Redeemer Canadian Reformed Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Transcription

Clarion
THE CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE
VOLUME
49, NO. 15/16
JULY 28, 2000
Redeemer
Canadian Reformed Church
in Winnipeg, Manitoba
EDITORIAL
By N.H. Gootjes
Christian lifestyle
Not a new question
The question how Christians should live is not new. It
has always been a concern in the church. Problems concerning Christian lifestyle have always been discussed,
and have often led to conflicts. I vividly remember a debate about this between my high school friend and his father. On a Sunday, we were staying at his place but we
thought we needed something at my house. Since I lived
in another part of town, we wanted to bike over to my
house to pick it up. His father, an honest and God-fearing
man, did not want us to take the bike. When we asked what
was wrong with that, his father said that going out on a
bike on a Sunday was not in accordance with a Christian
lifestyle. Everyone else uses the Sunday to enjoy a bike ride,
but Christians should be different. My
friend was frustrated and shot back:
“We should go to church on wooden
shoes, for everyone wears normal
shoes!”
He should not have said this, of
course. However, it was a perceptive
remark. It uncovered unerringly the
weak point in his father’s argument. His
father’s view was old-fashioned rather
than specifically Christian. As far as Sundays were concerned, he clung to olden
times when bikes did not exist and everyone had to walk to church. He acted as if staying with old
customs is the safe way to live, and as if a Christian lifestyle
is characterized by living in the past.
his providence, He allows people to discover how to harness
these powers and put them to good use. The God of creation
is also the God of providence who opens these possibilities
in the world for his creatures to use. It is true, not every invention means progress, and there are developments which
Christians have to reject. But the future of Christians is not
simply to hang on to the past. God’s people live in the present, and must develop a Christian lifestyle in the world
they live in.
Christians do the same things
In many respects, the life of Christians looks very similar to that of their neighbours. They live in the world of the
twenty-first century and show that. To give an example, the
clothes they wear are basically not different from those
everyone else wears. When everyone
else wears blue jeans, Christians have
them too. And when fashion shifts to
cargo pants, you notice Christians shifting to these pants with useless pockets
on the side of the legs. In crowds, as
one might see them at Niagara Falls,
Mennonites can easily be distinguished
by their dress, but most Christians do
not stand out in the crowd by the way
they dress.
That applies to other aspects of
life as well. We Christians eat much
the same food everyone else eats. To summarize it simply, we eat pizza, pasta, potatoes and buns. That is remarkable when we consider, for instance, that this was
not the traditional food of Dutch people. Potatoes and
bread were staples in the Netherlands. But when the immigrants came here, the importance of bread diminished
and Italian food was added to the diet. They even began
to eat corn which went against the grain of Dutch people.
“A Christian
lifestyle is not
an old-fashioned
lifestyle.”
Mennonite and Hutterite solution
That is the solution of certain Mennonite and Hutterite
groups. Such a group often had a founder, who lived 200
or 300 years ago, and who instituted the rules for the community at that time. Those rules are still maintained today.
They wear the clothes of a past period. Their means of
transportation is horse and buggy, not because the Bible says
so but because that was acceptable when the community
was organized. They often work with old-fashioned agricultural methods instead of modern machinery. Actually,
some do not use machinery at all, for they are not hooked up
to electricity. They acted as if God had permanently bound
his church to a certain period in the past, and as if He is not
God of today.
In fact, however, God is the one who governs history. He
allows the people on earth to discover the powers which
He himself made available when He created the world. In
334
Corn
When my grandmother visited Canada for the first time,
she complained when corn on the cob was put on the
table. She did not want to eat chicken feed, because that is
what corn was used for in the Netherlands. The Dutch immigrants, however, adapted to their new country with respect to the food they ate. In a similar way, Korean Christians
eat a meal of rice and side-dishes, just as everyone else
does in Korea. The kind of food that Christians eat is dependent on the agriculture of their country and the customs of
the general population. Christians are not distinguished from
others by what they eat.
CLARION, JULY 28, 2000
Published biweekly by Premier Printing Ltd.,Winnipeg, MB
We can also mention the means of transportation. There
is no reason why Christians should restrict themselves to the
means of transportation mentioned in Scripture: horseback
riding, driving carriages or sailing. Since that time, engines
have been discovered and developed, and great distances
can be covered in relatively short time by steamers, trains
and air planes. The most convenient and popular way of
transportation is by car which has totally changed the way
we deal with distances. The freedom with which we can
move around is truly astonishing. We think nothing of
paying a visit to someone who is living a hundred kilometres away, because that distance can easily be bridged.
What’s inside?
Dr. J. de Jong and Rev. W. den Hollander report
on their recent visit to the Synod of the Free Reformed Churches in North America. Added to this is
a short speech of Dr. J. de Jong which he delivered at
this Synod. This should give our church members
some valuable insight into what lives within the FRC.
The next Clarion should have two reports in connection with meetings between our respective churches.
Dr. N. H. Gootjes presents an editorial on Christian lifestyle where he addresses a long-standing debate: are traditional manners of dress, transportation, food, etc., necessarily and inherently better than
current ones? This article will get you thinking.
In this issue we receive the second part of a series
of articles by Dr. C. Trimp. He makes clear that regeneration does not mean that we have “arrived” in
our lives as Christians. It means we have only started.
One of the great challenges of living as God’s regenerated children is not compromising what He demands of us in his Word.
The matter of church boundaries is a discussion
from time to time among our churches. Dr. J. de Jong
reviews an editorial from Una Sancta on this subject
and presents his own analysis.
The meditation is by Rev. R. Eikelboom. He writes
about what it really means to address God as our Father. This issue also contains the column, “Ray of Sunshine.” We are informed of several forthcoming
birthdays of some special people in our churches.
RA
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:
Editor: J. Visscher
Managing Editor: R. Aasman
Coeditors: J. De Jong, N.H. Gootjes, Cl. Stam
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IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial – Christian lifestyle — N.H. Gootjes ..............334
Treasures, New and Old – When you pray, say:
“Father” — R. Eikelboom ............................................337
Regeneration and degeneration — C. Trimp ................338
Synod of the Free Reformed Churches
– Hamilton, May 23-26, 2000 ....................................340
A word of greeting to the Free Reformed Churches
of North America — J. De Jong ..................................341
Press Release ................................................................342
Ray of Sunshine — Mrs. Corinne Gelms and
Mrs. Erna Nordeman ..................................................343
Press Review – Borderlines . . . Yes or No?
— J. De Jong ..............................................................344
Official opening ceremonies of Redeemer church building
in Winnipeg — Impressions from Allard Gunnink ........346
Our Little Magazine – Aunt Betty ..................................348
335
The possibilities for such inventions have been created
by God because they all make use of some aspect of creation. And these inventions were made under the providence of God who allowed them to be discovered. We
may thank God that He made these technological developments possible, and use them without feeling guilty. Riding
a horse and buggy may be fun, but this does not distinguish
Christian lifestyle from the way other people live. A Christian lifestyle is not an old-fashioned lifestyle.
can live in any country and eat any kind of food. At the same
time, they have to show their Christianity even in what they
eat. Paul mentions among the acts of the sinful nature such
things as drunkenness and orgies, and adds that those who
live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:21).
One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (Gal 5:22). A
Christian can eat any kind of food, but he does not get drunk,
nor is he a glutton. Orgies, as they occurred in Rome, are out
of bounds for Christians.
Christians are different
Transportation
This does not mean that a Christian lifestyle does not
exist. God, in his Word, addresses us on every aspect of our
lives. A Christian should follow that. Let us look at the same
examples again.
Clothing
To begin with clothing, God himself gave the first clothes
to Adam and Eve. After they had sinned, they discovered that
they were naked. They were naked before, of course, but
then it did not bother them. Now they felt a certain shame
that had not been there before. That was the reason why
God provided them with clothes. This is no longer the only
purpose of clothing. It also serves as protection from the cold
and the sun. It even serves for adornment of the human
body. But the most fundamental function of clothing in a sinful world is still to cover human nakedness from prying
glances. This is also emphasized by Paul, when he writes:
“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and
propriety” (1 Tim 2:9).
Paul does not prescribe a certain style of clothing. He
does not tell us to wear the kind of toga the Greek wore or
the tunics which the Romans wore. The outer garment Peter put on to meet the Lord (John 21:7) is not described to
us so we can imitate it. Christians can wear the kind of clothing that is fashionable in their own country and their own
time. But it should be appropriate clothing, not provocative
or indecent.
Food
Christians eat the same things the people around them
eat, whether it is Dutch, Italian, or Korean cuisine. Christians
Christians need not limit themselves to the kinds of
transportation which the Lord Jesus and Paul used: by foot
and by boat. They are free to use cars. We may be thankful
for the technological advances which have made it much
easier to travel and visit people. But they should be used in
a Christian way, namely, according to government regulations. Paul wrote about the government in Romans 13. One
thing he said was: “It is necessary to submit to the authorities,
not only because of possible punishment but also because
of conscience.” In regards to driving, speeding is not just
wrong because we might end up with a ticket. It is wrong
because of conscience’s sake – because the government is
God’s servant. There are no specific Christian means of transportation. It is the way in which we drive a car that should
show we are Christians.
Christian lifestyle has always been different from that
of other people. This was already clearly expressed in a
letter written more than 1800 years ago. The quote from
this letter will be added to this article.1 There is much pressure on Christians to give up their lifestyle, but it is important to maintain it. A Christian lifestyle glorifies God,
and it is the first way in which Christians can show to their
neighbours that the gospel of salvation is a positive force.
1
Epistle to Diognetus, ch. 5. I quote the translation by M. Staniforth,
Early Christian Writings (Penguin Books: Hammondsworth, repr.
1975) 176; see on the subject of Christian lifestyle, J. Douma,
Christian Morals and Ethics (tr. J.P. Elliot and A. Pol; Winnipeg:
Premier Printing, 1983) ch. 6.
The difference between Christians and the rest of mankind is not a matter of nationality, or language, or customs. Christians do not live apart in separate cities of their own, speak any special dialect, nor practice any
eccentric way of life. The doctrine they profess is not the invention of busy human minds and brains, nor are
they, like some, adherents of this or that school of human thought. They pass their lives in whatever township
– Greek or foreign – each man’s lot has determined; and conform to ordinary local usage in their clothing, diet,
and other habits. Nevertheless, the organization of their community does exhibit some features that are remarkable, and even surprising. For instance, though they are residents at home in their own countries, their behaviour is more like that of transients; they take their full part as citizens, but they also submit to anything and
everything as if they were aliens. For them, any foreign country is a motherland, and any motherland is a foreign country. Like other men, they marry and beget children, though they do not expose their infants. Any
Christian is free to share his neighbour’s table, but never his marriage-bed. Though destiny has placed them
here in the flesh, they do not live after the flesh; their days are passed on the earth, but their citizenship is above
in the heavens. They obey the prescribed laws, but in their private lives they transcend the laws. They show
love to all men – and all men persecute them.
