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A Reformed Perspective The MessengerVOLUME 60 NO. 9 OCTOBER 2013 EDITION >> 2 Church News 3 Meditation: Thanksgiving for a Bountiful Harvest 6 Editorial: Why Creeds and Confessions? 10 Medical Ethics: A Reformed Perspective - 2 15 Gleanings from the Churches 16 Cubulco Churches Update 18 Free Reformed Church of Oxford County 20 Banner of Truth Radio Ministry 21 Book Review: Grappling with a Grief Engraved 22 The Mission of PRTS & FRC Involvement 2 Announcements THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA>> OCTOBER 2013 I THE MESSENGER 1 CHURCH NEWS FALL 2013 SYNODICAL COMMITTEE BRADENTON FLORIDA WORSHIP SERVICES SPEAKER EVENING MEETINGS: The worship services are scheduled to begin You are invited to a Speaker Evening Will be held at Dundas Free Reformed on December 15, 2013 and will conclude Rev. Timothy Bergsma plans to speak on Church, October 21 to 24, with Hamilton on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014. The “The Learning Teacher” Free Reformed Church the hosting church. services will be held at the American Red Date: Friday, November 15, 2013 Cross Building located at 2905 59th St West, Time: 8:00 pm New Clerk, Vineland, Ontario: Bradenton FL 34209 at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 Place: St. George Free Reformed Church Allan Brouwer, 1635 Third Ave., St. p.m. We are pleased to be able to announce Catharines, ON L2R 6P9; that preachers have been scheduled for all Everyone is heartily welcome, especially Tel. 905.682.5517; but four of the Sundays. Hopefully, those parents and teachers. Email: [email protected] remaining Sundays will be filled too. Any Hosted by the Free Reformed Church cancellations or unfilled Sundays will be Sunday School Association New Clerk: Calgary, Alberta supplemented by the reading of sermons. Mark du Preez, cell: 1(403) 874.7640; Please consider spending your holiday or HAMILTON FREE REFORMED CHURCH: home 1(403) 366.2499; email: vacation time in the Bradenton area so you Due to construction of a new church [email protected] too can enjoy fellowship with like-minded building on the current site, please note believers. the following changes. Temporary place of worship: Dundas NIPISSING, ONTARIO CHURCH PLANT: Contact Information: Mr. Marinus Staal Free Reformed Church - New Times: In Powassan (south of North Bay, (616) 363-8787 or (941) 751-9970 or email 11.30 am and 6.00 pm. Ontario, off Hwy. 11) [email protected] Services are held every Sunday at 11:00 Mr. William Noorduyn, 616-457-8973 or 941- AM and 2:30 PM with a fellowship lunch in 747-0313 or e-mail [email protected] between, usually upstairs at the Powassan Sportsplex, 433 Main Street, Powassan. YOU ARE INVITED TO A SPEAKER For up-to-date information check online EVENING: at www.nipissingfrc.com or contact Pastor Pastor Jerrold Lewis plans to speak on, Van Doodewaard, 604 Lindquist Line, A Plea for Purity in an Impure World Powassan, ON P0H 1Z0; Tel. 705-724-5070; 1Thessalonians 4:3 Email: [email protected] We welcome young people in the workforce, college, and university to OXFORD COUNTY, ONTARIO: attend our meetings. The Free Reformed Church of Oxford Pastor Jerrold Lewis is pastor of the meets at the Woodstock Seventh-Day Pompton Plains Free Reformed Church in Adventist Church, Highway 59, ½ km New Jersey. south of Hwy. 401. Worship services are DATE: Saturday October 19, 2013 held at 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. every TIME: 7:30 p.m. Lord’s Day. For Bible study times or other PLACE: Dundas FRC meeting room information, please contact Mr. Peter Kuivenhoven at 519-879-6263 or email: Hosted by the Free Reformed Student [email protected] (Oxford County includes Society. A collection to defray the costs of the city of Woodstock, the towns of the meeting will be taken. Ingersoll and Tillsonburg). SCHEDULE OF 2013 FALL SYNODICAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS to BE HELD IN THE FREE REFORMED CHURCH OF dundas OCTOBER 21 OCTOBER 22 OCTOBER 23 Committee Membership: OCTOBER 19 Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Ethics 5 Church Order 5 9.00 am Publications 10 Theological Ed 12 Interchurch Relations 13 Saturday Finance 6 10.30am lunch 10 lunch 12 lunch 13 Foreign Missions 10 LONDON 1.00 pm Publications 10 Theological Ed 12 Interchurch Relations 13 Outreach 12 Interchurch Relations 13 Combined Elders & 4.00 to 6.00 Theological Ed Psalter Revision Comm. 8 Deacons Conference supper 0 supper 0 supper 0 Publications 10 7.00 to 10.00 Ethics 5 Outreach 12 Youth & Ed 9 Theol. Student Support 4 Psalter Revision 8 Church Order 5 Theological Ed 12 Youth & Ed 9 Please direct requests for insertions/changes to: Hans Van Doodewaard - [email protected] 2 THE MESSENGER I OCTOB ER 2013 The Messenger