PRC and Sister-Church News Highlights for November 1, 2020

The following are special highlights of PRC and sister-church news for this Sunday, November 1, 2020, the forty-fourth Lord's Day of this year.

• Today Cornerstone PRC (Dyer, IN) voted to extend a call to Rev. A. Spriensma (PRC home missionary). We pray that the Lord will show him plainly what His will is.
  
  
• Last Sunday (Oct.25) Rev. C. Spronk (Faith PRC) declined the call from Wingham PRC.
  
  
• Classical appointments and pulpit supply for today in the vacant PRCs: Prof. B.Huizinga and Rev. J.Maatman in Hudsonville PRC; Prof. R.Dykstra and Rev. J.Holstage in Kalamazoo PRC; Sem. J. Tan  and Rev. J.Smidstra in Providence PRC. What a blessing that our PRC federation gives such help to these churches! May we also bring to the throne of grace the needs of these vacant congregations, including Wingham PRC, which cannot have pulpit supply from the U.S. at this time (pandemic travel restrictions).
  
  
• These churches are holding Reformation Day lectures this week: Pittsburgh PRC and Randolph PRC. Below are the details:
  • Pittsburgh PRC: Reserve next week Friday, November 6 at 7 PM for our annual Reformation Day lecture. Rev. Bruinsma will speak on "A Reformed Perspective of John Wesley."
  • Randolph PRC:  On Friday, November 6, at 7:30 P.M., the Randolph PRC Evangelism Committee will be hosting another Reformation Day lecture. This year we will have Mr. Dan Van Uffelen, a church history teacher from Covenant Christian High School in Walker, Michigan, give a presentation on the Reformers’ rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of calling and vocation. What is a vocation? Who has a vocation? What is the purpose of a vocation? What are the implications for your life and for Christian education? Join us as we explore what the Bible proclaims, the Creeds affirm, and the Reformers teach about this grand, often neglected, truth; and be encouraged to "stand at your post" and "wear your mask"! Title of the Lecture: “Post Tenebras Lux: The Vocation Reformation.” Location: Randolph PRC, 229 Hammond St., Randolph.

• For those who may still be limited to house worship, whether completely or partially, we invite you to visit the PR churches page and follow the links to the websites where the churches' livestream may be found. Or you may visit the selected audio sermon page and listen to one of your choice there.
  
  
• Did you know that:
  
  • the church visitors from Classis East and Classis West have been busy making their annual visits while they have the chance during this pandemic year? We thank the Lord for this important work on behalf of the churches and for her spiritual good. Now, can you name who these visitors are?
    
  • our seminary professors often make special presentations about the ministry and the need for ministers (including visuals, PowerPoint, etc.) in the PRCs and Christian schools when they go on lectures in various places throughout the country? This is just one more way to make our members (and especially our boys and young men) aware of the urgent need for pastors and missionaries to the bring the gospel to our churches and to the world.

PRC DENOMINATIONAL NEWS:

• 2020 edition of the Church Order: The 2020 edition of the ring-bound Church Order book is now available and may be ordered through the PRC Seminary (616-531-1490). As per synodical decision, these books are updated every five years to incorporate new synodical decisions affecting them. In addition to the Church Order, this book also contains such things as the Constitutions of all synodical committees, the Rules of Synodical Procedure, the Explanation of the Rules for Protests/Appeals/Overtures and the denomination's Articles of Incorporation and By-laws. All these are of most practical use to the office bearers. But, all of our families would do well to cultivate a knowledge of and interest in Protestant Reformed church polity. If you already have the six-ring green binder, you need only order the new inserts ($4.00). The inserts with the binder with the 2020 edition is $10.00. Payment can be made to the PRCA after you receive your materials.
• If you are also interested in Prof. H. Hanko's "Notes on the Church Order" or his "The Believer's Manual for the Church Order," you may find these online on this site (follow the links) or order them in syllabus form from the PRC seminary.

Special PRC Seminary Notices:

• Seminary has now completed nine and a half weeks of its first semester. This past Thursday and Friday  (Oct.29,30) were the annual "reading recess," giving the students some extra time to work on their research papers and for the professors to gve some special Reformation Day lectures. Continue to remember the seminary in prayer as we wnter the final third of the semester.
  
• *Notice of Licensure: The faculty has licensed student Marcus Wee to speak a word of edification in our churches.  Brother Wee is a member of our sister church, Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church in Singapore.  We rejoice at this milestone in the brother’s preparation for the ministry of the gospel.  Any scheduling of him to lead worship services will be through the seminary faculty.  This also provides us with an opportunity to impress upon our churches and sister churches the great need that we have for students for the ministry.  Let us pray the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers in His vineyard, Matthew 9:37-38.  For the faculty, Prof. Ron Cammenga, Rector.
• The second round of practice preaching is scheduled for Nov.16 and 23. Pray for the students as they prepare for this vital part of their training.
• The Fall issue of the PRTS Journal is being planned and prepared. In the meantime the Spring issue may be found at the link provided, with plenty of good reading material in it.
• For the latest seminary news and information, visit the seminary's website.