Epistle to Diognetus, 5.
336
REASURES, NEW AND OLD
T
MATTHEW 13:52
By R. Eikelboom
When you pray, say: “Father”
Luke 11:2
When my kids talk to me, they call
me “dad.” When my nephews speak to
me, they call me “uncle.” Most people,
though, call me “Reverend Eikelboom,”
although some call me “Richard.” And
yesterday, when I was walking across
the church parking lot, a toddler called
out to me, “Hi, minister!” So I have at
least five titles which different people
use. But this does not make me five different people. Instead, people use a different title depending on the relationship
that they have with me. And of course I
also treat people differently, depending
on the relationship that they have with
me. I’m sure that you all do the same.
In the Bible, many titles are used
to address God. In Genesis 2, He is
called L ORD . Melchizedek refers to
Him as “God most high” and David
refers to Him as “my Shepherd.” Isaiah speaks of Him as Israel’s Father
and Hosea depicts Him as the
church’s husband. The Psalmists also
use various titles to depict particular
relationships with God: He is “our
Shield” and “our Tower” and “the
Rock of our Salvation.”
When the Son of God teaches his
disciples to pray, He chooses for them
one of those many titles from the Old
Testament. He commands them to say,
“Father.” And the disciples who hear
this instruction do not think of three
thrones in heaven, with God the Father
sitting on one throne, and with God
the Son and God the Holy Spirit sitting
on separate thrones. Jesus does not
command them to say “Father” so that
by this title they might attract the attention of one specific person of the Triune
Godhead. Instead, Jesus wants his disciples to pray to God. And He commands them to say “Father” because He
wants to draw their attention to the relationship that they have with God!
He gave them life. He protects them
and provides for them. And therefore
they may ask Him for anything and trust
that He will look after them. After all,
that’s what a father is supposed to do.
Therefore, it seems as if we begin
our prayer with a confession of faith.
We address God as “Father” and with
this word we confess that we believe
in Him: that we trust Him to hear our
prayer and look after us. That’s what it
seems like. But the reality is that this
confession is often an empty word.
That is because we find it so difficult
to trust God. Our hidden sins make us
ashamed to pray. They make us doubt
whether God really will listen to people as bad as us! And we find it so difficult to bring all the struggles and difficulties that we face before God. We
bring them to God. We ask Him for a
solution. But we do not let go of them.
Instead we continue to worry about
them as if God doesn’t exist, and as if
it still depends on us to solve them. All
this belongs to the weakness of human
nature, and it hinders our prayers! But
the Son of God, who teaches his disciples to pray, shares our humanity.
Therefore, He understands all our
weaknesses, including the weakness
of our faith and our prayer-life. And
then, because He knows us and our
struggles so well, and because He truly
wants us to overcome these struggles,
He commands us to address God as
“Father!” Not as a triumphant profession of faith! Not as if we believe that
God is our Father, and as if we believe
that He will give us everything that we
need. But as a confession of sin and
weakness. In recognition of our unbelief! The catechism explains this so
very beautifully in Lord’s Day 46 where
it says that we address God as Father,
“To awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer that childlike reverence and trust toward God which
should be basic to our prayer.” We cry
“Father!”at the beginning of our prayer,
so that God might respond immediately by working in our hearts by his
Spirit and giving us faith! This means
that the first word of the Lord’s Prayer is
already the first petition: Father. That is:
You want us to pray believing that You
will provide for us and give us what
we need. But we find it so difficult to
believe this! And so: help our unbelief. Give us that childlike reverence
and trust toward You that should be basic to our prayer!
When we pray to God, we can address Him in various ways. And when
Jesus commands us to address God as
“Father” He does not forbid us to use
other titles. But the promise that God
will give us the faith that we need to
pray is connected specifically to the
word “Father.” So let us obey this command and experience his blessing in
one place where we surely need it: in
our prayer life.
R. Eikelboom is the minister of the
Canadian Reformed Church in Calgary, Alberta.
Clarion
COMBINED ISSUE
To give our editorial staff a summer breather
we have combined issue no. 15 and no. 16.
The next issue, no. 17, will appear in the middle of August.
Have a good and safe summer!
337
Regeneration and degeneration
By C. Trimp
In the previous issue we considered the fact that the church can fall
victim to the process of degeneration.
We did not focus so much on the
progress and the consequences, but
concentrated on the possible origin of
this deterioration. We looked at our
sinful nature, our attitude in reacting to
degeneration, our unwillingness to
bend our neck under the yoke of Christ,
and the lovelessness of our heart. All
of these, each on their own and all together, can obstruct God’s work of love
in our lives and community, or, expressing it in a biblical fashion: they
can hinder the “completion of love”
(see 1 John 2:5; 4:12, 17). The “church
visitation reports” of Christ Himself
quickly come to mind (Rev 2 and 3).
We would like to examine the same issue once more – this time with the Holy
Scripture’s words on regeneration (= rebirth) as the angle of approach.
Regeneration
The word “regeneration” indicates
the miracle of a new beginning. God
does not commit us to our origin, predisposition and heritage. He has destined us for a new life: life in a “new
obedience” to use the words of the
Form for Baptism.
In this context we clearly cannot
give a thorough and dogmatic account
on regeneration. In that case we would
at least have to define article 24 of the
Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort
III/IV, and Q&A 8, 43, 45, 64, 70, 73,
76, 86-91 and 114 of the Heidelberg
Catechism, including the scriptural
proof given with all these confessional
texts. We will limit ourselves, however,
to some biblical references.
“Regeneration” suggests that God
gives us a new beginning and a new
life. We become different people when
compared to the life we received at
birth. The necessity of this new beginning (the “being born of God,” John
1:12, 13) was clearly indicated by our
338
Lord Jesus Christ in his conversation
with Nicodemus (John 3:3-21).
It is remarkable that the Holy Scripture speaks not only of the necessity of
regeneration, but also readily speaks of
the reality of this new life (see 1 Peter
1:3, 18, 23 and Titus 3:5).
We are not told that we have “arrived” (as if we had achieved our goal)
when we receive regeneration, but God’s
Word declares to us that – as newborn
children – we’ve only just started.
Continuation
Regeneration, just as a natural birth,
asks for a continuation (1 Peter 1:13-17,
22; 2:1-3, 11,12). The continuation is
growing toward and striving for the
“completion,” the spiritual matureness.
Slackening, however, constitutes a serious illness which hinders our wholesome growth (Heb 5:12-14; 6:1-3, 11,
12). The risks of such a relapse are not
trivial according to Heb 6:6-8. When
the process of the new life’s continuation is inhibited, a new process will start
in our heart and life: degeneration and
falsification. This applies to everyone
personally. And it also applies to our
living together as a congregation, because the church is something that we
are together.
Flourishing or deterioration of the
church is not an autonomous process
that unfolds itself somewhere beyond
our lives. The church is a body. When
the members languish, the body will
fall ill.
Degeneration
Degeneration is the great enemy
of regeneration. Degeneration is opposed to regeneration just as “the old
nature” is to “the new nature” (Lord’s
Day 33). The first has to die for the second to be able to rise and grow in
strength. This applies not only to our
own personal pathway to God’s salva-
tion. It also applies in full to our life as
Christ’s congregation.
In article 29 of the Belgic Confession we encounter the church members of whom it is said that they:
– continually fight against their own
weaknesses by the strength of the
Spirit;
– appeal to (the suffering and crucified) Christ so they may receive the
cleansing of their lives;
– flee from sin, pursue righteousness
and crucify their flesh and its works,
and
– love the true God and their neighbours.
The church of Christ is populated by
people who recognize and acknowledge their weaknesses and sins, and
seek forgiveness of these sins in their
Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they are
people who fight against sin daily, all
their life long, up to the point of “crucifying their flesh.” They know about
the pain of conversion and can feel
this pain in their heart. To live as a
member of the church is apparently a
painful life as well. God’s good law
constantly brings our incompetence
and guilt to light.
Compromise and conversion
We cannot silence the pain of conversion with a story about compromise.
A compromise is an agreement between
two parties, where both parties concede
to part of their claims, rights or wishes
and neither receives the full 100 percent. It is an important phenomenon in
our complex society where all sorts of
complications between opposing objectives never cease to emerge. Without
compromises this society would soon
become intolerable and would totally
deteriorate into huge pandemonium. A
compromise is, for this reason, a necessary and ethically well accepted phenomenon within our society. It is a tool
that upholds society in the midst of a
broken world. In this context one can
rightly speak of a “way of life” (modus
vivendi). At the same time each compromise is an acknowledgement of the
limitations of our capabilities and of our
great incompetence with regards to
each other. A compromise is likewise
accompanied by its own pain.
The pain of conversion goes
deeper: it demonstrates how man is totally torn apart. An “old nature” has to
die, so that the “new nature” can rise
before the face of God. This is the pain
of the antithesis between Christ and Satan on the terrain of our own heart and
life. God’s norm and our reality collide head-on. This abstract phrasing
can be put in these concrete terms:
our good God cannot live together in
the same home as sin. For this reason
God creates new people who will become like Christ. It is not a case of
straightening out a complex society,
but of renewing degenerated lives of
people to the honour of God.
A compromise (in the best of cases)
is a measure of human wisdom for the
sake of upholding society. Conversion
serves to create a new people – a people who will live with the Holy God. If
someone takes this pain of the conversion which God asks of us and exchanges it for the disappointment of
the sadly unavoidable compromise, he
brings God’s commandments into the
sphere of compromise and, in a way,
makes peace with the power of sin.
Our tendency
We all have the tendency to incorporate our wish for compromise into
our thoughts of the relationship between God’s commandments and our
obedience to God’s will. We then focus on the “attainable” and will consequently expel the necessity and the
drastic measure of conversion from
our mind.
