January 3, 2016
CHURCH BULLETIN OF THE CANADIAN REFORMED CHURCHES AT
BARRHEAD AND NEERLANDIA Volume 21 Number 18 January 3rd 2016 A.D.
WORSHIP SERVICES BARRHEAD
NEERLANDIA
January 3
Rev. H. Kalkman Rev. C. Vanderlinde Mission Aid Brazil
Rev. W.B. Slomp Rev. W.B. Slomp M.A.F. (Feunekes)
January 10 Lord’s Supper
Rev. C. Vanderlinde Rev. C. Vanderlinde Mission Aid Brazil
M.A.F. (Feunekes)
Rev. C. Vanderlinde (780) 284-4080
Br. A. Vanleeuwen (780) 674-5232
The bulletin is published under the responsibility of the respective consistory. Barrhead Editors: Rev. C. Vanderlinde: [email protected], Br. J. Tiggelaar: [email protected] Neerlandia Editors: Br. A. Vanleeuwen, Br. R. VanAssen Deadline: All ads must be emailed to [email protected] or for Barrhead to one of the editors no later than 6:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before publication.
GENERAL NEWS ROLLING CALENDAR General January 9 Grand Opening Program Barrhead
Neerlandia January 5 Singing at Kier Care
BARRHEAD CANRC OPEN HOUSE & GRAND OPENING - JANUARY 9, 2016 With thankfulness to the Lord, who blesses us with all good things, we cordially invite you to join us as we celebrate the opening of our new church building. Our grand opening celebration will take place, D.V., on Saturday, January 9, 2016. An open house will be held from 3 – 5pm, with the dedication program set to begin at 7 pm. Refreshments will be served at both events. All are welcome – come join us as we praise our Heavenly Father and thank Him for providing us with a home in which we hope to worship and share the communion of saints for years to come!
VOICE OF THE CHURCH Voice of the Church is a media outreach program of the Canadian Reformed Churches. MP3 audio files of Voice of the Church meditations are available for listening (streaming) and/or downloading on www.voiceofthechurch.org as well as www.sermonaudio.com/votc. The meditations for January are by Rev. Chris Bosch: Nothing New? A New Song A New Name A New Life The New Heaven and the New Earth
CRWRF RESPONDS TO FLOODING: th
On December 2nd, the 4 largest city in India (Chennai) experienced the trauma and destruction of severe flooding after a month of heavy rainfall which filled homes with 12 feet of water; collapsing walls, destroying property, damaging roads and other infrastructure. As some have read, the Reformed Christians in this area are known through contacts via our seminary. Ken Bergsma and Mark Wanders spent time in the area this summer, visiting the churches and giving catechism instruction to young seminary students. We are responding with an initial transfer of relief funds to Rev. Jacob as he helps the 300 local believers that have been affected by the flooding. Partnering with Help a Child Foundation-India is another avenue of support that we are working on as they have a presence in child sponsorship in the area. We will continue to pray for and support the community as they work from relief to rehabilitation and disaster preparedness. We are not appealing for funds at this time but are accepting any donations that you may wish to designate towards this effort. Please earmark your donation “Chennai India flooding” Find us at www.crwrf.ca or on Facebook.
BARRHEAD NEWS TO AND FROM THE CONGREGATION Happy New Year and Happy Birthday/Anniversary! Why happy birthday/anniversary? Well because on New Year’s Day Barrhead Canadian Reformed Church could celebrate th her 55 year in existence since her institution on January 1, 1961. What a special milestone at which we may celebrate the Lord’s goodness, grace and faithfulness towards us! We may give thanks to God for all of his blessings showered upon us over these many years. Just for an idea of how long ago 1961 was: it was the year when the Berlin Wall was built between East and West Germany, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States of America, John Diefenbaker was Prime Minister of Canada, and Russian Yuri Gagarin was the first man put into orbit. When we reflect on this we may paraphrase the words of the well-known hymn Amazing Grace written by C.M. Arlington: “’tis grace has brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home.” th Later this week, on January 9 , we may give further celebration and reflection upon the Lord’s goodness to us as a congregation as an open house and grand opening are in the works. Tell your friends, neighbours, associates, and anyone else who may be interested to come. See elsewhere in this bulletin (or the Barrhead Leader ad) for more info. Just like that the Christmas holiday season is past us once again. This week students and teachers and staff go back to school, Catechism classes resume, and many of us enter again the regular routines of life. As we carry on from here, amidst a sea of change, let us go forward remembering that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. May He be our anchor of hope and perspective in whatever lies ahead.
