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Ascension
The CurrentState ofRelationsbetween l’ ERQand OurFederation
Volume 55, No. 10 • May 12, 2006
Under the Blessing HandsThere is a curse over this world
Under the Blessing HandsThere is a curse over this world
234 • MAY 12, 2006
EditorialC. Van Dam
Anyone in touch with what is going on in the worldaround us today needs no convincing that the curseon a fallen creation is evident everywhere. Theweirdest crimes you can imagine take place; there arenatural disasters that boggle the mind; and the warsand rumours of wars continue to occupy the media.And then, closer to home, we all know of thedevastation that sickness and death can bring tothose close and dear to us. Surely, the Reformedbaptismal form accurately reflects the truth when itdescribes this life as “a constant death.” Creationgroans and the evidence of its anguish is evident toall. There is a curse over this world.
And yet, praised be to God, Christians may liveunder the blessing! We have a Saviour who ascendedto heaven and as He did so He gave his blessing!
Christ ascended while blessingLuke describes this tremendous event in a very
vivid way in his gospel. After the risen Christ hadexplained from the Scriptures how He had fulfilledeverything that was written about Him, He led hisdisciples out to the vicinity of Bethany. Then we read:“He lifted up his hands and blessed them. While Hewas blessing them, He left them and was taken upinto heaven” (Luke 24:50-51). Notice how the act ofblessing is stressed. It is mentioned twice. Clearly theblessing is of great importance.
Try to picture the situation. The Lord Jesus tells hisdisciples that they will receive power when the HolySpirit comes on them and that they will be Christ’switnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Then thedisciples see their Saviour lift his hands above theirheads as a priest to bless them. As He pronounces hisblessing over them, He rises. His feet leave theground. Before their very eyes they see it (Acts 1:9).And as He rises, the reach of his blessing hands goesbeyond their heads and covers Jerusalem, Judea,Samaria, and eventually to the ends of the earth! Acloud eventually hides Him from their sight (Acts 1:9)but they know that He has gone to heaven in the body
for the angel told them so (Acts 1:11). He ascended tothe heavenly temple.
Blessing, then and nowToday we may live and work under the blessing
hands of our “great high priest who has gone throughthe heavens” (Heb 4:14). To appreciate what thisentails let us step back and briefly walk through twohistorical events of importance in understanding theblessing of our ascended Saviour.
First, let us revisit the first worship service ofIsrael where the high priest for the very first timeblessed God’s people. We read of that event inLeviticus 9. It is noteworthy that Aaron gave theblessing after he had sacrificed the sin offering, theburnt offering, and the fellowship offering (Lev 9:7- 22).The blessing was only given after the necessity ofatonement for sins had been publicly acknowledgedwith the sin offering, the necessity of the lifededicated to God had been confessed with the wholeburnt offering, and thanks had been given with thefellowship offering.
This order of events is reflected in the fulfilment ofthe blessing Christ as He ascended. It was only after Hehad given Himself as a sin offering on the cross and hadgiven the whole burnt offering of Himself and so hadprovided for true fellowship betweenGod andman thatHe gave the blessing as the onewho had accomplishedall that the Aaronic priesthood could not do.
What was entailed in this blessing? This questiontakes us to a second important historical event. Whenthe Lord through Moses instructed Aaron in how togive the priestly blessing, then the words of blessingHe gave to Aaron were: “The Lord bless you and keepyou; the Lord make his face shine upon you and begracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you andgive you peace” (Num 6:24-26). This blessing wasfollowed by the telling words: “So they will put myname on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Num6:27). In other words, when the priest gives theblessing, He places God’s name on the people, therebyclaiming them for God. And then God Himself will
Under the Blessing HandsThere is a curse over this world
Dr. C.Van Dam is professor of OldTestament at theTheological Col-lege of the Canadian ReformedChurches in Hamilton, Ontario
MAY 12, 2006 • 235
bless them. According to his word of promise He willkeep his people, be gracious to them, and give themhis peace. This implies that He will be with them andhave fellowship with them. Indeed, when the blessinghad been given in the first worship service, thisblessing was followed by the manifestation of theglory of God. He appeared and showed Himself to bewith his covenant nation (Lev 9:23)!
