primi:  G. Eriks, C. Haak, K. Koole,

W. Langerak, R. VanOverloop; Secundi: N. Decker, A denHartog, M. DeVries,

J. Slopsema, A. Spriensma.  Elders: Primi: J. Decker, N. Kleyn, H. Langerak,

G. VanBaren, P. VanDerSchaaf; Secundi: D. DeMeester, R. Drnek, R. Faber,

M. Ophoff, D. Rau. 

In other voting, Rev. R. VanOverloop and Rev. D. Holstege were elected as delegates ad examina to three-year terms as primus and secundus delegates respectively. Revs. K. Koole and A. Spriensma were elected as church visitors with Revs. Haak and VanOverloop as alternates.  Rev. H. Bleyenberg was elected to serve a three-year term on the Classical Committee.  The Stated Clerk and Assistant Stated Clerk were appointed to another three-year term.

Classis heard an appeal from a brother about the change of date of the Prayer Day Service by a consistory.  Classis referred this matter back to the committee of pre-advice with the instruction to do further research on and to establish relevancy for the past rulings of broader assemblies on this issue.

In other business, classis heard the report of the church visitors.  The visitors reported that the consistories were doing diligent work and that there was peace and unity among the churches.  Classis granted classical appointments to Faith PRC.  The 2015 subsidy requests from Wingham PRC and Kalamazoo PRC were approved and will be forwarded to Synod 2014 for approval there.

Classis received a request from Rev. James Slopsema for his emeritation effective July 1, 2014.  First PRC concurred with this request.  Classis expressed its heartfelt thanks for Rev. Slopsema who has served as a capable and dedicated undersheperd in our churches for 39 years, 27 of which have been in Classis East.   

The expenses of classis amounted to $147.49.  Classis will meet next on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at the Trinity PRC.

Respectfully submitted,

Jon J. Huisken

Stated Clerk

Once again the Seminary is inviting those who are interested to attend selected classes this coming school year. 

Prof. R.Dykstra is inviting auditors to Church History, a class in which he will teach about Ancient Church History; Reformed Confessions, concentrating on the Heidelberg Catechism and Belgic Confession; and History of Dogma. 

Prof. R.Cammenga is inviting auditors to Reformed Dogmatics, which will begin with Eschatology, the study of the last things, and New Testament History, a class in which he treats New Testament History from the Passion of Christ through the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. 

If you are interested in attending any or all of these classes, please call the Seminary at 616-531-1490 to find what times they meet (or check the Seminary website for the class schedule) and to “register” for the class(es).  Classes begin on Tuesday, January 21.

Missionary-pastor Wilbur Bruinsma will again be the speaker on the Reformed Witness Hour radio program for January 2014. The flyer with the planned messages for the four Sundays in January may be found below. You may also find it attached here in pdf form.

To see the recently completed December 2013 messages of Rev.Bruinsma in print, visit this page.

The Reformed Book Outlet, a Reformed-Christian bookstore located in Hudsonville, MI and operated by some Bible societies of Hudsonville PRC, has published their first newsletter of the new year. You are encouraged to make use of this valuable resource to build your own library as well as for gifts for others.

Besides good books and music, the RBO also stocks Bibles, pamphlets, and greeting cards. The full newsletter is published here. You will also find it attached in pdf form.

The initial issue of "Reformed News Asia" has been released by the Christian Literature Ministry of our sister church in Singapore, the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church , and it is filled with good things!

For one thing, this issue includes the first set of devotions on the Belgic Confession by various PRCA ministers, covering Articles 1-6. Written by Prof.H.Hanko, Rev.A.Brummel, Rev.A.den Hartog, and Rev.J.Kortering these devotions on the BC begin with January 1, 2014 and go through the beginning of February. They cover such doctrines as God and His attributes, the two books by which we know God (creation and the Bible), and the written Word of God. You will find great spiritual profit in these devotions.

In addition to this noteworthy item, the newsletter also contains information about the CLM's pamphlet and book ministries and about activities going on in the CERC.

To receive your own digital copy of this newsletter and those to come, visit the Christian Literature Ministry page at the CERCS ' website and click on the subscribe button. There you will also find a downloadable digital copy of these devotions.