God’s norm we rephrase as “ideal,”
and our “reality” (including our incompetence and limitations) plays the role
of a large, legitimate deduction. And
whoever will not respect this deduction will be labelled as an idealist or a
utopian, a radical or a perfectionist. We
concoct together a “way of life” which
makes life bearable. We make an
arrangement between God’s norm and
our capability. Our sense of reality will
get its own meaning in relation to God’s
good will and will be a constant factor
opposing God’s norm.
“A small beginning”
inner being I delight in God’s law”):
keeping God’s law perfectly is realized
in the life of a regenerated Christian in
such a way that he “with earnest purpose begins to live not only according
to some but to all the commandments
of God.”1
Earnest purpose – that apparently is
the root of the new nature in our life. It
is the separation from degeneration and
the first gleaming of regeneration. This
means that we have to test ourselves to
that in our personal and collective selfexamination, also with regards to our
role in God’s church here on earth.
What – ultimately – do we want with
our lives before the eye of the Lord?
Do we actually want to become what
we are in Christ through the Spirit? Do
we really want to receive what we have
in Christ? Is the unity of the church
also part of the salvation that is to be
imparted to us?
It is a question of devoutness in our
awareness of the church. The question
of our awareness of the church turns out
to coincide with that of our devoutness
– probably as a surprise to many.
We come to a last question. If the
will of our God forbids us to compromise with the reality of our inadequate
functioning in practical life, what is
then left of the actual regeneration of
our lives? What kind of space will be
left to us? Won’t this preaching of the
law drive us to a restless search for perfection or to desperation because of
our continual failing? Won’t the notion
of “having to” be reversed into “not
wanting anything anymore?” It is the
old question of the Heidelberg Catechism (Q 114). The answer to this
question speaks not only of a “small
beginning.” Our book of instruction
also calls on Romans 7:22 (“For in my
The “earnest” purpose is called the “earnest
and unfeigned” purpose in the Emden edition of the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563.
The emphasis on this point is also striking
in the Latin translation of the same year. Also
compare Schatboek (Gorinchem 1736), II
471-474 and 477-480, with reference to
1 Timothy 1:5, 1 John 3:18, Philemon 3:13,
14 and Canons of Dort V, 1. The argument
in Schatboek is aimed at the perfectionism of
the Baptists. In the Great Catechism of Ursinus this “purpose” is a function of the Holy
Spirit, as such manifesting God’s election
(see answers 221,222, or 222, 223 in the
Bouwmeester edition).
The pain of conversion
The result of all this can be no less
than a life in which the pain of conversion is diminished to a weak, harmless
lamentation about our human shortfall.
This waning is a subtle form of degeneration which separates us from the battle of the new nature against the power
of sin. It teaches us to settle for the status quo and is as such the enemy of
humility and self-examination before
God. This type of degeneration lets us,
after all, make peace with what should
be a hostile power in our lifelong relationship with the Lord.
This is the message of Romans 7
and 1 John 1 and 2. It is striking that
we encounter these chapters in both
Lord’s Day 44 of the Heidelberg Catechism and article 29 of the Belgic
Confession. The refusal to make
peace with what God calls sin, and
the battle against our willingness to
agree to such a peacemaking are exactly the marks of an honourable life
before the Lord and a beginning of the
new obedience.
1
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Synod of the Free Reformed Churches
Hamilton, May 23-26, 2000
On Tuesday, May 23, the delegates
to the Synod of the Free Reformed
Churches joined in a Prayer Service of
the Hamilton FRC. This worship service was conducted by the Rev. C.A.
Schouls, minister of the FRC in
Chatham, Ontario. The text for his sermon was taken from Psalm 93. Following the service, a meeting of delegates was held in which the Rev. N.
Pronk led the brothers in a devotional
on Acts 15. He worked it out by expressing the desire that by the power of
God (Ps 93) the brothers would work
together in the same unity and love as
portrayed in this passage. The executive was elected and synod constituted.
The next morning, in the opening devotions, the Rev. L.W. Bilkes drew the
attention of the delegates to the Word
of God in 2 Corinthians 5:9 (KJV),
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether
present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.” In this way the work
of this synod was placed on the basis
of God’s Word, in the framework of
God’s preserving power, and with
the intent desire of being well pleasing to Him. We may thankfully report
that this spirit and objective prevailed
throughout the proceedings!
Receiving a new congregation
One of the highlights on the agenda
of this synod was the application for
admission of the Bethel Reformed
Church at Monarch, Alberta. This congregation used to belong to the federation of the Reformed Church of America
(RCA). After their pastor left, other RCA
ministers, whose preaching lacked the
experiential emphasis that they had
appreciated in their former pastor,
served them. During the past two years
they had invited ministers of the FRC
into their pulpits, which led to a growing relationship with this federation.
Through the counsel and advice of the
Rev. L.W. Bilkes, minister of the
“neighbouring” church at Abbotsford,
340
British Columbia, a process was started
to come to a membership within the
federation of the FRC. The congregation first voted to leave the RCA, with
the RCA ensuring that the FRC would
receive them. After everything was
done to make the transition in a decent and orderly way, they now requested admission to the federation of
the FRC. After discussing certain aspects in the process of transition, synod
unanimously received this congregation into its federation. As the chairman
of synod, the Rev. Schouls stated in his
word of welcome: this was a first in
the history of the FRC over the past
thirty years. Upon the reading of Ephesians 4:1-6, singing and prayer, and
the public agreement by the delegates
with the Three Forms of Unity, the delegates of this congregation were seated
as members of synod.
Matters of outreach
The agenda then required synod’s
attention for matters of Evangelism,
Home Mission, and Foreign Mission.
The work of the radio ministry of the
Rev. N. Pronk was discussed, and the
response to it in the various areas. The
attention in this ministry will be focussed more and more on Africa, from
where the response is overwhelming.
The Committee is presently investigating possibilities also to make use of the
Internet for outreach purposes. Another
successful Home Mission project is pursued on Vancouver Island, in the
Cowichan Valley (sixty kilometers north
east of Victoria). Since there is no other
faithful Reformed witness on the island, the group that is gathering here is
composed of members of various Reformed backgrounds. Lately, especially
the ministers of the FRC have been rendering services at this place. A retired
minister, the Rev. H. VanEssen, worked
here during a few winter months. The
possibility is considered to call a home
missionary for this house congregation,
in order to work toward the institution
of a FRC.
Guatemala
For the purpose of discussing the
affairs of the Foreign Mission, synod
turned into a membership meeting of
the Foreign Mission Inc. The secretary
and treasurer of this Incorporation
were present and the report on the
work in Guatemala was discussed.
The report presented the many blessings and progress the Lord is granting
on the work of the Rev. K. Herfst and
his helpers. The meeting accepted a
recommendation that the Rev. Herfst
and a Board member attend the ICRC
conference in Brazil (October) of
churches working in Latin America.
This way they are seeking contacts,
discovering good Spanish books, and
making their missionary needs known.
One of these needs will be the replacement of the Rev. Herfst in 2002
as missionary in Guatemala.
External relations
For Thursday the executive had set
aside synod’s discussion of the Report
of the External Relations Committee. At
this time the chairman welcomed especially the fraternal delegates invited by
this Committee. These delegates received the floor to convey greetings on
behalf of the federations of churches
they represented. For the Canadian Reformed Churches Dr. J. De Jong addressed synod (see speech elsewhere),
for the Orthodox Christian Reformed
Churches the Rev. M. Luimes spoke, the
Rev. J. Fergusson of the London OPC
represented the Orthodox Presbyterian
Church, while the Rev. R. Stienstra
spoke on behalf of the United Reformed
Churches in North America. Each
speaker received a response from one of
the members of synod.
These presentations set the stage for
a discussion on the work and contacts
of the External Relations Committee.
Most of the addresses had noted the
common heritage and confessional
foundation among the Reformed
churches present. The speakers had
stressed the desire for more intense
contact and cooperation, and the calling to pursue the scriptural mandate
for ecclesiastical unity. In the context of
the discussion on the Report and the
presence of these fraternal delegates, a
discussion then developed on the position and practices within the FRC regarding external relations. The question
was raised whether the FRC should be
seeking federative unity, or pursue the
preservation of its own identity. Even if
churches have the confessional standards in common with other federations, should the FRC not observe the
existence of a “religion of the confession?” How does this “religion” function, for instance, in regard to the
appropriation of salvation, experiential
preaching, the struggle of faith, the way
the preachers view the congregation,
and other distinctives? In other words,
is there among the FRC a “will for ecumenicity?” Hence the issue was raised
concerning the FRC’s integrity and
honesty in regard to the question
whether church unity should be pursued or not.
The last sessions of synod held on
Friday, May 26 were witnessed by Dr. J.
De Jong. During these sessions, the report of the External Relations Committee
was adopted, with synod voting in
favour of pursuing “Limited Contact”
with the Canadian Reformed Churches.
A similar proposal was passed with regard to the Heritage Netherlands Congregations as well as the United Reformed Churches. Various other
ecumenical contacts were approved.
Candidate Shoeman examined
The “highlight” of the synod was
the examination of Candidate Jack
Shoeman, who had completed a course
of study at the Puritan Theological
Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Candidate Shoeman, a former Guido
De Bres High School student, preached
a sermon on John 1:35, and was examined in the areas of Old and New Testament Exegesis, Doctrine, Homiletics
and Church Government. This session
was followed by an extensive personal
examination concerning the candidate’s road to the gospel, and to the
gospel ministry in particular. For us, as
fraternal delegates, it was interesting to
observe this examination and to note
how the FRC examiners bring out certain emphases while bypassing other
matters. One particularly noticeable
gap was the absence of an examination in several important areas of the
ministry normally covered in our
peremptory examinations.
Summing up
On the whole it was a rewarding experience to be witnesses to this synod
and to establish further contacts with
the delegates to synod. It was very clear
in the discussions and meditations
throughout the synodical sessions that
the brothers are seeking to live in accordance with the Word of God. We
therefore can be thankful for the initiative of the FRC in inviting us to their
synod, and we hope that this may be
reciprocated by our synod in 2001,
and that these contacts may be intensified in the future.
For the Committee,
Dr. J. De Jong,
Rev. W. Den Hollander
A word of greeting to the Free Reformed
Churches of North America Synod
By J. De Jong
Esteemed brothers!
We were very grateful for your initiative in inviting fraternal delegates
from the Canadian Reformed Churches
to visit your General Synod. We take
this invitation as a sign that you wish to
further contact and discussion with
other like minded bodies in order to
promote the unity of the church of
Christ in this country. Our hope and
prayer is that the Lord may bless our
efforts so that a real and tangible unity
may be realized through his grace!