SISTER-CHURCH/MISSIONS NEWS:

• Covenant ERC, Singapore: 
  • From today's "Pastoral Voice" in her bulletin: We are thankful once again that Prof Dykstra will continue to bring God’s word to us this morning. God is good to us. He continued to provide us the preaching of His word even from afar with the use of means that linked us to PRCA. This past week, we have been informed by Prof Cammenga that Seminarian Marcus has been granted a licensure to speak a word of edification in the PRCA. We rejoice in this good news that our seminarian is keeping up with his studies. May we continue to pray for him that God will sustain him and help him to cope with thestudies.
  • And concerning her missionary (Rev. E. Singh) and his work in Kolkata, India, the CERC bulletin today had this note: May we continue to pray for our brethren in Kolkata in the midst of the coronavirus situation over the land. May God keep them faithful and supply their daily needs and a church premise for their worship.
  • This week the October 2020 issue of "Reformed News Asia" was published (#62). Read that issue here.
  • A new issue of Salt Shakers magazine (for young people) is also out - read the October 2020 at this link.
• Covenant PRC, N. Ireland:
  • Rev. A. Stewart continues to minister the Word to the saints assembled in Ballymena.
  • Missionary-pastor M. McGeown reports that Ireland is once again under lockdown and online services only will be held for the near future. Because of the Level 5 lockdown in the Republic of Ireland, Rev McGeown's immigration appointment scheduled for November 6 has been cancelled. The US Consulate advised the McGeown’s that they will not be offering routine appointments during the lockdown.  The next available appointment is in March, 2021. We remember the McGeown’s, the remaining saints of the Limerick Reformed Fellowship, as well as Providence Protestant Reformed Church as they await the arrival of their next pastor.  
  • Be sure to read the latest issue of the "Covenant Reformed News" - October 2020 - just out this week!
• PRC in the Philippines:
  
  • With strict government limitations on public gatherings still in place due to the pandemic (Metro Manila and nearby provinces are now under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) through November 30), the PRCP pastors and the PRC missionaries carry on with livestreaming of services as well as with online catechism classes and Bible studies. Pray for them and the saints there as they continue to live and labor under these tight restrictions yet.
  • PRCP Seminary News: Let us continue to pray for our seminary instructors and students. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15). [Provident PRC bulletin]
  • The PRCP Classis met this past Saturday, October 31, at the Provident PRC Marikina City - via Zoom! It is also in recess and plans to resume on Nov.30.
    

Listen to the Reformed Witness Hour each Sunday - on a radio station near you or on Sermonaudio wherever you are!

• Rev. W. Bruinsma (Pittsburgh PRC) is delivering the messages on the program for the next four months (Oct.-Jan 2021). Today he continues a series on 1 Corinthians with a message titled "Hidden Wisdom Revealed" based on 1 Corinthians 2:7,8,10.
  
• Listen to the broadcast on the station near you, on your favorite podcast (Google Play, Spotify, and iTunes), or visit the links provided here to listen to this program.
• The Reformed Witness Hour publishes each month's messages in an attractive booklet. These printed sermons are a great blessing to many and are distributed all over the world, including to many prisoners in the U.S. If you or your Evangelism Commitee would like to receive these, let the RWHC know and they will add you to the mailing list (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
  

• Special notices for November: 

  The Reformed Witness Hour is pleased to announce that beginning last month (Oct.) we have added a new broadcast time on Wednesday evenings at 8PM on WFUR-FM 92.9/AM1570 (Grand Rapids, MI).  The RWH will also continue to broadcast at our normal time slot on Sundays at 4PM. We encourage you to listen if you are able, and to promote the broadcast to family and friends when you have the opportunity.
  

  The Reformed Witness Hour is pleased to announce that beginning last month (Oct.) we have added a new broadcast in the Kalamazoo area at 4PM each Sunday on WKPR-FM 105.1/AM1440. We encourage you to listen if you are able, and to promote the broadcast to family and friends.

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REFORMED RESOURCES FOR EDIFICATION, EDUCATION, and EVANGELISM:

Are you a subscriber to the Standard Bearer? The latest issue (Nov.1, 2020) is a special issue on the French Reformation! For more information

• For sound, distinctively Reformed literature on a variety of subjects and for all ages - including Reformation titles!, visit the Reformed Free Publishing Association website or stop in at their Jenison (Michigan) location.
  
  
• Be sure to check out the Reformed Book Outlet in downtown Hudsonville, MI and online! As a reminder, their hours of business are currently Tuesday 10-1, Wednesday 1-5, and Saturday 10-1, or send your order to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• Are you seeking to learn more about the doctrines and practices of the PRC? Or, are you in need of some pamphlets and/or articles published by the PRC for use in evangelism and/or witnessing? Or are you simply interested in growing in your faith and walk with the Lord? Visit the Resources pages of this website and the PRCA Evangelism page for a complete list of materials available in digital format or by order from the publishing church.
  
  

This Week's Thought for Contemplation:

The Reformed Church has insisted that justification is by grace through faith and not by human works. Does this mean that our good works have no place in our salvation? The answer is, “No!” Sound Reformed theology insists on works that follow justification as a consequence and evidence of it. The same Spirit who assures us that we are justified also works our sanctification. Sanctification is, as you know, a part of the ‘ordo salutis’, the work of the Holy Spirit applying the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection to believers. There is also an unsound Protestant understanding that eliminates the necessity of works altogether.

Where do good works fit in our salvation?

God has prepared our good works. God has prepared them from before the foundation of the world in His eternal decree. He has prepared every one of our good works, not only in general, but definitely. He prepared good works for the whole church and for every individual believer. These good works manifest the complete glory of God in Christ. He not only prepared the good works, but He prepared us for the good works. (Each human author in the Bible was prepared by God for the writing of the Bible so that in their own style, background, and personality they could infallibly write God’s Word.) So each one of us as believers is being prepared by God for the work He has in mind for us. The purpose is that we should walk in good works. To walk in good works means that we live with our whole heart, soul mind, and strength according to the counsel of God for His glory and the benefit of others.

From Rev. A. Spriensma's meditation on Ephesians 2:10 this past week, "We Are His Workmanship!"