When our Saviour ascended while blessing hisdisciples, there is again a strong link between theblessing and God’s presence. As He ascended and thedistance became greater and greater, the disciplescould remember that his parting words included thepromise: “And surely I am with you always, to thevery end of the age” (Matt 28:20). Had the Lord Jesusnot promised “I will not leave you as orphans; I willcome to you” (John 14:18)? Indeed, the glory of God’scoming at Pentecost is intimately tied to theascension. The one could not happen without theother (John 16:7).
Under the blessingWhere does all this leave us? We live in a world
which our Saviour left with outstretched and blessinghands. In faith we know that we are privileged to beunder the blessing hands of our Saviour. He has notleft us to fend for ourselves. He is with us in the Spiritand through the Spirit he gives us what we need. Herealizes in our lives the three-fold priestly blessingand promise that God will keep us, be gracious to us,and give us his peace. This three-fold blessing isreworded in the New Testament form of the apostolicblessing which speaks of our triune God. “May thegrace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”(2 Cor 13:14).
Every time we receive these words of blessingthrough God’s servants on the Lord’s Day, we can restassured that although we live in a groaning creationwhich often resembles a constant death, yet, there isthe joy of new life with God through the work of ouronly high priest. He has given his Spirit as anassurance and guarantee that all is well and that Heprovides for us (John 14:15-31). And we may rememberthat the angels assured the disciples looking up at theascended Saviour as He disappeared in the clouds,don’t worry, “This same Jesus, who has been takenfrom you into heaven, will come back in the same wayyou have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Well, what a privilege to live and work under theblessing hands of our ascended Saviour, knowing thatHe is both with us in the Spirit and that He is on hisway back! Creation may groan and death sighs maybe heard but that’s not the last word. Christ’s blessinghands assure us of the victory that has been won, evenover Satan, sin, and death. And so the last word is joy,peace, and life with God, now and for ever!
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INTHIS ISSUE
Editorial – Under the Blessing Hands— C. Van Dam ........................................................................234
Treasures, New and Old – Ascension— E. Kampen ..........................................................................236
reformedevangelism.com — D.Moes ..................................237
Psalm 119 –W.Helder..............................................................238
Ray of Sunshine — C. Gelms and E. Nordeman ....................240
The Current State of Relations between l’ ERQand Our Federation — R. Faber ..........................................242
Education Matters — A. Kingma ............................................245
Letters to the Editor................................................................249
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236 • MAY 12, 2006
In the annual remembrance of key events in theministry of our Lord, his ascension into heaven is onethat is always in danger of slipping by unnoticed. Thisis regrettable. Our Lord’s ascension is a mostsignificant event as it marks the beginning of thesecond stage of his ministry.
That we can see his ascension as the beginning ofthe second stage of his ministry comes out in the wayLuke expresses himself in the opening verses of thebook of Acts. He states that in his first book he “wroteabout all that Jesus began to do and to teach until theday he was taken up to heaven” (Acts 1:1, 2). If the firstbook was about the beginning of our Lord’s work thissecond book would be about the continuation of hiswork. The big difference was the location.
The way the book of Acts unfolds, we can say that itshows us especially how our Lord continues his workof being our chief prophet and teacher. He did that in away He could never have done had He remained onearth. On earth, He would have been confined to beingat one place at the time. From heaven, He was able tobreak through that limitation through the gift of theHoly Spirit. This took place on Pentecost.