Leaving us for a while with a travel attestation are brother and sister Mick and Marcella Vanderlaan and their two baptized children Mikenna and Brayden who have gone “down under” as of New Year’s Eve. They plan to be in Australia in the region of the Free Reformed churches of Southern River and Mount Nasura until they return home to Barrhead in the middle of February. May the Lord grant them a safe journey and an enriching time among the saints in Australia. I may also report the joyful news of two new children born within the congregation. On Wednesday morning this past week, brother and sister Logan and Karina Tiggelaar received healthy twin baby girls from the hand of the Lord. They’ve named them Addison Blair and Reagan Kinsley. We can be thankful that the Lord has made all things well with mother and daughters, also as this was an answer to prayer when Karina was placed on bedrest and had to remain in the city. Now we pray that Logan and Karina may adjust to their new role as parents, never any easy assignment with just one child, let alone two. Therefore we pray that the Lord will strengthen and equip you with all that you need, also through the support we as a congregation can provide for you. May the Lord give to you as parents, as well as to all the parents in the congregation, everything required to train our children in the love and fear of the Lord. This joyful news also meets with some sorrowful news in the broader-Tiggelaar family. Last week Sunday our minister emeritus Rev. Tiggelaar received the news that his brother (John) in Winnipeg died suddenly of a heart attack. This news was made all the more difficult for the Tiggelaar family because John did not show any evidence of faith. As a result Rev. and Dianne Tiggelaar’s have made their way to Winnipeg this past week to be with family at this time. We pray that the Lord may strengthen them during this time and reach out to the grieving with the reminder of the hope and comfort found in the gospel for all who put their faith in Christ. Due to these developments Rev. J. Kalkman was found available and willing to fill in for Rev. Tiggelaar and has agreed to lead our worship services this morning. We thank you for assisting us in this way! I will, Lord-willing, lead the afternoon service which will also include the baptism of Rick and Stephanie DeVink’s newborn son, Emmett Gage. May the Lord bless the proclamation of his Word and the administration of the sacrament of baptism. You are also reminded that next week, the Lord-willing, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. May we prepare our hearts for that sacrament through self-examination as the Lord calls us each to do, so that the sacrament will serve to strengthen and nurture our faith. May you all have a blessed Lord’s day! CVL
BARRHEAD PREACHING SCHEDULE January 3 AM – Rev. J. Kalkman January 3 PM – Rev. C. Vanderlinde January 10 AM – Rev. C. Vanderlinde (Lord’s Supper) January 10 PM – Rev. C. Vanderlinde
BARRHEAD SCHEDULED COLLECTIONS January: Mission Aid Brazil
CATECHISM INSTRUCTION Reminder for all: please come prepared with a Bible, Book of Praise, binder and a writing utensil. Classes One, Two, & Three: Will meet again this week on January 5. Pre-confession/Post-confession class: Will meet again this week on January 6.
HOST FAMILY This week’s host family is Shawn & Meaghan Kobes January 10 James & Renee Kobes January 17 Herb & Sandy Kobes January 24 Marvin & Stephanie Jissink January 31 Jelte & Irene Jagersma
FROM THE C OF A Thank-you for the monies received in 2015. Except for church members paying on-line, the envelopes for paying church budget have been placed in your mailboxes. Please let one of us know if you still need envelopes. For younger and new members- we encourage everyone to be a part of paying for the ongoing operating costs of this church, this includes electricity, power, heat, stipend, etc. If you are a non-professing member, and are able, we also encourage you to take part in giving as it is a blessing . The Lord loves a cheerful giver!