OCTOBER 2013 • VOLUME 60 - NO.9 EDITOR Rev. C. Pronk 655 Park Road North, Unit 29 Brantford, ON N3R 0A2 CANADA Tel/Fax: 519.751.4470; E: [email protected] THANKSGIVING FOR The Editor reports to the Synodical Publications Committee. Unsigned articles are by the Editor Assistant Editor A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST >> Dr. G. M. Bilkes • E: [email protected] COMMITTEE MEMBERS REV. G. HAMSTRA Rev. D. H. Kranendonk, Secretary MEDITATION 593089 Oxford Road 13, R.R.1, Norwich, ON N0J 1P0 Tel/Fax: 519 468-4070 • E: [email protected] • Dr. G.M. Bilkes • Dr. L.W. Bilkes • Rev. J. Koopman • Rev. J. Overduin • Mr. H. Van Fall has arrived; its seasonal beauty is delightful and charming. The leaves are beginning Doodewaard • Rev. J. Lewis • Rev. R. Van Doodewaard • Mr. H. DenHollander to change with trees taking on golden, amber and scarlet hues. The manifold activities of SUBSCRIPTION RATE the summer days are past. The end of the harvest is rapidly approaching. It is time for our Canada & U.S.A. - $30.00 annually for individually mailed subscriptions. The Messenger is published annual Thanksgiving. In His wondrous loving care, God has again well provided. He caused 11 times per year. the soil to be fruitful, the sun to shine in its season, and gave the gentle rain when it was SUBSCRIPTIONS/REMITTANCES needed. The Lord remembered the labourers of the field. He gave them wisdom, health, Requests for subscriptions, all payments and inquiries regarding rates, invoices, and all remit- and strength. He granted them His protecting care by day and night. In His marvellous tances should be addressed to: goodness, our gracious God provided a bountiful harvest. THE MESSENGER c/o Janey Slingerland, Administrator 18 Chapala Crescent S.E., Calgary, AB T2X 3M4 The earth is full of the kindness of the Lord. It may never be empty of His praise. The barns Tel. 403 254-6591• E: [email protected] may be filled with a bountiful harvest, but when thanksgiving is nothing more than an OUTREACH & FOREIGN MISSIONS Keep contact with your missionaries on: outward formality, then hearts are barren and empty. “Let God be praised with reverence http://www.frcmissions.org deep; He daily comes our lives to steep in bounties freely given” (Psalter 420:5). Our heavenly EDITOR: Rev. E. Moerdyk P.O. Box 224, Coalhurst, AB T0L 0V0 CANADA Benefactor is worthy of our wholehearted gratitude. Tel. 403.381.7770 • E: [email protected] Thou crownest the year with Financial support for the various Outreach and Guided by God’s Word Foreign Missions should be directed as follows: Thy goodness; and thy paths FOREIGN MISSIONS In our thankfulness, we do well to be guided by the Word William F. Laman, Treasurer. All funds should be drop fatness. Psalm 65:11 remitted to: Peter Luth, Financial Administrator. of God. In this meditation, we turn to the Book of the R.R.7, Dresden, ON N0P 1M0 CANADA Psalms, and in particular to Psalm 65. This remarkable Tel. 519.683.2243 • E: [email protected] song of praise is one of the most impressive psalms of David. It ranks foremost among his RADIO EVANGELISM Banner of Truth Radio Broadcast inspired songs. Significant in this regard is the spiritual manner in which he develops the Ken Vandenberg, Treasurer 19 Majestic Court, Brantford, ON N3P 1N2 contents of this thanksgiving song. The gifted artist expresses himself here with rare poetic CANADA • Tel. 519.770.3639; beauty. Moreover, it is not a private song; David sings as king; he represents his nation, E: [email protected] HOME MISSIONS the church of his day. His song is also an appropriate guide for us in the way we ought to Bert Marskamp, Treasurer praise our Maker and our Benefactor for the harvest blessings. The theme of this psalm is: 78 Windsor Dr., P.O. Box 126 St. George, ON N0E 1N0 CANADA Thanksgiving to God for His fatherly care in providing a bountiful harvest. Tel. 519.448.1763 • E: [email protected] REFUGEE FUND In the opening verses, the inspired psalmist shows how, by the grace of God, a grateful James Van der Zwan, Treasurer 26829 – 33B Ave., Aldergrove, BC V4W 3G8 person is prepared for a blessed and profitable thanksgiving. His gratitude has a rich spiritual Tel. 604.818.3423 • E: [email protected] foundation. He begins with declaring that his heavenly Benefactor is so worthy to be praised. CHRISTIAN MINISTRY TO ISRAEL John Wilbrink. Treasurer This is especially so in the light of God’s exalted and gracious nature. Those who seek to be 8 Weneil Drive, Freelton, ON L0R 1K0 CANADA sincere in their thanksgiving do well to be aware of this truth and to follow this example. God Tel. 905.659.7413 • E: [email protected] THE YOUTH MESSENGER is incomprehensibly majestic and His gracious care for us can never be fully measured.
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