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Covenant Reformed News - January 2024
- Published in Covenant PRC Ballymena, Northern Ireland
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Today, January 14, is the second Lord's Day of this new year of our Lord 2024. Below you will find special highlights of PRC and sister-church news. It is our hope that these reports not only inform you but also give you opportunity to pray for the needs of these churches and mission fields throughout the world.
If you are new to this website and the PRCA, we invite you to join us in worship today or on any of the Sunday's of this year at one of our local congregations near you, or listen online.
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. ..Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. ...Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. ~ Psalm 122:1-4,6,9
Classical appointments and pulpit supply for today in the vacant PRCs: Prof. C. Griess and Rev. C. Haak in Georgetown PRC; Rev. J. Engelsma (2nd week) in Hope PRC-Redlands; Prof. B. Huizinga and Rev. E. Guichelaar in Hudsonville PRC; Rev. M. DeBoer (2nd week) in Loveland PRC; Rev. S. Regnerus (2nd week) led in Lynden PRC; Rev. W. Bruinsma (emeritus) in Pittsburgh PRC. May we count it a blessing of our church federation that we can help one another in these needs. Let us remember to pray for the men who supply these pulpits and for the vacant congregations. And may we continue to pray for men to hear the call to serve as pastors and missionaries!
Special Congregational/Evangelism Notices:
See FMC note below about a delegation to San Luis Potosi, Mexico this week
PRC DENOMINATIONAL NEWS
Prof. R. Dykstra teaching his 2024 Interim course this past week at PRTS.
PRC Seminary Notices:
Listen to the Reformed Witness Hour each Sunday - on a radio station near you, on Sermonaudio, or on your favorite podcast - wherever you are!
What do the Protestant Reformed Churches believe and practice? What makes her distinctive in the world of Christian and Reformed denominations? Read and study this resource to learn more about her.
"The text [Rev.21:3-5] has something about that blessed new estate: God will dwell with them. You are very particular whom you invite into the intimate circle of your family. Not just anyone occupies a chair in the parlor, the sitting room, the front room.
"So is God particular. He does not invite just anyone. He invites only His own whom He saw in the palms of His hands from all eternity. And their image in that palm was beautiful.
"And God works with and in His people, until they are as beautiful as His Christ whose image is in the very center of that palm of God. We call that process, that operation: sanctification.
"And that process begins on earth.
"The beauty of the Godhead is given when you are born anew. It is brought to your consciousness in conversion.
"He even gives us a place where we may practice how to behave in the House of God in heaven.
"And that place is the church on the Sabbath.
"It is a bad sign when they must drag you to church. Then you have not tasted that the Lord is gracious. Church is the most beautiful thing on earth. It is the anticipation of God's tabernacle in the New World."
~ Taken from the Standard Bearer meditation "A Year of Eternal Beauty" by Gerrit Vos
News from the Reformed Witness Hour
January 2024
Help Us Get the Word Out!
This month we have four Christ-centered, gospel-themed messages to share!
In January we will complete Rev. W. Bruinsma’s series and begin a new series on the 10 commandments by a new radio pastor, Professor Douglas Kuiper of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary.
January 7, 2024
The Lord Revealed from Heaven
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
January 14, 2024
Ehud: Deliverer of the Covenant
Judges 3:12-30
January 21, 2024
Learning Contentment
Philippians 4:11
January 28 - Prof. D. Kuiper
An Overview of the Law
Matthew 5:17-20
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The delegates of the nineteen churches of Classis East of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America met at Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, MI on January 10, 2024. Rev. David Noorman (Southwest PRC), chairman of the September 2023 meeting, led opening devotions by reading 1Thessalonians 5 and opening with prayer. After all of the delegates were seated, Rev. Justin Smidstra (First PRC of Holland, MI) presided as chairman for the rest of the meeting.
Morning Session
After Rev. Smidstra assumed the chair, three elders, who served for the first time at classis, signed the Formula of Subscription. The transcription of the minutes of the September 23, 2023 meeting was approved. The questions of Article 41 of the Church Order were asked and answered. Approval was given to the work of the Stated Clerk, the Classical Committee, and the Church Visitors after they read their reports.