INVITATIONS FOR THE GRAND OPENING Invitations to our church's grand opening are available in the common area of the church. These invitations were beautifully crafted by a talented member of the congregation. They are intended to be used to invite non-members of our church (or our sister church) to come to our Grand Opening. Please feel free to take 2 or 3 invitations to hand out to your neighbours, coworkers or friends who are not members of our Canadian or United Reformed Churches. It is our hope that these invitations can help you
share the excitement of our church with those around you. Thanks from the Evangelism Committee (Berdien Vanleeuwen, Matt Vanden Hoven, Garrick Scheper, BJ and James Vanden Hoven)
CHOIR PRACTICE Choir Practice- Please join us on This Tuesday, January 5 at 7:45 to practice songs for our church program on Friday. We would like to have a few more voices so please come out and join us! Contact Alja if you have any questions!
GOLF SCORES! Just an update for all of you who supported or played in our golf tournament this fall. The net proceeds for the tournament were just slightly over $16,000!! We originally planned to support our building project in some way but when we were informed that things were on track there, we began to think that a new piano would be a very nice use of the proceeds. After speaking with our pianists we also realized our existing piano's better days were behind it. It's a lot of work to get enough sound out of it for the size of building we have as it was designed for home use and it's range is slowly going down hill. We hoped to find a great deal on a used grand piano and we did! A piano is an integral part of our worship each Sunday and we are happy to inform you we now have a beautiful sounding (and looking) grand piano. It's great to be able to point towards what everyone's efforts accomplished that day and we thank you again for all your generosity in raising these funds.
GEMS Hello Gems Girls and Parents, Our next meeting is on Wednesday, January 13 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Please bring your book, scarf, a Bible, and a pen or pencil. We will be doing the painting badge. Aaliyah will bring snacks and drinks. Hope to see you all there! If you have any questions, please contact Miranda or Stephanie Larson.
YOUTH GROUP Youth group is at marcel and Jessica Peters house today after second service instead of at the church. Thank you
YOUNG PEOPLES BIBLE STUDY The next young people's Bible study is scheduled to take place on January 10 after the second service in the church. We'll be studying Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the Merciful" from the study guide Living the Faith: A Study of the Beatitudes by Rev. R. J. Sikkema. Pick up a copy of the study material from the stack at the back of the church and study ahead for a deeper discussion.
BABYSITTING Jan 3 Jan 10LS
AM (INF) Jessica W, BJ V, Keri B (TOD) Jane H, Irene J, Chelsea V PM Meaghan K, Leanne L, Renee V AM (INF) Marian S, Arianne V, Ryley J, Amy O (TOD) Melanie J, Olivia V, Justine K, Laura O PM Bonnie V, Sherri H, Bethany V
NEERLANDIA NEWS FOR AND FROM THE FLOCK “Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Ps. 90:1&2 Again another year has ended and a new year has dawned. We are a people of hope, know the coming of our risen Lord Jesus Christ is another year closer. As we think about the rich gifts of grace from our Father’s hand again this past year, we rejoice in the living hope we have. The coming of that new and glorious day! May we live in this great anticipation! Come Lord Jesus! As we begin 2016, there have been a few events in the lives of God’s people here in Neerlandia. Hendrik and Shelley VanBeek were blessed with the birth of a baby girl whom they’ve named Zaleigha Antonette. What a gift from our Father in heaven who has made all things well! May you and we all, be blessed with wisdom and strength as we raise our children to know their heavenly Father and the gift of His Son. May He give us strength to be faithful to the promises made at our children’s baptism and so give praise to His holy name! We also give thanks for the protection the Lord provided for our young sister Jenessa Dejong. While skiing this past week, she was hit in the head very seriously and is suffering concussion symptoms. We pray that the Lord will give you patience as you rest and recover. This week, Case and Shirley VanBeek will be doing some more celebrating! As you both rejoice in another year of good health and happiness, we pray that God will bless you in the year ahead. We wish you both a very happy birthday and that you have a wonderful time of celebration with family and friends.