We should have a sharp eye for the fact that the giftof the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was not with a view toregeneration but with a view to evangelization. Thiscomes out in the way that the gift of the Spiritemboldened the disciples to preach the gospel of JesusChrist. The book of Acts shows us how, by the power ofthe Spirit, the apostles become the mouthpieces forJesus Christ throughout the world, within a generationreaching the emperor in Rome. At the same time, thestructure was put in place in the new Christiancongregations so that the voice of the chief prophetcould continue to be heard through ministers ofthe gospel.
It is from the letter to the Hebrews that we learnhow our Lord continues his work of being our only HighPriest. The superiority of our Lord’s priesthoodcompared to that of the house of Aaron is shown
especially in light of the fact our Lord ascended intoheaven. We read that “. . .Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one;He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’spresence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himselfagain and again, the way the high priest enters theMost Holy Place every year with blood that is not hisown. Then Christ would have had to suffer many timessince the creation of the world. But now He hasappeared once for all at the end of the ages to do awaywith sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb 9:24-27).
This makes it clear that our Lord is not sacrificingHimself anew but his priestly work consists ofintercession on our behalf, based on his sacrifice onthe cross. His presence in heaven gives us confidenceto approach the throne of God, assured that it is athrone of grace where we will receive mercy and findgrace to help us in our time of need (Heb 4:14-16).
Besides being busy as our prophet and priest, ourLord is also busy in heaven as our king. Especially thebook of Revelation shows us our Lord exercising hiskingship. It is portrayed vividly in the vision John hadof the Lamb taking the scroll and opening the seals(Rev 5). While we may be perplexed about variousdetails of the book of Revelation, one theme resoundsloud and clear, namely, the kingship of our Lord JesusChrist as He gathers and defends his people and poursout his wrath on the unbelieving world. The bookconcludes with the promise of the ultimate defeat of allthe enemies of Christ and his church.
It is obvious then that we have a Lord and Saviourwho is very hard at work for us from the heavens. Anawareness of his work will give us renewedappreciation for the preaching of the gospel, as it is theprophetic voice of our Lord. It will reassure us as wedaily struggle with our sins, for we have our highpriest in the heavens to intercede for us. Finally, it willencourage us as we feel marginalized in society,because we have our Lord as king who governs allthings for the benefit of his church.
MATTHEW 13:52
Rev. E. Kampen is ministerof theWilloughby HeightsCanadian ReformedChurch at Langley, [email protected]
Treasures, New and OldE. Kampen
Ascension
MAY 12, 2006 • 237
In the previous installment wethought about God the Father ofcreation and reflected about ourexperience of God as the creator ofthe world and as our creator. In thisinstallment we want to think aboutGod as the Father of Jesus anddiscover how Jesus is a revelationof the Father’s love.
Lord, show us the FatherBegin with a short discussion of
whether the previous session madeany difference in how the membersof the group thought about creationand the way they used it. Point outthat one of the things the grouplearned in the previous lesson isthat God is creative. Then have themembers of the group list three orfour other words they would chooseto describe God. Do not discuss thelist, but simply tell the group thatyou will come back to it near theend of the lesson.
Anyone who has seen me hasseen the Father
Have someone in the groupread John 14:1-11. Explain thecontext of this passage. Focus onverses 8-10: “Philip said to Him,‘Lord, show us the Father and thatwill be enough for us.’ Jesusanswered: ‘Don’t you know me,Philip, even after I have beenamong you such a long time?Anyone who has seen me has seenthe Father. How can you say, “Showus the Father”? Don’t you believe
that I am in the Father, and that theFather is in me?’” Ask the group tosay something about how Jesusshows them the Father’s love.
I am the way to the FatherSummarize the teaching about
Jesus being the way to the Fatheraround the following points givenin the members’ handout:• Christian faith entails a
relationship with God in Christ.• As Christians we believe that
God has taken the initiative inthis relationship by becoming ahuman being. The whole storyof the Old Testament preparesthe way for this coming of theChrist.