You may be assured of our desire
to pursue unity negotiations with the
Free Reformed Churches. We have a
common background and a common
heritage! We live by the same confessional statements, the Three Forms of
Unity. Over the years, local discussions have taken place in various localities. We have also cooperated in the
area of the training for the ministry,
and several of your ministers are graduates of our Theological College. From
personal experience, I may say that it
has been a pleasure to meet your students, to get to know them and work
with them, and (to speak frankly) I was
disappointed that our cooperation in
this area was recently broken off.
Areas of interaction
In more recent years different areas
of discussion and interaction have
been explored. In 1997 we published
the pastoral letter of your synod to your
membership, because we recognized
in it your concern about the danger of
adopting the style of the world. We
need to warn against the same patterns
among our own people. The Statement
on the Appropriation of Salvation written by Drs. A. Baars was also published
and discussed in one of our magazines.
There has been growing cooperation in
the magazine for the church’s officers
called Diakonia. And since 1998,
meetings have been held with representatives of our Unity Committee and
your External Relations Committee in
order to set the ground for more inten341
sive contact on the federative level.
The interim reports that we have received concerning these meetings indicate that they have proceeded very
well, with a renewed sense of willingness to clear away whatever misunderstandings may have arisen through
the years. In all of these things we recognize that we are close with respect
to living out our Christian task and
calling in the world.
Closer ties in the Netherlands
You are aware no doubt that our
counterparts in the Netherlands, the
Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken and
the Gereformeerde Kerken Vrijgemaakt
have been engaged in discussions for
the last twenty or so years, but in more
recent years there has been a much
closer alignment of both churches, a
rapprochement stemming from both
sides of the discussion. Much greater
understanding has been achieved in
the issues of the appropriation of salvation, and the way the congregation is
viewed. Greater harmony of insight has
also been uncovered in the view of the
preaching and its applicatory aspects.
And from an historical point of view,
there is a willingness to acknowledge
that the Lord continues to preserve his
faithful children and gather his
churches also among those who did
not consider it right at the time to join
with the Union of 1892.
An incentive
The ever closer ties between our
counterparts in the Netherlands should
also form an added incentive for us,
next to the command and obligation
set upon us by the word of Christ himself! The outstanding issues between
our federations should not form an
obstacle for us in the pursuit of federative unity. We value your contribution to Reformed life in this country,
we value your commitment to maintain God’s infallible Word, and uphold
the confessions of the church. Does
not Christ call us to share our gifts and
work together as one body? May He
bless the efforts of our mutual committees entrusted with the task of discussing these matters, and the efforts of
all our local churches involved! May
He also bless your church life, both
on a federative level, and in your local communities. May He also guide
you in your deliberations in this assembly and so lead you by his Spirit
and Word that this assembly, too, will
stand as a contribution to the greater
unity and solidarity of God’s people
across this great country, and around
the world.
HURCH NEWS
C
On July 3, 2000, General Synod
West-Albany 2000 of the Free
Reformed Churches of Australia
will be convened.
***
On July 5, 2000, the churches in
Brazil will gather at their first
General Synod in Brazil, in order to
begin a federation of Reformed
churches in Brazil. The new
federation will be known as Igrejas
Reformadas do Brasil (I.R.B.).
***
Change of address as of August 1st,
2000:
Rev. A.J. Pol
Box 2090
Carman, MB R0G 0J0
email: ajpol@canrc.org
***
Declined the call to Smithville,
Ontario:
Rev. R.A. Schouten
of Abbotsford, British Columbia.
P
RESS RELEASE
Press Release of Classis Contracta
Northern Ontario held in Elora on
Thursday, June 22, 2000.
1. On behalf of the convening church
at Elora, Rev. J. Slaa welcomed the
delegates and opened the meeting
in the Christian manner. 2. The credentials were examined and found
to be in order.
3. Classis was constituted; J. Slaa was
appointed chair, R. Faber clerk.
4.The agenda was adopted.
5.The church at Guelph requested that
Rev. A.J. Pol be granted a certificate of release from his ministerial
duties in Classis Northern Ontario,
342
as he has accepted a call extended
to him by the church at CarmanWest, MB. The necessary supporting documentation was received
and found to be in order. Classis decided to release Rev. Pol from his
ministerial duties in the classical
district as of August 6, 2000, with
the prayer that the Lord will cause
Rev. Pol’s ministry in the Manitoba
classical district to be a blessing.
6.The church at Guelph requested
that, due to the upcoming vacancy,
Rev. J. Louwerse (Fergus) be appointed counsellor to Guelph; classis granted the request. The church
at Guelph further requested pulpit
supply; classis granted this request
and determined an appropriate
arrangement.
7. Classis appointed Rev. J. Slaa as delegate to the farewell service of
Rev. Pol, on July 2.
8.The question period was employed
briefly.
9. Censure according to Art. 34 C.O.
was not necessary.
10.The Acts and Press Release were
adopted.
11 Rev. J. Louwerse led in closing
prayer.
For Classis Contracta Northern Ontario,
June 22, 2000.
R. Faber
RAY OF SUNSHINE
By Mrs. Corinne Gelms and Mrs. Erna Nordeman
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put
on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes” (Eph 6:10,11).
Dear brothers and sisters:
“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil
one.” In this sinful world that we live in, is this a part of your
prayer to God? Every day we do wrong by showing hatred
to others, by doing evil things – be it in our actions or in
what we say to others. We even do wrong by what we
may quietly have in our thoughts (Lord’s Day 44). Often
enough it may seem to be such a struggle to fight daily
against our sinful nature and all the temptations around
us. In Genesis we can read about the fall into sin by Adam
and Eve, in which we are also included. Through this fall,
the perfectness of paradise was broken. Today we can still
see how broken this world is. Sin is everywhere, and this
greatly displeases our God.
Old Testament sacrifice
In the Old Testament the people of God had to sacrifice animals to God for all the sins that they committed. Different animals were sacrificed for the different kinds of sins.
These sacrifices could not take away sins, they only provided a temporary way to deal with sin until Jesus came to
deal with sin forever. How then were the people forgiven
in the Old Testament times? God’s people were simply
obeying His commands to offer sacrifices, and then He graciously forgave them, when by faith they made their sacrifices. But that practice of sacrificing looked forward to
Christ’s perfect sacrifice. The death of Jesus Christ was the
final sin offering in the Bible.
How are we then to live, when we are so full of sin? We
must use the ten commandments which God gave to his
people through Moses. Every Sunday when we are in
church, we hear these commandments and how we are to
obey them. Through them we are taught how we must
live in relation to God, and also, what duties we owe to
our neighbours (Matt 22:37-40). Here the Lord clearly
shows all of us how we are to live before Him.
Falling away
When we read through the Old Testament, we see how
the Israelites would fall away time and again. When everything seemed to be going well in their lives, then it would
seem as if they would not need their Saviour in their lives.
As New Testament people, do we differ so much? Should we
look at the Israelites and think, why did they go their own
way when they knew better? Let us first look in our own
heart. For is it not so, that often when things go well in our
own lives, that we too tend to think that we have everything
in our own control? Indeed, we must readily admit, that we
are no better that the Israelites of the Old Testament.
We may often question then, why in this life does God
have the ten commandments preached so strictly? Let us
look at what the catechism says in Answer 115: “so that
throughout our life we may become more and more aware
of our sinful nature, and therefore seek more eagerly the
forgiveness of sins and righteousness in Christ. Second,
so that, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy
Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more
and more after God’s image, until after this life we reach
the goal of perfection.” Through all this we may be thankful that our God is a merciful God, who forgives us our
many sins. God takes delight when we daily turn to Him in
prayer and humbly ask Him for forgiveness. As it says in
Micah 7:18-19, “You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on
us: you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Therefore through the
death of Jesus Christ we are set free from the law of sin and
death because Christ has fully paid for all of our sins. In this
life here on earth that is so filled with sin and temptation,
we may still have to face physical hardships and maybe
even death. When Christ returns again, our sinful bodies
will be resurrected to be like his, that is, without sin, to live
in glory forever.
The Lord has dealt with us in great compassion,
Not punished us according to transgression.
High as the soaring heavens, without end,
So great His mercy is to those fear Him,
And He the sins of all those who revere Him
Removes as far as east from west extends.
Psalm 103:4
Birthdays in September:
8th Marsha Moesker
PO Box 164, Carman, MB ROG OJO
11th Mary Vande Burgt
c/o Fam. W. Togeretz
32570 Rossland Place
Abbotsford, BC V2T IT7
14th Jerry Bontekoe
c/o Anchor Home, 361 Thirty Road
RR 2, Beamsville, ON LOR 1BO
25th Greg Aikema
7118-192 Street RR 9, Surrey, BC V4N 3G6
29th Paul Dieleman
3 Northampton Street, Brampton, ON L6S 3Z5
Congratulations to you all on your birthday. Marsha will
turn 23, Mary will turn 44, Jerry will turn 36, Greg will be
12, and Paul will be 31. We hope you all will have an enjoyable day with family and friends, with the blessing of
the Lord in this new year. Till the next time:
Mrs. C. Gelms and Mrs. E. Nordeman
Mailing Correspondence:
Mrs. C. Gelms
548 Kemp Road East, RR 2
Beamsville, ON LOR 1B2
Tel.: (905) 563-0380
343
PRESS REVIEW
By J. De Jong
Borderlines . . . Yes or No?
Should churches chart out specific
territories and draw boundaries around
them? How should boundaries, if so
placed, be enforced? These are recurring issues in our church life which repeatedly surface from place to place,
especially in those areas where there
are high concentrations of our people.
In an editorial in the Australian church
magazine Una Sancta, Rev. W. Van
der Jagt presents the case for observing
boundaries. His arguments are worth
thinking about:
Is it necessary that the churches
have geographical boundaries?
Would it not be better that the members of the church make their own
choice in finding a church where
they feel comfortable and at home?
In the Metro churches it would not
be a real problem. The distances are
not that big that you can’t cover
them. In the Albany and Tasmanian
situation it would even be easier.
The churches are that close together
that for this reason the geographical
boundaries are not really necessary.