This week Wednesday, Larry and Rosanne Olson will be heading to Mexico for continued treatment for Larry’s illness. We pray that God will bless you in your travels and that the treatment will have the desired effect. May you and your loved ones experience His nearness during this time. Late this past week, the Lord took to Himself Rev. Stam. He is well known among the Reformed churches and abroad for the many sermons, books and articles which he has written. In this, we see God’s grace and mercy in the continued strengthening and encouraging of the churches. We thank the Lord for Rev. Stam’s work in and among the churches and among the people of God. We pray that his loved ones will be comforted in the knowledge of the crown of glory which awaits all those who put their hope and trust in Him. Today we welcome Rev. Slomp to lead the services. We are thankful for your faithful willingness to come in our midst and bring us the living Word. May we all with open heart and mind, hear this Word, know of our sin and live lives of gratitude acknowledging what our Lord and Saviour has done for us.
PREACHING ARRANGEMENTS January 3
AM Rev. Slomp PM Rev. Slomp
SENIORS COFFEE Coffee will be at Cor and Jannie VanderKamp Wed.Jan.6 at 10 o'clock
SINGING AT KIER CARE It is our turn to sing at KIER CARE on TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016 from 10:00 to 11:00 am.Hope to see you all there Thank-you, Alice K.
COVENANT OF LOVE YOUTH GROUP Our next meeting is on Sunday Jan. 10 at 7:30pm DV. We will be studying Outline 2 (Philippians 1:27 - 2:18) from the book Enduring Joy by Dr. K. Deddens. Copies of the book will be available at the meeting if you do not already have one. If you have a child who is 12-15 they are welcome to join us! Information can also be viewed on the church website under the Societies, Youth Group tab. www.neerlandiacanrc.ca. Juice: Tristin VL. Snacks: Ally V.
YOUNG PEOPLES SOCIETY We have begun the study of the book Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. Read and study Chapters 8 and 9 before the next meeting. Please do the For Personal Study questions on pages 42-45. This pre-study is really beneficial when it comes to further discussions at our meetings, so please do so! Our next meeting will be held at Levi and Nelson’s place at 8:00 pm on January 3, 2016 D.V. Brett Hamoen will be opening this meeting. A reminder: the dues for this year are $20 and are to be paid to our previous treasurer, Caleb Kos, as soon as possible. The cost for the study book (including the textbook) for this year is $32. This must be paid when you receive your books. Our two new presidents were decided at the first meeting: Levi Wierenga @ 780-2843739 and Pieter Steenbergen @ 780-284-4060. Feel free to contact them if you have any questions. SVA
WEDNESDAY EVENING WOMEN’S SOCIETY Our next meeting on Luke 5 is to be on Wednesday Jan 6, 2016 at 8:00pm. We are going to study chapter 5 – Christ and the Expansion of His Messianic Ministry (pages 83-97) of the book "Messiah, the Holy One of God". You are asked also to study further – The Year of Jubilee - especially in regards to the importance of the inheritance. Baking: Maria Hamoen Please join us in our study of God's word even if only for a time or two. We would love to see you there.
SATURDAY MORNING MEN'S BIBLE STUDY Our next bible study session will take place on January the 9th @ 8am in the church basement. We will be studying and focusing on the letter to the Hebrews chapter 5. We have been experiencing a poor turnout to our meetings. Examine the reasons you are not attending and perhaps take the opportunity that is presented to meditate and discuss God's Word. Our God is worthy of our praise and dedication. Also, a reminder that the dues are $20 and will cover the cost of the ham and eggs provided for breakfast.
SERVICE COMMITTEE To all seniors or disabled members of our congregation: We as Young Peoples Society continue to offer our services with chores in and around your home. To make arrangements please call Nelson W. @ 780-305-5099 or Kurt V. @ 780-206-6604. We would love to help you!
HOST FAMILY Jan 3 Henry & Marie Stad
Jan 10 Gert & Marie Steenbergen Jan 17 Henk & Laura Steenbergen
BABYSITTNG Toy Cleaning for January 4: Kym P, Vanessa T, Cindy T Jan 3 AM Up – Alanna W, Missy A, Angela K Down – Katrina B, Kerry B, Raelynn H, Sierra W PM Up – Anita B, Karen Br, Mercedes W Down – Karen Bouw, Iris B Jan 10 LS AM Up – Amily V, Martina VR, Julianna J, Danika H Down – Kira D, Kaitlyn VB, Shyanne VA, Rachel W Mother Helpers: Marja B, Rachel B PM Up – Tamara B, Jolene B, Gelsey B Down – Rita B, Esther VA
BARRHEAD AND NEERLANDIA Volume 21 Number 18 January 3rd 2016 A.D.