In closed session classis treated a request from a consistory for advice regarding the discipline of a baptized member of their congregation. Classis advised the consistory to erase the baptized member who, not heeding the repeated admonitions of the elders, continues walking in sin.
The chairman appointed five committees of pre-advice and then declared that classis was in recess so that the committees could get to work.
The Hope kitchen committee provided lunch for the delegates.
Afternoon Session
Elder Brad Dykstra (Unity PRC) began the afternoon session by reading Psalm 25:1-5 and opening with prayer.
Now we need to introduce committee one. The chairman appointed Rev. Noorman (Southwest), Rev. J. Holstege (First, Grand Rapids), Rev. Maatman (Southeast) and elders Jon Lubbers (Byron Center), Murray Geertsma (Wingham), and Josh Hoekstra (Hudsonville) to the committee. He tasked the committee with preparing advice in response to seven protests. To read these protests login to the bulletin page on prca.org and open the Classis East file.
The first task of the committee was to provide classis with advice on whether the protests were legally before classis. The committee recommended that classis declare the protests legal. Classis approved the recommendation of the committee. One part of one of the protests regarding how the Stated Clerk made decisions public after the September 2023 meeting was declared not legal. If the protests were declared illegal, committee one’s work would have been concluded. However, since classis declared the protests legal, committee one’s mandate is to provide classis with advice on around 200 pages of material appearing in the agenda!
Before breaking so that committee one could get to work, classis treated advice from committee two regarding an appeal. Serving classis on committee 2 were the Revs. Lee (Kalamazoo), McGeown (Providence), and Decker (Grandville), and Elders Pete VanderSchaaf (Faith), Titus Mahtani (Pittsburgh), and Don Kuiper (Southeast). Committee two was tasked with providing classis with advice regarding a sexual abuse case. Deliberations on the appeal took place in closed session. The appeal asked classis to judge that a consistory erred in judging that the sins of sexual abuse committed in this case were private. The appeal asked that classis judge that the sins “are a public matter.” Committee two recommended that the appeal be declared legal, and classis adopted the recommendation. Therefore, committee two, along with committee one, had more work to do in preparing advice on whether or not classis should sustain the appeal.
Revs. Langerak (Trinity) and Daniel Holstege (Wingham) and Elders Ed Tolsma (Pittsburgh) and Mark Vanden Berg (First, Holland) were appointed to committee three. They were tasked with proposing a schedule appointing the ministers of Classis East to preach for the vacant congregations in the classis—Georgetown, Hudsonville, and Pittsburgh. Classis adopted the schedule they presented and then recessed the rest of the afternoon so the committees could continue to work.
The Hope kitchen committee provided supper for the delegates.
Evening Session
Elder Randy Dykstra (Zion) opened the evening session with prayer.
Committee two recommended that classis sustain the appeal which asked classis to judge that the sins of sexual abuse that were reported “are a public matter.” Classis made a significant decision, that took into account previous decisions of Classis East and West, judging that “the nature of the sin” makes it necessary for “the name of the abuser and the sin” to “be made public to the congregation.” This decision reminds us to pray for victims and survivors of sexual abuse—may they be properly cared for by the church of Jesus Christ; for abusers to be stopped in their way of sin and called to broken-hearted repentance; and for consistories that God grant them His wisdom and strength in responding to abuse.
Committee four was tasked with providing advice on the subsidy requests of needy churches. Revs. Eriks (Unity) and Mahtani (Hope, Walker) and Elders Randy Dykstra (Zion) and Dowie VanderShcaaf (Providence) served on committee four. Classis approved subsidy for Kalamazoo in the amount of $50,000, Pittsburgh in the amount of $37,200 (without a pastor) and $89,700 (with a pastor), and Providence in the amount of $51,000 for 2025. These
decisions will be forwarded to Synod 2024 for its approval.