• Therefore, if we want to knowwhat God is like, then we mustfirst ask what Jesus is like.Jesus is God’s way to God! “I amthe way … to the Father” saysJesus (John 14:6).
Allow time for questions and timeto let this sink in.
I am in the Father and theFather is in me
Near the beginning of thelesson the members of the groupwrote a list of three or four wordsthey would choose to describe God.Now ask the members of the groupto write a list of three or four wordsthey would choose to describe thecharacter of Jesus. Ask themembers to share with each othertheir own knowledge and
experience of Jesus. Then make ordraw out the following points:• Often we make the mistake of
applying one set ofcharacteristics to God andanother to Jesus.
• We should not think of Jesus asthe nice man pleading with anangry God on our behalf (See,e.g., Romans 8:31-39).
• Jesus is the outpouring of theFather’s love.
• Jesus is God come down to earth.• Jesus is God “sharing human
life.”In Jesus we see God’s “face.”Now ask the group to compare thetwo lists they made. Ask them toshare the similarities anddifferences between the lists. Thenask the group to make a definitivelist of the words they would chooseto describe the character of God.
Suggestions for prayerFrom everything that was
explored during the lesson, askeach person to write down a singleword that he or she thinksdescribes the character of God theFather as seen through Jesus. Havesomeone read Philippians 2:5-11.Then pray together.
If you would like to view theoutline of this lesson, go towww.reformedevangelism.com andfollow the links. Next time, we planto introduce “God, the Father of theKingdom.” Thanks for reading.
Lesson 2: God, The Father of JesusKnowing the FatherKnowing God:
Rev. Dick Moes is minister ofthe Surrey Covenant
Reformed Church (URC) inCloverdale, British Columbia.
D.Moes
reformedevangelism.com
reformedevangelism.com
238 • MAY 12, 2006
Tsadhe
53. Your promise is well tested and secure;I cherish it as token of Your favour.Though I’m of no account, despised and poor,I love Your precepts and forget them never.Your justice will eternally endure;Your law is true and shall abide for ever.
54. Though I encounter anguish and distress,Your laws are my delight and consolation.Ever enduring is Your righteousnessAnd everlasting is Your revelation.Your servant, LORD, with understanding bless,That I may live, rejoicing in salvation.
Qoph
55. To You, O LORD, I cry with all my heart;Be merciful and hear my supplication.From Your commandments I will not depart.I call on You and plead for preservation.Save me, O LORD, and come to my support,That I may keep Your laws with dedication.
56. Before the break of day I cry to You;Your word I trust, for You are my defender.I even lie awake the whole night through,That I Your steadfast promises may ponder.LORD, in Your righteousness my life renew;Hear me and show Your love and mercy tender.
57. My foes draw near and malice they intend;Far from Your laws are those by whom I’m
hounded.But You are near, and I on You depend,For true are all the words You have commanded.Long have I known that they are without end:All Your decrees You have forever founded.
Resh
58. See my affliction, LORD, and set me free,For Your commandments I obey and cherish.Defend my cause and win release for me.As You have sworn, allow my life to flourish.But far removed shall all salvation beFrom those who spurn Your statutes: they shall
perish.
59. Great is, O LORD, the mercy You have shown;Grant me the life by Your decree awarded.Though countless foes may seek to hunt me down,Your laws I’ve not forgotten or discarded.I loathe the faithless for the wrong they’ve done;Your word have they defied and disregarded.
60. See how I love and cherish Your commands;I follow them in all that I endeavour.Preserve my life by Your almighty hand;O LORD, be mindful of Your love and favour.In all Your words I see Your truth maintained;Each one of Your decrees endures forever.
Sin and Shin61. Though kings and princes hound me without
cause,I stand in awe before Your revelation.LORD, I rejoice at all Your promises;They like great spoil rouse me to jubilation.All falsehood and deception l despise;Your laws I love and hold in veneration.