WORSHIP SERVICES BARRHEAD
NEERLANDIA
January 3
Rev. H. Kalkman Rev. C. Vanderlinde Mission Aid Brazil
Rev. W.B. Slomp Rev. W.B. Slomp M.A.F. (Feunekes)
January 10 Lord’s Supper
Rev. C. Vanderlinde Rev. C. Vanderlinde Mission Aid Brazil
M.A.F. (Feunekes)
Rev. C. Vanderlinde (780) 284-4080
Br. A. Vanleeuwen (780) 674-5232
The bulletin is published under the responsibility of the respective consistory. Barrhead Editors: Rev. C. Vanderlinde: [email protected], Br. J. Tiggelaar: [email protected] Neerlandia Editors: Br. A. Vanleeuwen, Br. R. VanAssen Deadline: All ads must be emailed to [email protected] or for Barrhead to one of the editors no later than 6:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before publication.
GENERAL NEWS ROLLING CALENDAR General January 9 Grand Opening Program Barrhead
Neerlandia January 5 Singing at Kier Care
BARRHEAD CANRC OPEN HOUSE & GRAND OPENING - JANUARY 9, 2016 With thankfulness to the Lord, who blesses us with all good things, we cordially invite you to join us as we celebrate the opening of our new church building. Our grand opening celebration will take place, D.V., on Saturday, January 9, 2016. An open house will be held from 3 – 5pm, with the dedication program set to begin at 7 pm. Refreshments will be served at both events. All are welcome – come join us as we praise our Heavenly Father and thank Him for providing us with a home in which we hope to worship and share the communion of saints for years to come!
VOICE OF THE CHURCH Voice of the Church is a media outreach program of the Canadian Reformed Churches. MP3 audio files of Voice of the Church meditations are available for listening (streaming) and/or downloading on www.voiceofthechurch.org as well as www.sermonaudio.com/votc. The meditations for January are by Rev. Chris Bosch: Nothing New? A New Song A New Name A New Life The New Heaven and the New Earth
CRWRF RESPONDS TO FLOODING: th
On December 2nd, the 4 largest city in India (Chennai) experienced the trauma and destruction of severe flooding after a month of heavy rainfall which filled homes with 12 feet of water; collapsing walls, destroying property, damaging roads and other infrastructure. As some have read, the Reformed Christians in this area are known through contacts via our seminary. Ken Bergsma and Mark Wanders spent time in the area this summer, visiting the churches and giving catechism instruction to young seminary students. We are responding with an initial transfer of relief funds to Rev. Jacob as he helps the 300 local believers that have been affected by the flooding. Partnering with Help a Child Foundation-India is another avenue of support that we are working on as they have a presence in child sponsorship in the area. We will continue to pray for and support the community as they work from relief to rehabilitation and disaster preparedness. We are not appealing for funds at this time but are accepting any donations that you may wish to designate towards this effort. Please earmark your donation “Chennai India flooding” Find us at www.crwrf.ca or on Facebook.
BARRHEAD NEWS TO AND FROM THE CONGREGATION Happy New Year and Happy Birthday/Anniversary! Why happy birthday/anniversary? Well because on New Year’s Day Barrhead Canadian Reformed Church could celebrate th her 55 year in existence since her institution on January 1, 1961. What a special milestone at which we may celebrate the Lord’s goodness, grace and faithfulness towards us! We may give thanks to God for all of his blessings showered upon us over these many years. Just for an idea of how long ago 1961 was: it was the year when the Berlin Wall was built between East and West Germany, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States of America, John Diefenbaker was Prime Minister of Canada, and Russian Yuri Gagarin was the first man put into orbit. When we reflect on this we may paraphrase the words of the well-known hymn Amazing Grace written by C.M. Arlington: “’tis grace has brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home.” th Later this week, on January 9 , we may give further celebration and reflection upon the Lord’s goodness to us as a congregation as an open house and grand opening are in the works. Tell your friends, neighbours, associates, and anyone else who may be interested to come. See elsewhere in this bulletin (or the Barrhead Leader ad) for more info. Just like that the Christmas holiday season is past us once again. This week students and teachers and staff go back to school, Catechism classes resume, and many of us enter again the regular routines of life. As we carry on from here, amidst a sea of change, let us go forward remembering that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. May He be our anchor of hope and perspective in whatever lies ahead.