And yet, the synod of 1936
pointed to “the rule that everyone
should belong to that church, within
the district in which he is civil resident.” The synod of our Dutch sister
churches held in 1990 has emphatically reaffirmed this agreement. The
basic assumption of our Church Order is that each church has its own
district. The Church Order doesn’t
say it in so many words, but it simply makes the assumption that there
are boundaries. Many articles of the
Church Order are based on this socalled “territorial system.” Think, for
instance, of our attestations [Art. 59
CO] and of the fact none of the ministers “shall serve in the ministry unless he is bound to a certain church”
[Art 4 CO]. Intrusion upon the office
of another in another congregation
is regarded as such a serious and
gross sin, that it is one of the grounds
344
for the suspension or deposition of an
office-bearer! [Art 77 CO].1
The district of a local church can
be one city or township. It can be a
region with more than one town, or
it can be a part of a city, for instance, one area of a city. It’s important that the boundaries between
the local churches are clear. The
churches together and the classis
have to take care that the boundaries are clear to all. In the last classis when I was a minister in the
Netherlands, Classis Appingedam,
the yearly church visitors even had
to ask whether the geographical
boundaries between the churches
were clear to all. This is the basic assumption within the Reformed
Churches: There are geographical
church boundaries!
Stick to the boundaries
Now that our point of departure
is that there are boundaries, the logical consequence is that we have to
stick to the boundaries. This applies
to consistories, office bearers,
church-members and prospective
members. This is also the silent assumption of the church order.
Think, for instance, of the articles
of the church order regarding
church discipline. During the history of the church it became necessary to make this more clear. It is
no longer obvious that it has to be
like this. There are communities
with a different system. The Dutch
Reformed Church (De Nederlands
Hervormde Kerk) and the (Synodical] Reformed Churches in the
Netherlands (De Gereformeerde
Kerken [synodaal]) have accepted,
next to the “territorial system,” a
“categorical system” (i.e. the members of a congregation belong to
one “category,” e.g. students) and
have the so-called “perforated
church boundaries.” This means
that everyone is allowed to be mem-
ber of a congregation wherever the
person likes to go. In practice even
the more orthodox Christian Reformed Churches (de Christelijke
Gereformeerde Kerken) in the
Netherlands tacitly adopted this system as well. Quite a few members
of their congregations will travel on
Sunday to visit a worship service
where they feel more at ease. What
can be the reason that we have to
reject these systems?
There are quite a few reasons
why we have to stick to the adopted
Reformed “territorial system.” I will
mention the most important ones:
1. As a matter of course we will start
with the Word of God. In the Old
Testament there were not yet local
churches next to each other, although
even in that situation the elders of Israel fulfilled their calling in every city.
After the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, “church” and “nation” were
separated. We hear of local churches
with geographical boundaries and
we do not hear about “categorical”
churches. In the congregation of
Jerusalem the “deacons” had to take
care of all the members (Acts 6:1).
The New Testament always speaks
about a church in a certain place.
Remember the seven churches in
Asia Minor (Rev 2,3). Titus receives
the mandate to appoint elders in
every city (Titus 1:5), and not in a
circle of friends, age group, social
class or family.
2. The church is a communion of
saints – not just on Sunday in attending the worship services, but
the church is a communion seven
days a week. For this reason it is important that you live as close as
possible together. This is only possible in the “territorial system.”
3. This goes together with another
aspect. The oversight and care of
the office bearers as stewards of the
house of God is vital in the church
of God (Acts 20:28). The best way to
exercise this supervision is within
fixed geographical boundaries.
4. The Holy Spirit gives to the church
a diversity of gifts (1 Cor 12:4-11). He
composed the church in this way
that through this diversity of gifts “the
members should have the same care
for one another,” so that when one
“member suffers, all the members
suffer with it; or if one member is
honoured, all the members rejoice
with it.” The Apostle adds: “Now you
are the body of Christ, and members
individually” (1 Cor 12: 12-31). The
geographic boundaries are an important means to spread the gifts fairly
and to prevent one-sided compound
congregations.
5. The “territorial system” is very
clear as well: everyone knows
where he or she stands. If someone
moves to a certain area, the member
involved and the congregations as
well know to which church they belong. This prevents an unworthy
tug-of-war between congregations
to keep or get certain families or
members within their boundaries.
6. And, probably the most important
argument, we believe that the Son
of God gathers better his church
(Lord’s Day 21). He does this by his
Spirit according to the eternal counsel and providence of God the Father. The Triune God allocates a
place and gives us a specific place.
If you leave it to people and give
them a free choice then the result
will be that they come to a point
that they see the church as a kind
of club which one is free to join or
not. It is a matter of a sound consciousness what the church really is.
We are not choosing our brothers
and sisters, the Lord has done this
for us!
Dangers
On top of all this, strict maintenance of the territorial system is a
powerful and sound weapon in the
struggle against some very real dangers that threaten the church:
1. To start with, there is the danger
of what I call a “consumer mentality” as well. The church can be degraded to a spiritual “fast food shop”
and become a supplier of spiritual
food and rites cut down to human
size. What man likes becomes more
important than what the Lord says.
The church however is not a supplier of our own preferences. She is
our Mother (Gal 4:24; 2 John 1).
In 2 Timothy 4:3,4 we find the
warning that “. . .the time will come
when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but according to their own
desires, because they have itching
ears, they will heap for themselves
teachers; and they will turn their
ears away from the truth, and be
turned aside to fables.” The local
church boundaries serve as a life
buoy that prevents us from going
astray. In the “territorial system” we
are not tempted to look for a congregation where the minister and office bearers are more casual and
where discipline is not exercised as
it ought to be, or where the consistory loses track of the dealings of a
previous consistory.
It is also important to point to
the next generation. How do we
teach our children the difference
between the church where the Lord
gives us what is really necessary and
a fast food shop where we can get
what we like?
2. Linked to this is the danger of “individualism.” It would be a bad
thing if out of three neighbours A, B
and C, one would go to church X,
the other church Y and the third one
would attend the worship services in
Z. It would be bad for the church
and our society; it would destroy
the mutual care and commitment
and it would take every sense of responsibility of the church members
away. The Lord has said that we are
called “. . . to walk worthy of the
calling with which we are called,
with all lowliness, and gentleness,
with long-suffering, bearing with
one another in love, endeavouring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace” (Eph 4:1ff).
3. A bigger distance in kilometres,
while it is not necessary, threatens
active involvement. On Sunday it
will not be too bad, but during the
week active involvement asks more
energy. The parents have to attend
meetings, children have to go to catechism instruction and clubs. We
are not allowed to avoid the social
activities of the communion of
saints. The care for each other will
certainly suffer.
4. If we do not stick to the “territorial system” the unity of the
churches will inevitably break up
and the churches will grow apart,
as soon as we accept the system of
“perforated” boundaries. We already have the sad examples of the
Dutch Reformed Church and the
Christian Reformed Churches (in
Holland, JDJ). Within these communities each group of believers
has its own “branch” or “position.”
This will severely damage the spiritual unity of the church and the
spreading of the gospel.
5. As a result of all this, everything
can end up in an unspiritual and
unscriptural competition or rivalry.
The youth will go to churches
where the minister is a little bit
more casual, does not wear a black
suit, or talks more popularly. The
people who have studied at university will go to a church where the
minister challenges their intellectual capabilities. Other churches
are ageing or will suffer from a lack
of “executives.” “Church shopping” will increase and the weaker
members of the congregations will
suffer immensely.
6. And last but not least, if there are
difficulties, the members are more
easily inclined to avoid these difficulties by moving to or worshipping in another church instead of
solving the problems in a spiritual
way. The Lord however, has said
that we have to be “. . . like-minded,
having the same love, being of one
accord, of one mind” (Phil 2:1ff).
And therefore he adds, “Let nothing
be done though selfish ambition or
conceit, but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than
himself. Let each of you look out not
only for his own interest but also
for the interests of others.” In the
end, accepting the local boundaries is a matter of faith!
And of course, to a certain extent all these dangers can become a
reality in our “territorial system” as
well. As a member of a local church
you can have a “consumer mentality” as well. It’s also possible to
move for contestable reasons. Even
the distance to the local church can
be a hindrance to care for each
other as it is desirable. But this does
not alter the fact that if we do not
stick to the geographical boundaries, it will soon get worse.
Exceptions
Rev. Van der Jagt also allows the
possibility for exceptions to the rules:
Does this mean that it is really impossible to have exceptions to “the
rule of 1936” that we have to stick
to our boundaries? That is not the
345
way it is! The situation we live in is
often more complicated than you
can cover in one rule. However, in
all these cases let it be clear that
these are exceptions and nobody
can use a previous decision in a
particular case as an argument that
the consistories involved in another
situation have to make exactly the
same decision. Let the consistories –
considering everything involved –
regulate these things in good harmony.
A reaction
I am sure the reader will sense that
some of these arguments weigh more
heavily than others. We should also remember that as a separate federation of
churches, we are not bound by decisions of our sister churches in the
Netherlands, or anywhere else. However, I believe Rev. Van der Jagt is correct in noting that the Church Order
presupposes some sort of territorial division. I would rather say that the
Church Order, reflecting Scripture, ordinarily ties the manifestation of the
church to a specific geographical location.2 Churches are normally described
as local, or belonging to a specific re-
gion, province or country. Hence the
Church Order thinks in terms of specific
localities with a certain defined geographical extent.
However, Rev. Van der Jagt also
highlights the need for caution in the
way boundaries are applied. Using the
arm of church discipline is rarely a wise
way of solving or handling border line
questions. So in general agreement
with Rev. Van der Jagt I would offer a
few suggestions:
Let the boundaries that are
drawn as much as possible respect
the natural and civil boundaries that
have been set out. For example,
members living in one city where
there is a church should not be required to attend at a location in another city.
Churches within cities can form
their own kinds of distinct cooperation (sharing the bulletin, and so
on). While we may have our misgivings with the Presbyterian approach of putting a group of
churches under one presbytery, and
may also dispute the scriptural foundation for this, somehow the scriptural model of one church in one
city should speak to us in such a
way that it conditions our way of
dividing churches and their areas. I
would suspect that closer forms of
cooperation can be established between churches of one city than,
say, churches of a whole classis. Recall that under the older (pre-war)
Dutch system, large city churches
were divided into wards. That had
its own problems, but did acknowledge the special proximity people
share living in one city.
Whatever forms of cooperation
are developed, consistories should
be encouraged to develop careful
agreements and have these maintained in good understanding and
harmony. There are always exceptions to any rule. Pastoral considerations can play a role. But let a fixed
policy be maintained. Is this not a
part of doing everything “decently
and in good order” (1 Cor 14:40)?
1
Note that the Australian Church Order has a
slightly different numbering than our own, JDJ.