62. O LORD, I praise You seven times a day,For righteous are the laws You have provided.Great peace is theirs who cherish and obeyAll Your commands and by Your word are guided.No stumbling-block or snare besets the wayOf those who in Your justice have confided.
W. Helder, 1972 / 2005
Melody: Geneva, 1551
PSALM 119:A Newly Revised Metrical Version
MAY 12, 2006 • 239
63. For Your salvation, LORD, I hope and pray,And Your commandments I fulfil sincerely.I follow Your decrees and will not stray,For all Your testimonies I love dearly.Your precepts and Your statutes I obey,For You know all my ways and see them clearly.
Taw
64. May all my pleading reach Your holy throne;Remember me in pity and compassion.Bless me with insight, for I am Your own.Draw near, O LORD, and answer my petition.According to the mercy You have shown,Deliver me from evil and oppression.
65. Now let my lips run over with Your praise,For Your decrees You have in me implanted.My tongue shall sing, a joyful anthem raise,For in Your statutes justice is presented.Let Your hand help me when Your servant strays;I’ve chosen, LORD, the precepts You have granted.
66. I long for Your salvation night and day,And Your commandments my delight awaken.O let me live, that I may praise Your ways;Let Your decrees lend me support unshaken.I wander like a sheep that’s gone astray:Come, seek me, LORD! Your laws I’ve not forsaken.
240 • MAY 12, 2006
We have now come to the fifth petition: “Forgive usour debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Thecatechism shows us that there is in this petition avery deep confession of sins. There can be noforgiveness unless we humbly and with a sincereheart confess our sins to our Father in heaven. We areall guilty every day before the Lord. His justicerequires that we be punished.
We must not take this petition too lightly. It may beeasy to use this petition in a very easy way;something like saying “sorry” when stepping onsomeone’s toe and then just walking on. We shouldnot overlook how terribly we have grieved andrebelled against Him. Every sin we commit makes usso guilty before the Lord that the just punishment wedeserve would be eternal death. We may not simplysay, “Oops, sorry” or “Oh, forgive me.” For the Lord isterribly angry with every sin.
In the Old Testament we can read of all the manysacrifices and ceremonies of the law that had to bemade. Offerings had to be brought for things whichwere the consequence of sin. When reading throughall those ordinances, let us not forget that the Lordcontinues to make us look in the mirror of our ownsin-filled lives. How rich the words of our Saviour arewhen, instead of commanding us to come to thetemple with the blood of goats and bulls which cannever pardon our sins, He tells us to ask his Father inheaven for the forgiveness of sins. How thankful wemust be when we hear Him tell us to ask forforgiveness. Let us never forget just what we areasking; we are asking to receive the benefits of Himwho has suffered and died for our sins.
This brings us to the second part of this petition.What does it mean to say “as we have forgiven ourdebtors”? Do we have to forgive others first before wecan receive forgiveness ourselves? The reality is that
we would like God to forgive us but that we canhardly bring ourselves to forgive others. The hardestthing to do is to wholeheartedly forgive yourneighbour.
Yet the catechism teaches us in Lord’s Day 51 thatour lives are being renewed by the power of the HolySpirit so that we have begun to forgive each other. Itis only through God’s grace towards us that we wantto forgive our neighbour. We would never forgive eachother on our own. No, it is God Himself who washes usin the blood of his Son and also makes us forgiveeach other by the power of his Spirit.
We, who have been shown mercy by God, mustnow show mercy to each other. If we do not then wedespise the grace of God in Christ Jesus and weremain in our sins; it will be true of us what is said inthe parable in Matthew 18:35, “So also my heavenlyFather will do to every one of you if you do not forgiveyour brother from the heart.”