Leaving us for a while with a travel attestation are brother and sister Mick and Marcella Vanderlaan and their two baptized children Mikenna and Brayden who have gone “down under” as of New Year’s Eve. They plan to be in Australia in the region of the Free Reformed churches of Southern River and Mount Nasura until they return home to Barrhead in the middle of February. May the Lord grant them a safe journey and an enriching time among the saints in Australia. I may also report the joyful news of two new children born within the congregation. On Wednesday morning this past week, brother and sister Logan and Karina Tiggelaar received healthy twin baby girls from the hand of the Lord. They’ve named them Addison Blair and Reagan Kinsley. We can be thankful that the Lord has made all things well with mother and daughters, also as this was an answer to prayer when Karina was placed on bedrest and had to remain in the city. Now we pray that Logan and Karina may adjust to their new role as parents, never any easy assignment with just one child, let alone two. Therefore we pray that the Lord will strengthen and equip you with all that you need, also through the support we as a congregation can provide for you. May the Lord give to you as parents, as well as to all the parents in the congregation, everything required to train our children in the love and fear of the Lord. This joyful news also meets with some sorrowful news in the broader-Tiggelaar family. Last week Sunday our minister emeritus Rev. Tiggelaar received the news that his brother (John) in Winnipeg died suddenly of a heart attack. This news was made all the more difficult for the Tiggelaar family because John did not show any evidence of faith. As a result Rev. and Dianne Tiggelaar’s have made their way to Winnipeg this past week to be with family at this time. We pray that the Lord may strengthen them during this time and reach out to the grieving with the reminder of the hope and comfort found in the gospel for all who put their faith in Christ. Due to these developments Rev. J. Kalkman was found available and willing to fill in for Rev. Tiggelaar and has agreed to lead our worship services this morning. We thank you for assisting us in this way! I will, Lord-willing, lead the afternoon service which will also include the baptism of Rick and Stephanie DeVink’s newborn son, Emmett Gage. May the Lord bless the proclamation of his Word and the administration of the sacrament of baptism. You are also reminded that next week, the Lord-willing, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. May we prepare our hearts for that sacrament through self-examination as the Lord calls us each to do, so that the sacrament will serve to strengthen and nurture our faith. May you all have a blessed Lord’s day! CVL
BARRHEAD PREACHING SCHEDULE January 3 AM – Rev. J. Kalkman January 3 PM – Rev. C. Vanderlinde January 10 AM – Rev. C. Vanderlinde (Lord’s Supper) January 10 PM – Rev. C. Vanderlinde
BARRHEAD SCHEDULED COLLECTIONS January: Mission Aid Brazil
CATECHISM INSTRUCTION Reminder for all: please come prepared with a Bible, Book of Praise, binder and a writing utensil. Classes One, Two, & Three: Will meet again this week on January 5. Pre-confession/Post-confession class: Will meet again this week on January 6.
HOST FAMILY This week’s host family is Shawn & Meaghan Kobes January 10 James & Renee Kobes January 17 Herb & Sandy Kobes January 24 Marvin & Stephanie Jissink January 31 Jelte & Irene Jagersma
FROM THE C OF A Thank-you for the monies received in 2015. Except for church members paying on-line, the envelopes for paying church budget have been placed in your mailboxes. Please let one of us know if you still need envelopes. For younger and new members- we encourage everyone to be a part of paying for the ongoing operating costs of this church, this includes electricity, power, heat, stipend, etc. If you are a non-professing member, and are able, we also encourage you to take part in giving as it is a blessing . The Lord loves a cheerful giver!