Election Results
Synodical Delegates for Synod 2024: Primi elders: Rick Gritters (Trinity), Josh Hoekstra (Hudsonville), Steve Kuiper (Southwest), Jon Lubbers (Byron Center), John VanBaren (Hudsonville). Secundi elders: Brad Bruinsma (Grandville), Terry Dykstra (Trinity), Ken Engelsma (Hope), Dave Langerak (Byron Center), Dave Rau (Southwest). Primi Ministers: Revs. Decker, Eriks, Langerak, Mahtani, Spronk. Secundi Ministers: Prof. Dykstra, Revs. D. Holstege, Lee, Noorman, Smidstra.
Synodical Deputies from the east (three-year term): Primi: Rev. Lee; Secundi: Rev. McGeown.
Classical Committee (three-year term): Rev. Lee
Church Visitors for 2024: Prof. Dykstra and Rev. Eriks with the alternates of Revs. Decker, Langerak, and Mahtani.
Recess
Committee one recommended that classis recess until 8:00am on February 8, 2024 so that it could have more time to formulate advice in response to the seven protests. Classis adopted the recommendation, and Rev. Smidstra closed the meeting with prayer. May God be with the members of committee one as they work on advice to present on February 8.
Rev. Clayton Spronk
Stated Clerk, Classis East
Note: For a pdf of this report, use this link.
Today, January 7, is the first Lord's Day of this new year of our Lord 2024. Below you will find special highlights of PRC and sister-church news. It is our hope that these reports not only inform you but also give you opportunity to pray for the needs of these churches and mission fields throughout the world.
If you are new to this website and the PRCA, we invite you to join us in worship today or on any of the Sunday's of this year at one of our local congregations near you, or listen online.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. ~ Psalm 121:1-5
Classical appointments and pulpit supply for today in the vacant PRCs: Prof. C. Griess and Rev. W. Langerak in Georgetown PRC; Rev. J. Engelsma (1st week) in Hope PRC-Redlands; Prof. B. Huizinga and Prof. C. Griess in Hudsonville PRC; Rev. M. DeBoer (1st week) in Loveland PRC; Rev. S. Regnerus (1st week) led in Lynden PRC. May we count it a blessing of our church federation that we can help one another in these needs. Let us remember to pray for the men who supply these pulpits and for the vacant congregations. And may we continue to pray for men to hear the call to serve as pastors and missionaries!
Special Congregational/Evangelism Notices:
PRC DENOMINATIONAL NEWS
PRC Seminary Notices:
Listen to the Reformed Witness Hour each Sunday - on a radio station near you, on Sermonaudio, or on your favorite podcast - wherever you are!
What do the Protestant Reformed Churches believe and practice? What makes her distinctive in the world of Christian and Reformed denominations? Read and study this resource to learn more about her.
"This God, Who is eternal and forever, is our God! He created us in Adam in the beginning and He recreated us in Christ Jesus, redeeming us from our sin and delivering us from our death. God made us living members of the church, chosen in Christ to life and glory, and gathered by the Son of God out of the whole human race by His Word and Spirit.
"This God is our God! He established His covenant of friendship and fellowship with us and our children. God maintains and realizes that covenant! This God causes all to work for our good and salvation. And this God, our God, does all, of this according to His counsel and by the power of His sovereign, particular grace!
"This eternal God will be our guide even unto death. The text, correctly translated, reads, "He will shepherd us." This means God will nourish and feed us. No man does this. Our eternal God does this by His grace and Holy Spirit through those whom He calls. God does this chiefly by means of the preaching of His inspired, infallible Word and by the use of the sacraments. That God shepherds us means as well that He rules us by His grace so that we willingly serve Him in love. God protects us from all our enemies, preserves and sustains us through every trial, every suffering, and through all of our sorrows. God gives us grace sufficient for our every need and guides us every step along our way, the way which He in His wisdom and love has determined for each of us.
"Our eternal God will shepherd us even unto death. This means simply that from the moment of our birth to the moment of our death God will shepherd us. He never leaves or forsakes us, not for a split second. God cares for us to the very end.
"And because this is true, nothing can be against us, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. All things are for us!"
~ Taken from the Standard Bearer article "The Eternal God: Our Guide" by Robert D. Decker
Today, December 31, the fifty-second Lord's Day of 2023, we stand at the end of this year of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are reminded of the changing and fleeting nature of our lives here in this world, but also of the unchanging and enduring nature of our sovereign God. In faithfulness once more He has led us, cared for us, and guided us closer to our eternal home. May we trust Him and walk with Him as we embark on a new year tomorrow.