Each day again we must pray for the Holy Spirit towork mightily within our hearts. It is not always easyto forgive our neighbour because of the evil whichclings so strongly to us. It is our nature to remainangry and to repay evil with evil. This truly is anatural reaction of our old nature. But it is onlythrough grace that we now strive to live by the newnature. Just as his blood is mighty, so Christ’s Spirit istriumphant in our lives. The miracle of grace is thatwe find ourselves wanting to forgive our neighbour –even if it is not easy. This change is the fruit ofChrist’s work in us. It shows the power of his Spiritwho comes with the blood of his cross.
When we pray “forgive us our debts” then wespeak of the blood of Christ. And as we continue topray “as we also have forgiven our debtors” thisspeaks of the Spirit of Christ. Here we may see that asGod has loved us, so we shall also love each other in
Ray of SunshineRay of SunshineBy Mrs. Corinne Gelms and Mrs. Erna Nordeman
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins arecovered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count
against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”Psalm 32:1, 2
MAY 12, 2006 • 241
return. All glory and praise to Him alone for his graceand atoning sacrifice to pay for our sins!
Our countless misdeeds and transgressions
Prevail from day to day;
But Thou, O God, in great compassion,
Wilt purge our guilt away.
Blest is the man whom Thou hast chosen,
And bringest nigh to Thee,
That in Thy courts, in Thee reposing,
His dwelling place may be.Psalm 65:2
Birthdays in May:4th DEBBIE VEENSTRA will be 32
RR 1 Sherkston, ON L0S 1R0
10th ROB DE HAAN will be 41Anchor Home361 Thirty Road, RR 2, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B2
30th BERNIE DE VOS will be 3140 Kerman Avenue, Grimsby, ON L3M 3W5
Our sincere congratulations to all who arecelebrating a birthday in the month of May. We hopethat you will all have an enjoyable day together withyour family and friends. Above all may our heavenlyFather bless you in this new year with good health andmuch happiness as you continue in his service.
Till next month,Mrs. C. Gelms & Mrs. E. Nordeman
548 Kemp Road East, RR 2Beamsville, ON LOR 1B2
905-563-0380
242 • MAY 12, 2006
The official reporting ofrelations between l’ÉgliseRéformée du Quebec (ERQ) and thefederation of Canadian ReformedChurches (CanRC) begins withActs General Synod 1995. Given anextensive submission by thechurch at Ottawa, a ClassisOntario North in 1994 requestedSynod that it should mandate “theCommittee for Relations withChurches Abroad to intensify andconfirm the contact initiated by thechurch at Ottawa with a view toentering a relationship ofEcclesiastical Fellowship” (Art 73).Besides the validity of a classicalrecommendation to Synod, thequestion was raised to whichjurisdiction contact with the ERQshould be assigned, as it is not a“church abroad” but does functionin a context of history, culture, andlanguage that may prevent it frombecoming one with the CanRC.Acknowledging the biblical andconfessional duty to seek unitywith other federations of truebelievers, in its wisdom Synodconsidered that, despite culturaland other differences, within onenation churches should seekfederative unity.
Synod 1995 also decided toappoint deputies to discuss withtheir counterparts in the ERQ theapparent differences in confession,church polity, and worship.Furthermore, the deputies were to
evaluate correspondence of theERQ with other federations(especially the Christian ReformedChurch and the PresbyterianChurch of America) and todetermine whether it is feasible forour federation to become one withthe ERQ.
Synod 1998: fact-findingThe newly-formed Committee
for Contact with the ERQ submittedan extensive report to the churches(see Acts General Synod 1998, App7), in which it records especially anevaluation of the apparentdifferences in confessions, polity,and worship. It advised that on“the basis of confessionaldocuments and their maintenance”in the ERQ, relations with thesechurches in Quebec “can andshould be established.” Regardingchurch polity, the Committeejudged the differences to be “minorpoints of church order,” whileobservations of worship andpractice led it to conclude that “thecommitment of these youngchurches who are attempting tomount a faithful Reformed witnessin a secularized Roman Catholicculture and world must beacknowledged.”