INVITATIONS FOR THE GRAND OPENING Invitations to our church's grand opening are available in the common area of the church. These invitations were beautifully crafted by a talented member of the congregation. They are intended to be used to invite non-members of our church (or our sister church) to come to our Grand Opening. Please feel free to take 2 or 3 invitations to hand out to your neighbours, coworkers or friends who are not members of our Canadian or United Reformed Churches. It is our hope that these invitations can help you
share the excitement of our church with those around you. Thanks from the Evangelism Committee (Berdien Vanleeuwen, Matt Vanden Hoven, Garrick Scheper, BJ and James Vanden Hoven)
CHOIR PRACTICE Choir Practice- Please join us on This Tuesday, January 5 at 7:45 to practice songs for our church program on Friday. We would like to have a few more voices so please come out and join us! Contact Alja if you have any questions!
GOLF SCORES! Just an update for all of you who supported or played in our golf tournament this fall. The net proceeds for the tournament were just slightly over $16,000!! We originally planned to support our building project in some way but when we were informed that things were on track there, we began to think that a new piano would be a very nice use of the proceeds. After speaking with our pianists we also realized our existing piano's better days were behind it. It's a lot of work to get enough sound out of it for the size of building we have as it was designed for home use and it's range is slowly going down hill. We hoped to find a great deal on a used grand piano and we did! A piano is an integral part of our worship each Sunday and we are happy to inform you we now have a beautiful sounding (and looking) grand piano. It's great to be able to point towards what everyone's efforts accomplished that day and we thank you again for all your generosity in raising these funds.
GEMS Hello Gems Girls and Parents, Our next meeting is on Wednesday, January 13 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Please bring your book, scarf, a Bible, and a pen or pencil. We will be doing the painting badge. Aaliyah will bring snacks and drinks. Hope to see you all there! If you have any questions, please contact Miranda or Stephanie Larson.
YOUTH GROUP Youth group is at marcel and Jessica Peters house today after second service instead of at the church. Thank you
YOUNG PEOPLES BIBLE STUDY The next young people's Bible study is scheduled to take place on January 10 after the second service in the church. We'll be studying Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the Merciful" from the study guide Living the Faith: A Study of the Beatitudes by Rev. R. J. Sikkema. Pick up a copy of the study material from the stack at the back of the church and study ahead for a deeper discussion.
BABYSITTING Jan 3 Jan 10LS
AM (INF) Jessica W, BJ V, Keri B (TOD) Jane H, Irene J, Chelsea V PM Meaghan K, Leanne L, Renee V AM (INF) Marian S, Arianne V, Ryley J, Amy O (TOD) Melanie J, Olivia V, Justine K, Laura O PM Bonnie V, Sherri H, Bethany V
NEERLANDIA NEWS FOR AND FROM THE FLOCK “Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Ps. 90:1&2 Again another year has ended and a new year has dawned. We are a people of hope, know the coming of our risen Lord Jesus Christ is another year closer. As we think about the rich gifts of grace from our Father’s hand again this past year, we rejoice in the living hope we have. The coming of that new and glorious day! May we live in this great anticipation! Come Lord Jesus! As we begin 2016, there have been a few events in the lives of God’s people here in Neerlandia. Hendrik and Shelley VanBeek were blessed with the birth of a baby girl whom they’ve named Zaleigha Antonette. What a gift from our Father in heaven who has made all things well! May you and we all, be blessed with wisdom and strength as we raise our children to know their heavenly Father and the gift of His Son. May He give us strength to be faithful to the promises made at our children’s baptism and so give praise to His holy name! We also give thanks for the protection the Lord provided for our young sister Jenessa Dejong. While skiing this past week, she was hit in the head very seriously and is suffering concussion symptoms. We pray that the Lord will give you patience as you rest and recover. This week, Case and Shirley VanBeek will be doing some more celebrating! As you both rejoice in another year of good health and happiness, we pray that God will bless you in the year ahead. We wish you both a very happy birthday and that you have a wonderful time of celebration with family and friends.