2
See F.J.A. Hort, The Christian Ecclesia, (London, MacMillan and Co., 1908), 116-118, as
quoted by H. Bouwman, Gereformeerde
Kerkrecht Vol I, (Kampen Kok, 1928) 61.
Official opening ceremonies of
Redeemer church building in Winnipeg
Impressions from Allard Gunnink
First a new congregation, then a
new minister, and finally a new church
building or a meeting place, as some
prefer to say. On June 9, 2000 at 7:10
p.m. the moment had come. The Lord
withheld the rain until later that
evening. Two members of the Redeemer congregation, Mr. and Mrs.
Len Toet, belonged to the house congregation in Winnipeg many years ago.
They were at hand to uncover the cornerstone. The sound of velcro was
heard, the white cloth rolled down,
and the words “This stone will be a witness.” (Joshua 24:27) appeared. (I hope
that someone is going to ask why the
words “against us” were not included.
There is lots of space on the stone. . .)
346
The official program was continued
inside and the some 450 in attendance
enjoyed a very commemorative program. Two of the organists took turns in
accompanying the singing on the new
Allen organ. Pastor VanRaalte kept an
eye on the proceedings. He explained
the text on the cornerstone. If the stone
could talk, may it tell that this building
is used to the glory of God when the
congregation comes together in worship and when other activities take
place in it. He reminded us that the
Lord holds us accountable in the use
of this gift.
The ceremony was also Bills’ night.
Mr. Bill Vanderlinde thanked the project managers and sub-trades. Mr. Bill
Nobel received the symbolic key from
him, and he, in turn, thanked the Building Committee members for the numerous hours which were spent to
complete the project. Mr. Nobel said
that this building is not perfect; not
everyone is satisfied. The perfect building will be on the new earth – the New
Jerusalem.
Before Mr. Bill Gortemaker introduced honoured guests, he read article 36 of the Belgic Confession about
the civil government. The first guest
was Mr. Bill Blaikie, Honourable
Member of Parliament. After he offered his congratulations, he noted
that it is not easy for Christians to live
in this secular world and that the
Sign in
Transcona.
Mr. and Mrs. Toet
unveiling the
stone.
Redeemer
church
building from
the outside.
. . . a look inside.
Gospel is relevant for the public
square. Next was City Councillor
Shirley Timm-Rudolph who noted that
it is good to see that a place for worship is built in the community.
Rev. Jonker of the neighbouring
church (about three km to the west)
commented on the tasteful (according
to his wife) colours and expressed the
desire that the truth may be proclaimed
every Sunday. Rev. Moesker of Carman
East observed that the baptismal font,
the pews, and the Lord’s Supper table
all face the front, which puts the Word,
the pulpit central. Mr. Kees Brouwer
passed on a message from Carman
West: “That the Name of the Lord may
be praised in this building.” Rev. Folkerts of the Providence United Reformed
Church spoke about the foundation
which holds up the building and he expressed the desire for unity between
the churches.
Finally, the builders spoke. After
completing the project one must stand
back in humility, one of the two brothers of GRG Construction said. He
thanked the volunteers and commented on the commitment shown by
all those involved in the project. They
presented a beautiful, leather bound
NIV Bible.
Mr. Ken Doerksen of the Winnipeg
Organ Centre gave a short introduction
of the organ. He used a variety of registrations and introduced the audience to
a fraction of the organ’s options. It was
a pleasure to listen to the beautiful
sound of the Renaissance organ. Mr.
Doerksen made this remark: “This organ must lead the congregation in
singing praises to God, but it can be
used for different functions too.”
What is a special feature of the building? For your reporter it is the brightness
and the space. For others it may be the
colour scheme or the organ or the shape
of the building or may be even the
padded pews which are so comfortable.
When you travel through Winnipeg or
visit this special city come and see for
yourself. However, it is only a building.
To attend services in a functional, attractive building is a gift, but to worship
and to hear the Word of God being
preached is the greatest gift. The words of
Psalm 100:4 (Book of Praise), sung at
the end of the ceremony, were fitting:
The LORD is good, and evermore
His love and mercy will endure.
All generations He will bless
In His unchanging faithfulness.
347
O
UR LITTLE MAGAZINE
By Aunt Betty
Dear Busy Beavers
Ahh! Holidays!! Do you have many plans to do lots of
things that you can do? Helping Dad and Mom, camping,
fishing, boating, staying at home are just a few of the suggestions I can think of. In this edition, I have added some fun
things you can do with painting and other things. I hope you
really enjoy them.
Lots of love, Aunt Betty
UNSCRAMBLE THE ANIMALS
by Busy Beaver Rhonda Wiersma
CWO
_____________
ARBE
_____________
IPG
_____________
EBZAR
_____________
EETANPHL _____________
ISFH
_____________
OWS
_____________
KOYDEN
SORHE
RMWO
LGSU
GPIUENN
EESPH
AKY
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
Here’s an activity that would be fun to do outside,
where it doesn’t matter if you make some mess.
BUBBLE PAINTING
HAVE READY
Powder paint or dye
Dishwashing liquid
Bowls or plastic containers
Drinking straws
Paper
GET SET
Put some dishwashing liquid into a separate bowl for each
colour. Mix enough paint with a small quantity of water and add
to dishwashing liquid to make a strong colour.
GO
Put the liquid and keep blowing until bubbles rise
higher than the sides of the bowl. You can make a fabulous print of your bubbles by placing a sheet of paper
gently on top of the bubbles without breaking them. Repeat this last step for each colour. Dry painting flat.
You could also try painting a picture around your
bubbles print with a paint brush and paint.
. . . more next time.
348
Countries of the world
Here’s a puzzle for which you may have to use an
atlas to find the different countries.
S
Y
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Find:
Canada
England
Japan
India
Germany
Norway
Mongolia
Australia
Africa
Malaysia
Italy
Portugal
Finland
Egypt
Holland
China
Indonesia
Spain
Brazil
Sweden
Iran
United States
Saudi Arabia
Russia
Niger
France
Libya
Chile
Mexico
Thailand Korea
Iraq
Zaire
FROM THE MAILBOX
Welcome to the Busy Beaver Club,
Jennifer Harink. Would you write to me
again and tell me what your address is,
because I don’t think you put it on the envelope correctly. Having four brothers
must be rather busy, I think. I can imagine you would like to
have a sister sometimes. I hope you have a really fun holiday,
Jennifer. Write again, won’t you?
AUNT BETTY
c/o Premier Printing Ltd.
One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2J 3X5
CLARION
ADVERTISEMENTS
Births
The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all He has
made. Psalm 145:13b
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot
be counted. Job 5:9
We rejoice and delight in our precious new daughter and sister
whom we have named
REBEKAH PETRONELLA
Born May 2, 2000
Mike and Joanne Redwood (nee Muis)
Michael, Elisabeth, Andrew, James, Stephen
225 Grove Park Drive, Burlington, ON L7T 2H1
The LORD blessed our anniversary with one of His precious gifts. We
have named her
GLORIA ROSE
All praise be to Him again for making all things well.
May 20, 2000
Neil and Liz van Weerden (nee Malda)
A sister for Dianthe, Emma, Garnet, Levi and Holly
6 Gladstone Avenue, Guelph, ON N1E 1L6
Birthday
MRS. WIETSKE FABER nee HOLWERDA
hopes to celebrate her eightieth birthday D.V. on Thursday, August 17,
2000. Her grateful husband, children and grandchildren invite you to
an Open House in Cornerstone Canadian Reformed Church at
Hamilton, 4.00 - 5.30 p.m.
Engagement
Two are better than one . . . though one may be overpowered, two
can defend themselves. Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 12
With thankfulness to our Father for bringing our lives together, we
JACKIE VERSLUIS and BRAD VANOENE
joyfully announce our engagement.
June 2, 2000
4290 - 184 Street, Surrey, BC V4P 1M5
Marriage
We thank our heavenly Father for entrusting into our care another
covenant child, a son
CALEB RICHARD
Born May 31, 2000
Richard and Margareth Hoeksema
Yolanda, Esther, Aileen
PO Box 584, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0
Beloved, Let us love one another, for love is of God, and He who
loves is born of God and knows God.
Mr. and Mrs. J.F. deLeeuw are thankful to the Lord and pleased to
announce the marriage of their daughter
BRENDA ANN DELEEUW to ERIC ROY ONDERWATER
son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Onderwater.
The ceremony is to take place, the Lord willing, July 29, 2000 at 10:30
a.m. at the Abbotsford Canadian Reformed Church Building.
Rev. M. Vanderwel officiating.
Future address: 45301 Spruce Drive, Chilliwack, BC V2R 1E9
Praise be to the LORD forever. Psalm 89:52 NIV
With great joy and thankfulness to the Lord, who made all things
well we announce the birth of our third daughter
JAUNITA GRACE
Born on May 21, 2000
A sister for Kayla and Katie
Proud parents Gary and Lori Kottelenberg (nee Grit)
RR 2, Orangeville, ON L9W 2Y9
With thankfulness to our LORD who led us to each other, we
EMILY ANNE and ROBERT WAYNE
together with our parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bram and Joanne Vegter and
Mr. and Mrs. Koos and Annie Duker, joyfully announce our marriage.
The ceremony will take place, the Lord willing, on Friday, July 21, 2000
at 1:00 p.m. in the Immanuel Canadian Reformed Church at Edmonton.
Rev. H. Versteeg officiating, Rev. K. Compton speaking.
Future address: 103C, 17715-64 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5T 2J9
With great joy and thankfulness to our Heavenly Father, who made
all things well, we announce the birth of our son
MARK THOMAS
Born June 18, 2000
Bernie and Annetta Dekker
A brother for Sarah
41 Melanie Crescent,
Box 1351, Waterdown, ON L0R 2H0
With thanks to God
PAMELA JOANNE SCHOLTENS and ROBERT HERMAN STEL
with their parents announce their marriage, D.V., July the fourteenth at
7:00 p.m., the Year of our Lord 2000 in the Canadian Reformed
Church at Langley, BC
The Rev. J. Visscher officiating.
With joy and thankfulness to the Lord for richly blessing us, we announce the birth of our daughter
AMY DIANE
Born June 21, 2000
Kurtis and Helena Olthuis (Hamoen)
Box 214, Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0
With great joy and thankfulness to the Lord, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Homan announce the marriage of their daughter
IRENE to HENRY GERALD
son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Van Iperen. The ceremony will take place,
the Lord willing, on Saturday, August 26, 2000 at 3:00 p.m. in the Attercliffe Canadian Reformed Church.