The report also summarizes thehistory of relations between theERQ and other denominations thathave supported it morally andfinancially throughout the years,
though without entering intoofficial relationships with it. Insum, regarding relations with otherchurches, the ERQ “jealouslyguards itself from what it wouldconsider to be potentialunreformed influences.”
Regarding the feasibility offederative unity, the Committee,having discussed at length withdeputies from the ERQ (which hadestablished its own Committee forInter-Church Relations, or CICR),observed that the differences inlanguage and culture preclude apractical federative unity, andmoreover that recognition of theLord’s distinct church-gatheringwork in Quebec is not tantamountto advocating the pluriformity ofthe church. Relaying the Rules forEcclesiastical Fellowship (in ActsGeneral Synod 1998, p 300) andinterpreting the import of them, theCommittee recommended thatecclesiastical fellowship beestablished with the ERQ and that,besides discussing matters ofconfession, church polity, andworship, the churches assist oneanother, especially in mission.
The report that is summarizedabove was duly considered by thechurches in anticipation of Synod.By means of letters and overtures,several congregations expressedconcerns, of which the commonones pertain to fencing of the Lord’sTable, confessional membership,
R. Faber
The Current State ofRelations between l’ ERQand Our Federation
MAY 12, 2006 • 243
eligibility for the deaconate, andthe apparent lack of liturgicalforms. Synod considered therelative young age of the ERQ to bea factor in the non-articulation ofcertain matters (order of worship,fencing of Lord’s Table, etc.) andthat clarification was desirable onsix topics: status of deaconesses,Sunday worship (liturgical forms,supervision of pulpit, Sundayobservance), seeming differencesin fencing the Lord’s Table,confessional membership, thevarying Rules for EcclesiasticalFellowship, and the possibility offederative unity.
Synod 2001: moving towardsthe goal of ecclesiasticalfellowship
By the time Synod 2001 wasconvened, a subcommittee forcontact with the ERQ had beenformed within the Committee forContact with Churches in theAmericas (CCCA), and that is howthe bureaucratic structure remainsto this day. This subcommittee wascharged with an investigation ofthe topics of concern (listed in theprevious paragraph) that had beenconveyed to Synod 1998. The CICRinformed the deputies of ourfederation of various developmentsand challenges facing the ERQ,some of which touched upon thefeatures of the mandate given toour deputies. The ERQ was in theprocess of addressing the internalvariances, which it felt needed tobe treated first. The report of theCanadian Reformed committeeappears as Appendix 2.4 in theActs General Synod 2001 and itincludes an assessment of each ofthe six topics. Among therecommendations to Synod, theCCCA included a restriction offurther discussion to confessionalmembership and admission to theLord’s Table.
When Synod convened in 2001 ithad received a few submissionsfrom congregations commenting onthe report. Upon making itsobservations Synod considered,among other things, that “varyingpractices in applying principles”does “not constitute scripturalunfaithfulness.” It moreoverobserved that the following topicsof concern have been addressedadequately and satisfactorily: thestatus of deacons anddeaconesses; liturgical forms;order of worship; Lord’s Dayobservance; differences in rules forecclesiastical fellowship; thedesirability of federative unity. Itpointed out that supervision of thepulpit, confessional membership,and fencing of the Lord’s Tableremain as topics of concern. Synodtherefore decided that “progresshas been made in advancing thedevelopment of the relationship”and that the committee bereappointed “with the goal ofestablishing ecclesiasticalfellowship.”
Synod 2004: carefulcontinuance
As for previous Synods, so toofor the one held in 2004 thesubcommittee for contact with the
ERQ submitted a report on itsoperations, including importantdiscussions with the ERQ’sCommittee for Inter-ChurchRelations. While the CICR had notbeen mandated to interact with theremaining topics of concern to theCanRC, it stated that fencing of theLord’s Table and confessionalmembership were being studiedand addressed. By 2003 thesetopics were added to theresponsibilities of the CICR:admission to the Lord’s Supper;supervision of the pulpit;adherence to the confession of theERQ by its members. In the reportsubmitted prior to Synod 2004 (seeActs General Synod 2004, p 247 ff),the CCCA states that while itwould “love to recommend thatSynod Chatham decide toestablish Ecclesiastical Fellowshipwith the ERQ,” internal discussionswithin the ERQ on the three topicsmentioned above are not complete,so that the concerns raised withinthe CanRC cannot be deemed asremoved. Continuation of mandatewas advised.