Below you will find special highlights of PRC and sister-church news. It is our hope that these reports not only inform you but also give you opportunity to pray for the needs of these churches and mission fields throughout the world.
If you are new to this website and the PRCA, we invite you to join us in worship today or on any of the Sunday's of this year at one of our local congregations near you, or listen online.
New Year's Day Services will be held in the PRC congregations Monday morning, January 1. You are cordially invited to join us in worship of our faithful God and Father, bringing Him our gifts of thanks and praise for His true and fulfilling covenant promises.
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. ...The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. ~ Psalm 90:1-2; 10-12
New Officebearer Resources: As many new officebearers are installed in this time of the year, we make you aware of a special resource page for elders and deacons (and pastors) on the PRC website. Here you will find sermons, elder and deacon seminar speeches, and recommended books and seminary syllabi on subjects related to your work.
Classical appointments and pulpit supply for today in the vacant PRCs: Prof. C. Griess and Rev. G. Eriks in Georgetown PRC; Prof. B. Huizinga (2nd week plus New Year's) in Hope PRC-Redlands; Sem. A. Van Dyke and Rev. D. Noorman in Hudsonville PRC; Rev. S. Key (and New Year's) in Loveland PRC; Elder led in Lynden PRC. May we count it a blessing of our church federation that we can help one another in these needs. Let us remember to pray for the men who supply these pulpits and for the vacant congregations. And may we continue to pray for men to hear the call to serve as pastors and missionaries!
Special Congregational/Evangelism Notices:
PRC DENOMINATIONAL NEWS
PRC Seminary under the last full moon of 2023 this past week
PRC Seminary Notices:
Listen to the Reformed Witness Hour each Sunday - on a radio station near you, on Sermonaudio, or on your favorite podcast - wherever you are!
Facing trials and afflictions at present? Do you have fears facing the new year? Read this resource for peace and comfort and hope in Jesus Christ!
"And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." ~ Gen.47:8,9
How old are you?
Embarrassing question, you say!
Perhaps it is for some! Maybe you prefer not to answer it!
But such a question can prove to be very salutary! Especially is this so when one considers it wisely. It suggests, among other things, the fleetness of life; and it calls for retrospection, the careful taking of inventory of one's life.
Such was the question wherewith Pharaoh, king of Egypt, confronted Jacob. This third of a triumvirate of saints had lately come to Egypt at the invitation of his son Joseph, whom God had exalted so highly that he sat next to Pharaoh. And at the behest of Joseph, Jacob is brought before the monarch who is greeted by the venerable old saint with the salutation such dignitaries deserve; and where the grey-haired old gentleman is immediately asked the question: How old art thou?
That question evoked not only the answer as to the number of the years the saint had lived; but it caused all the years to pass in retrospect before his consciousness, so that he could properly assess them!
As this year draws to its close, another year of our lives is ended. Not only has the plan of God for the history of the world reached another milepost in its approach to its culmination, a fact in itself serious enough for earnest consideration. For though a thousand years with God are as one day, and vice versa, we know that the world's history is reckoned by years. Each successive year brings that history to its consummation. And from that point of view the end of this year is indicative of the fact that God is realizing His counsel for the ages. But our lives also have made an approach to their end! The foolish, of course, will fail to take this into consideration. He thinks he shall live forever. And with eating and drinking, with merrymaking, the blowing of whistles and the ringing of bells, he will attempt to drown out the thought concerning the fastly approaching end. But the saint, the child of God, will very seriously consider the passing of his years! Not so much to complain of their rapid passing, but to consider his calling as it must be fitted into a space of life which compared with that of others may appear to be very short, but which when considered in the line of duty may recall the trials and the testings, the joys and the evils to be experienced as one treads out the path on which his pilgrimage takes him!
~ Taken from a Standard Bearer Meditation by Rev. M. Schipper, "A Saint Recounting His Life"
Classis East
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Classis West
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