Reg. D.G.J. Agema officiating.
Future address: RR 2, 3262 Cosby Road, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B2
349
Rejoice in the Lord always. And the peace of God, which transcends
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4: 4a, 7
With great thankfulness to the Lord, we,
JACQUELINE RENEE VERLOOP and STEPHEN MARK KAMPEN
together with our parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Verloop and Mr. and
Mrs. Leo Kampen invite you to share in our joy as we are united in
marriage. The ceremony will take place, the Lord willing, on Saturday,
August 12, 2000, at 2:00 p.m. in the Canadian Reformed Church of
Ancaster, 575 Shaver Road, Ancaster, Ontario.
Rev. G.H. Visscher officiating.
With thankfulness to our Heavenly Father Mr. and Mrs. Ron Dykstra
announce the marriage of their children
RHONDA LYNN to DAVID ANDREW
son of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hoeksema, D.V. August 4, 2000 at
1:00 p.m. and
MARK CHRISTOPHER to MICHELLE JANE
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. K. Rekers, D.V. September 1, 2000 at 3:00
p.m.
Rev. E. Kampen officiating.
Willoughby Heights Canadian Reformed Church, Langley, BC
Anniversaries
1955 – July 2 – 2000
With thankfulness to the Lord who has kept them in His care, we joyfully announce the 45th Wedding Anniversary of our parents and
grandparents
CONRAD and ANN VANANDEL (NEE OOSTERHOFF)
Grimsby, ON:
Roland and Cathy VanAndel
Cheryl, Terry, Ryan, Kyle, Barry
Beamsville, ON:
Janet and Dick Vandenoever
Brian, Ann-Marie, Bruce, Bill, Duane,
Lawrence
Diane and Frans Dekker
Fenwick, ON:
Lee-Ann, David, Lindsey, Marc
St. Ann’s, ON:
Brian and Ina VanAndel
Rosalyn, Justin, Ian, Carol-Ann, Alan,
Benjamin, Aaron
Marg and Klaas Harink
Grimsby, ON:
Jennifer, Andrew, Jonathan, Jordan, Reuben
Fenwick, ON:
Paul and Rita VanAndel
Michael, Nicole, Jessilyn, Leah
Beamsville, ON:
Ken VanAndel and Trish Vandersluis
4091 Fly Road,
Campden, ON L0R 1G0
An Open House will be held, D.V., on Saturday, July 15, 2000 from
2:30-4:30 p.m. at the home of Marg and Klaas Harink, 210 Kemp
Road East, Grimsby.
1975 – August 1 – 2000
With thankfulness to the Lord who has kept them in his care, we joyfully announce the 25th Wedding Anniversary of our parents
HARRY and JENNIE PELLEBOER (nee Winkelaar)
An open house will be held, the Lord willing, on August 1, 2000 in
the Church Annex at 7:00 p.m. in Abbotsford, BC
Their thankful children.
8726 Garrison Road, Everson, Washington, USA 98247
350
1960 – August 5th – 2000
Psalm 118:27 The LORD is God, and He has made His light shine
upon us.
With thankfulness to the Lord, we joyfully announce the 40th
Anniversary of our dear parents
DANIEL VAN NEUTEGEM and AAFKE VAN NEUTEGEM (nee Huizinga)
Millgrove, ON:
Ed and Greta Knegt
Laura, William, Timothy, Adrian, Esther,
Peter and Joel
Waterdown, ON:
John and Margaret Bouwman
Grand Rapids, MI
Kevin and Jackie Stieva
(U.S.A):
Katelyn and Rebecca
Andy and Helen Van Neutegem
Hythe, S. Hampton
(England):
Ella and Chloe
Address: 293 6th Concession E., RR1, Millgrove, ON L0R 1V0
1955 – June 18 – 2000
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is
his love for those who fear Him. Psalm 103:8 and 11.
With thankfulness to our heavenly Father, who has guided them and
kept them in His care, we joyfully announce the 45th Wedding
Anniversary of our parents and grandparents
PIETER and ELSIEN NIJENHUIS (nee Van Sijdenborgh)
Their thankful children and grandchildren:
Carman, MB:
Alice and Arie Veenendaal
Eric and Natasha, Michelle, Justin, Denise,
Shannon, Devon
Jackie and Hank Versteeg
Jaclyn, Daryl, Matthew, Kyle
Ralph and Diane Nijenhuis
Raymond, Josh, Jeff, Elsie, Brandon
Guelph, ON:
Freda and Gerrit Bos
Colin, Adam
Piet and Tineke Nijenhuis
Meagan, Riley, Krista, Courtney
Teresa and Charles Doekes
Kaitlin, Sean, Owen
General Delivery, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
1975 – August 1 – 2000
Psalm 5
With thankfulness to the Lord who has guided, protected and richly
blessed them, we hope to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our parents
JAKE and GRACE OOSTERHOFF (nee deJonge)
Beamsville, ON:
Lisa
Kelly
Jason
An Open House will be held, D.V, August 12, 2000 in the Canadian
Reformed Church of Lincoln from 2-4 p.m. Best Wishes only please.
Address: 4045 Hixon Street, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B7
Advertise in the
Obituaries
Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believe, and so we speak, knowing
that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and
bring us with you into his presence. 2 Corinthians 4:13 and 14
The Lord in His wisdom took unto Himself at His time my husband, our father and grandfather
KORNELIS DIJKSTRA
March 10, 1934 - June 19, 2000
Haywood, MB:
Martha M. Dijkstra – Nieuman
Uilke Dijkstra
Winnipeg, MB:
Annie and Rob Dewitt
Kimberly, Colin, Jeffrey, Robyn
Alice and Rocky Richardson
Carman, MB:
Sam, Brett, Casey, Mikaela
Kinske Dijskstra
Winnipeg, MB:
David
Box 93, Haywood, MB R0G 0W0
Lo round the throne, a glorious band, the saints in countless
myriads stand. (Daarboven juicht een grote schaar.)
September 23, 1923 – June 12, 2000
At His appointed time, the Lord has taken to Himself our dear
husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather
ANDRIES (Andy) HAARSMA
Hamilton, ON:
Pietje Haarsma (Bouma)
Ancaster, ON:
Marg and John Noorduyn
Bill and Heidi Noorduyn
Anita, Klarissa, Daniel
Cherie and John-Mark Averink
Marianna, Joshua, Caleb
Donna and Jim Vyn
Joanne, Jonathan, David, Matthew
Yme Haarsma † (1958)
Smithville, ON:
Irene and Bill Kroes
Patricia, Jolene, Chris
Burlington, ON:
Bernice and Jim Buist
James, Ryan, Justin, Kevin, Kristen
Millgrove, ON:
Tracey and Pete Strating
Michael, Karyn
Ivan Haarsma
Hamilton, ON:
102 Garden Crescent, Hamilton, ON L8V 4T4
November 6, 1930 – July 3, 2000
*** Psalm 121:1, 2 and 7, 8 ***
The Lord has taken unto Himself into eternal glory
RALPH FREDERICK WINKEL
beloved husband of Rie Winkel for 47 years.
He will also be missed by his children and grandchildren:
Ft. McMurray, AB: Gordon and Jan Winkel
Richard, Charlene, Kevin, Karen
Brampton, ON:
Burt and Helena Winkel
David, Shaun, Jordan, Sheldon, Kezia
Edmonton, AB:
Jack and Jo-Ann Winkel
Morgan and Kelsey
754 Wheeler Road West, Edmonton, AB T6M 2E6
Teaching Positions
The Free Reformed School Association (TAS) Inc.
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER (full time)
The Free Reformed School Association (Tas) Inc. of Launceston,
Tasmania invites applications from suitably qualified persons for the
above position commencing January 2001. The position is for the
grades 7 and 8 and it is desirable that you can teach
Mathematics and Science.
All inquiries are encouraged and will be dealt with in a prompt and
confidential manner.
Applicants should be member of the Free Reformed churches of
Australia or one of its sister churches and have a strong
commitment towards Reformed education.
Conditions and salary are in accordance with the Independent
Schools (Teachers) Award.
For further information please contact the chairman Mr. J. Wielstra,
phone 03 63937043 (home), email: kwielstra@vision.net.au or
school principal Mr. G. Brouwer, phone 03 6344794 (school),
03 63271800 (home)
Applications should be directed to: The Secretary, Mrs. B. Heys
P.O. Box 89 Launceston, Tasmania 7250
The Canadian Reformed School Society of Coaldale, Alberta
invites applications for the position of:
TEACHER
Commencing August 1, 2000.
We are looking for teachers with High School Qualifications in
Math and Science.
For more information, please contact Mr. Marion Bareman,
Chairman of the Board, at (403) 655-2475 or
Mr. Joop Harthoorn, Principal,
at (403) 345-4891 (Home), (403) 345-4055 (School)
Applications should be sent to:
Coaldale Christian School
2008 - 8th Street, Coaldale, Alberta T1M 1L1
The Free Reformed School Association (TAS) Inc.
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS (full time)
The Free Reformed School Association (Tas) Inc. of Launceston,
Tasmania, intends to reopen year 9 and 10 and hopes to start
January 2001 and so invites expressions of interest from suitably
qualified persons for positions in the High School.
Teachers in all subject areas are required.
All inquiries are encouraged and will be dealt with in a prompt and
confidential manner.
Applicants should be members of the Free Reformed churches of
Australia or one of its sister churches and have a strong
commitment towards Reformed education.
Conditions and salary are in accordance with the Independent
Schools (Teachers) Award.
For further information please contact the chairman Mr. J. Wielstra,
phone 03 63937043 (home), email: kwielstra@vision.net.au or
school principal Mr. G. Brouwer, phone 03 63443794 (school),
03 63271800 (home)
Applications should be directed to:
The Secretary Mrs. B. Heys
P.O. Box 89 Launceston, Tasmania 7250
351
The Canadian Reformed School Society of London and District
operating, Covenant Christian School invites applications for
FULL TIME TEACHERS
Covenant Christian School has an enrollment of about 50 students in
grades 1-8 with 4 full time teachers and a large contingent of
volunteers.
Duties are to commence August 1,2000.
For more information contact Mr. Frank Oostdyk,
Chairman of the Board, at (519) 652-3926.