This week Wednesday, Larry and Rosanne Olson will be heading to Mexico for continued treatment for Larry’s illness. We pray that God will bless you in your travels and that the treatment will have the desired effect. May you and your loved ones experience His nearness during this time. Late this past week, the Lord took to Himself Rev. Stam. He is well known among the Reformed churches and abroad for the many sermons, books and articles which he has written. In this, we see God’s grace and mercy in the continued strengthening and encouraging of the churches. We thank the Lord for Rev. Stam’s work in and among the churches and among the people of God. We pray that his loved ones will be comforted in the knowledge of the crown of glory which awaits all those who put their hope and trust in Him. Today we welcome Rev. Slomp to lead the services. We are thankful for your faithful willingness to come in our midst and bring us the living Word. May we all with open heart and mind, hear this Word, know of our sin and live lives of gratitude acknowledging what our Lord and Saviour has done for us.
PREACHING ARRANGEMENTS January 3
AM Rev. Slomp PM Rev. Slomp
SENIORS COFFEE Coffee will be at Cor and Jannie VanderKamp Wed.Jan.6 at 10 o'clock
SINGING AT KIER CARE It is our turn to sing at KIER CARE on TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016 from 10:00 to 11:00 am.Hope to see you all there Thank-you, Alice K.
COVENANT OF LOVE YOUTH GROUP Our next meeting is on Sunday Jan. 10 at 7:30pm DV. We will be studying Outline 2 (Philippians 1:27 - 2:18) from the book Enduring Joy by Dr. K. Deddens. Copies of the book will be available at the meeting if you do not already have one. If you have a child who is 12-15 they are welcome to join us! Information can also be viewed on the church website under the Societies, Youth Group tab. www.neerlandiacanrc.ca. Juice: Tristin VL. Snacks: Ally V.
YOUNG PEOPLES SOCIETY We have begun the study of the book Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. Read and study Chapters 8 and 9 before the next meeting. Please do the For Personal Study questions on pages 42-45. This pre-study is really beneficial when it comes to further discussions at our meetings, so please do so! Our next meeting will be held at Levi and Nelson’s place at 8:00 pm on January 3, 2016 D.V. Brett Hamoen will be opening this meeting. A reminder: the dues for this year are $20 and are to be paid to our previous treasurer, Caleb Kos, as soon as possible. The cost for the study book (including the textbook) for this year is $32. This must be paid when you receive your books. Our two new presidents were decided at the first meeting: Levi Wierenga @ 780-2843739 and Pieter Steenbergen @ 780-284-4060. Feel free to contact them if you have any questions. SVA
WEDNESDAY EVENING WOMEN’S SOCIETY Our next meeting on Luke 5 is to be on Wednesday Jan 6, 2016 at 8:00pm. We are going to study chapter 5 – Christ and the Expansion of His Messianic Ministry (pages 83-97) of the book "Messiah, the Holy One of God". You are asked also to study further – The Year of Jubilee - especially in regards to the importance of the inheritance. Baking: Maria Hamoen Please join us in our study of God's word even if only for a time or two. We would love to see you there.
SATURDAY MORNING MEN'S BIBLE STUDY Our next bible study session will take place on January the 9th @ 8am in the church basement. We will be studying and focusing on the letter to the Hebrews chapter 5. We have been experiencing a poor turnout to our meetings. Examine the reasons you are not attending and perhaps take the opportunity that is presented to meditate and discuss God's Word. Our God is worthy of our praise and dedication. Also, a reminder that the dues are $20 and will cover the cost of the ham and eggs provided for breakfast.
SERVICE COMMITTEE To all seniors or disabled members of our congregation: We as Young Peoples Society continue to offer our services with chores in and around your home. To make arrangements please call Nelson W. @ 780-305-5099 or Kurt V. @ 780-206-6604. We would love to help you!
HOST FAMILY Jan 3 Henry & Marie Stad
Jan 10 Gert & Marie Steenbergen Jan 17 Henk & Laura Steenbergen
BABYSITTNG Toy Cleaning for January 4: Kym P, Vanessa T, Cindy T Jan 3 AM Up – Alanna W, Missy A, Angela K Down – Katrina B, Kerry B, Raelynn H, Sierra W PM Up – Anita B, Karen Br, Mercedes W Down – Karen Bouw, Iris B Jan 10 LS AM Up – Amily V, Martina VR, Julianna J, Danika H Down – Kira D, Kaitlyn VB, Shyanne VA, Rachel W Mother Helpers: Marja B, Rachel B PM Up – Tamara B, Jolene B, Gelsey B Down – Rita B, Esther VA