Applications to be addressed to: Mr. Ted Schouten,
66 Meadowlily Road, London, ON N5W 1B6
Ú
NOW AVAILABLE
“Joy
in the
Morning”
e
Celebrating
Salvation
by
Clarence Stam
What is the real meaning of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter,
Ascension, and Pentecost? What will happen before Jesus Christ
returns? “Celebrating Salvation” discusses those Bible passages that
deal directly with the great facts of salvation concerning the
ministry of Jesus Christ. It may help to understand what really
happened and how Christ today lives as Head of his church.
Soft cover, 302 pages ………………………………… $16.00
U.S. ………………………………… $12.00
Ú
x
A professionally made
live recording
of the concert given by
the Canadian Reformed Church Choirs
of the Prairies in Winnipeg on May 20, 2000
featuring 70 minutes of songs
praising God
by classical and contemporary composers.
Order : CDs at $20
Cassette tapes at $10 each
(words included) from Mass Choir 2000
c/o Theresa
Bergsma
(204) 745-2349 or
Box 1325, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
ISBN 0-88756-066-0
Place your order with your local bookstore or distributor,
or order directly from
PREMIER PUBLISHING
One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R2J 3X5
email: premier@premier.mb.ca
T
Speeches and discussions
on
The Attraction of
Evangelicalism
speeches and discussions on
Gerhard H. Visscher
AND
The Beauty of Being
Reformed
The Attraction of Evangelicalism
Gerhard H. Visscher
AND
The Beauty of Being Reformed
Jelle Faber
edited by Johannes Mulder
BURLINGTON REFORMED STUDY CENTRE
Jelle Faber
edited by Johannes Mulder
Is it still considered a privilege to be Reformed? Why do
evangelical churches attract many Reformed believers to visit their
services or join them?
It can not be denied that many Reformed churches have seen
serious Christians leave their ranks to join evangelical or Baptist
congregations. That begs the question: is the Reformed faith missing
something essential? What is in fact the difference between Reformed
and evangelical? Can we learn something from each other?
In two successive public meetings qualified speakers discussed
these and similar issues and questions in the Ebenezer Canadian
Reformed Church in Burlington, Ontario.
Soft Cover, 140 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 8.50
U.S .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 6.50
Email: premier@premier.mb.ca
352
Regina
Dei
Gratia
by Clarence Stam
In this book, Rev. Stam discusses the message and meaning of the
book of Esther. Although the Name of God is not mentioned once in
this book, there is ample evidence that God governs in such a way
that his people are preserved for the great day of the Lord Jesus
Christ. By his sovereign grace, God calls Esther to be queen of Persia
for the benefit of his church.
The book of Esther has a pivotal function in the Bible. It tells us how
in the transition from the old to the new world, from eastern to
western empires, the way of salvation in Christ is kept open. The
scene is set for the birth of the Saviour of the world. The great King is
coming. The Purim feast is today the church’s celebration of advent.
96 pages, Can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00
U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.25
PREMIER PUBLISHING
One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R2J 3X5
email: premier@premier.mb.ca
353
Maranatha Homes
Burlington, Ontario
bus: (905) 304-3303
fax: (905) 574-1450
res: (905) 648-7705
Re/Max Escarpment
Realty Inc.,
370 Wilson Street East,
Ancaster, Ontario L9G 4S4
john
van andel
sales
representative
serving Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas
and surrounding areas.
100% Club Member
BASEMENT APARTMENT
Two bedrooms plus living room. Equipped with
kitchen and laundry.
Asking $500/month plus shared utilities.
It is located near both colleges.
792 Upper Paradise, Hamilton, Ontario.
Available August 1, 2000
Contact: (604) 504-5536
This award-winning Senior Citizen Home is located
close to Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church. It has
audio hookup for the church services in every apartment
and a weekly evening video church service presentation provided for by Ebenezer. Monthly rent is geared
to income.
Information from:
Mrs. Rosanne van der Woerd
109-3260 New Street, Burlington, ON L7N 3L4
(905-681-0311)
or:
Arie J. Hordyk
2212 Headon Road, Burlington, ON L7M 3W7
(905-331-7625)
Email: hordyk@worldchat.com
Christian Festival Concert 2000
Roy Thomson Hall
Friday, November 3
Manoah Manor
has immediate openings in Intermediate Care for:
Intermediate Care
Respite Care
Transitional Care
•Do you need assistance with the care of an elderly
parent/spouse?
•Are you looking for temporary relief from the
ongoing demands of providing care for a loved
one?
•Do you require alternate arrangements for
holidays?
Please give us a call. We may also be able to help out
with temporary Transitional Care, after illness or
hospitalization.
Each application will be reviewed individually.
Manoah Manor is a 10 bed private Intermediate
Care home for the elderly, operated by the Canadian
Reformed Senior Citizens’ Home Society in
Langley, BC.
at 7:30 p.m.
by the
Ontario Christian Music Academy
Maya Roodveldt, soprano and Ruud Fiselier, tenor
Dirk Out and Andre Knevel, organ and piano
under the direction of
Leendert Kooij
Tickets $25.00 / $ 20.00 / $15.00
Order from: Ontario Christian Music Assembly
90 Topcliff Avenue, Downsview, ON M3N 1L8
Call (416) 636-9779 for tickets or info
Don’t miss this evening of praise to our faithful God!
The home provides an atmosphere of spiritual and
cultural unity in a setting where residents receive
care as needed, and support from each other, family, staff and fellow church members. Most of our
staff speak and/or understand Dutch.
garden city realty inc.,
REALTOR®
John Meerveld
Associate Broker
Some restrictions may apply.
For further information, please contact
Gerda Jacobi at (604) 530-9895
as soon as possible
354
NEW
with special guests
“A Proven Top Producer . . .”
(905) 333-3500
945-0660
(905)
SERVING THE
COMMUNITY SINCE 1979 Fax: 945-2982
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS
www.remax-gardencity.com/johnmeerveld
Fax: 333-3616
SALES POSITION
AVAILABLE
Due to continued growth and increased sales, Premier
School Agendas, Ltd., Eastern Canada Division has an
opening for a
The Theological College
of the
Canadian Reformed Churches
The Thirty-first Anniversary Meeting
SALES CONSULTANT
and the Twenty-sixth Convocation
in Ontario.
We are looking for an individual who lives in, or is
interested in relocating to either the greater Ottawa
area, or Owen Sound area.
of the Theological College
will be held, D.V., on
Friday, September 8, 2000
Please forward your resume to:
Henry Nieuwenhuis
at 8:00 p.m.
Regional Manager
hnieuwenhuis@agendas.com
Premier School Agendas
Suite 48 – 5100 South Service Road
Burlington, ON L7L 5H4
Fax (905) 637-1016 or
in the auditorium of Redeember College
(777 Garner Road East, Ancaster, Ontario)
*****
Harry Stel
General Manager
Suite 200, 5510-268th Street
Langley, BC V4W 3X4
Preference will be given to articulate self starters. Previous
sales experience, computer literacy, post-secondary
education, and French literacy are definite assets.
Job will commence September 2000
Dr. J. De Jong
will speak on the topic:
“Preachers of the Cross.
The Enduring Heart
of the Reformatory Impulse”
*****
❉
EBENEZER
VILLA
❉
The Master of Divinity Degree
will be conferred on
Stone Church Road East
Hamilton, Ontario
Wesley Lloyd Bredenhof
For your enjoyment we offer:
A collection will be taken
35 apartments for senior citizens (one and two
bedroom) close to all amenities, bus service for
shopping, organized entertainment, Bible
Study, Christian fellowship, and a rewarding
atmosphere.
for the Theological College Organ Fund
•Audio/video hook-up to Cornerstone
Canadian Reformed Church.
•Monthly rent is geared to income.
If you are interested, and would like further
information,
THE NEW LIBRARY OPENING
(tax receipts available)
*****
AND OPEN HOUSE
will take place on
Mr. Jack Hagan
Saturday, September 9, 2000
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
(905) 389-5318
with the official ceremony taking place at 11 a.m.
please contact:
355
COUNTRY TOWN
REALTY INC.
“Serving the Smithville, Attercliffe
and surrounding areas.
Call today for area information”
(905) 957-5000
24 hr. pager
Guido De Brés
Christian High School
25th Anniversary
Commemorative Yearbook
107 Griffin St. S.
Smithville, ON
L0R 2A0
Mark vander Velde
Sales Representative
Quality
Water
Systems
Halton-Wentworth
Water Treatment Ltd.
106 pages of Students and Teachers from 1975-2000
www.kinetico.com
Price: $40.00
•Non-electric water
conditioners and drinking
water systems
•Clean, conditioned water and
high-quality drinking water
•Select systems named
Consumers Digest Best Buys
•40-60% salt savings
•No Charge for service on
systems we install
Contact the School (905) 574-4011
JOE A. BOERSEMA, R.R.S.
Sales Representative
A professional who honours the Lord’s Day!
(Only a donation to C.N.I.B.)
It is my privilege to assist you with
competence and confidentiality in all
your buying and selling needs.
Garden City Realty Inc., Realtor
720 guelph line
burlington, ontario L7R 4E2
bus: (905) 333-3500
res: 333-1753 fax: 333-3616
Cell 905-517-1451
Res. 905-386-7494
Fax 905-957-1204
Hank Van Dam
SALT DELIVERY TO YOUR
BASEMENT FLOOR
Office (905) 332-3624
Pager (905) 524-6269
Large room for rent in Guelph, Ontario
THE MUSIC GROUP
&
THE PIANOHOUSE
FOR
CONTENT
HOME AND CHURCH ORGANS
&
Quality new and used
PIANOS and
GRAND PIANOS
5205 Harvester Rd. #2 Burlington, ON L7L 6B5
Tel. & Fax (905) 631-1929 or 1-888-PIANO-81
Visit us at our web site
www.pianohouseburlington.com
and/or
www.organs.com
suitable for mature student. Separate entrance, private
kitchen and bathroom. Two minute walk to bus stop,
and close to stores, library, and rec centre.
$400 monthly
Please call Keith or Miriam at
519-823-0539
THINKING OF A MOVE – HAVE
YOU CONSIDERED MANITOBA?
Homelife-Riverbend
Realty Ltd.
Virtually no unemployment
Great retirement town
Dairy, hog and grain farms
Business opportunities
Give me a call at 1-204-745-2984
or e-mail benvdmln@mb.sympatico.ca
Fax: 1-204-745-1974
Ben
Vandermeulen
CARMAN
& AREA

Redeemer Canadian Reformed Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Transcription

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