Synod 2004 examined this latestreport and recommendation aswell as other admissible material.Considerations included that “therespective committees can come toan agreement which will provide
Ordination of Rev. Jason Zuidema in 2005
244 • MAY 12, 2006
the framework for furtherdiscussions and growth within therelationship of EcclesiasticalFellowship” (Acts General Synod2004, Art 25). Synod decided thatthe committee should continue itsinvestigations, with especial focuson clarification of pulpitsupervision, fencing of the Lord’sTable, and confessionalaccountability. Moreover, thecommittee should “work towardsformalizing a relationship ofEcclesiastical Fellowship underthe adopted rules.”
The current state of relationswith the ERQ
The broad assembly of the ERQ,a federation consisting of sevencongregations, is called “synode,”a term that should not beunderstood as equivalent to“synod” in our federation. Giventhe size and relative young age ofthe denomination, the quarterly“synodes” also treat matters thatwould appear on the agenda ofclasses in the CanRC andgenerally last two days. In 2005 theERQ invited us to attend theNovember Synode as observers;delegated were Rev. P. Feenstra
and the undersigned (who wasasked to serve on the CCCA whena synodically-appointed brotherhad declined in 2004). One of thehighlights was the first attendanceof Pasteur Jason Zuidema, who hadbeen ordained as minister of thecongregation at Repentigny. Asusual, delegates of the sevenconsistories were given theopportunity to report ondevelopments in theircongregations: the size of theobstacles and the amount ofopportunities facing the small andfinancially-challengedcongregations were not lost uponthe observers. In closed sessionSynode deliberated upon a matterof church discipline.
The next day’s activities beganwith devotions; when Synode wasreconvened, the observateurswereinvited to address the assembly.The unity of the faith and the bondwe share with ERQ werementioned especially in ouraddress; the questions posedrevealed the Synode’s interest inthe growing relations between thefederations. The remainder ofSynode treated reports of variouscommittees, notably the Committeefor the Ministry (re procedures ofexamination, ordination, andinstallation of candidates for theministry), the Committee forEducation (which is responsible fordisseminating materials of use tothe men in ordained office), and theCommittee for Inter-ChurchRelations (CICR). In both the formalmeeting of Synode and in informalconversation, delegates enquiredabout church polity and liturgicalpractices in the CanRC. Thedelegated brothers could report tothe committee that the visit servedto advance our relationship withthe ERQ.
In its work towards formalizinga relationship of ecclesiasticalfellowship under the adoptedrules, the subcommittee has beeninteracting with the CICR and in2005 met in Hamilton, Ontario toaddress matters of mutual interest.Also at its own regular meetingsthe subcommittee is paying specialattention to the principles andpractice in the ERQ regardingsupervision of the pulpit,admission to the Lord’s Table, andconfessional accountability. Aworking document is inpreparation, a meeting of theCCCA (East) with the CICR is inthe offing, and an invitation toattend another Synode this year iseagerly anticipated.
The subcommittee would fail infulfilling its mandate if this reportended without encouragingindividual members andcongregations in the CanRC “tocontinue supporting the ERQfinancially” (Acts General Synod2004, p 22), as the federationcontinues to operate underfinancial deficit due to the smallnumber of members and despiteconservative fiscal policies andprudent management. The personone should contact regardingdonations to the ERQ is a newlyappointed treasurer:
Mrs. Lucie Bedard5475 rue Gadbois
Trois-Rivieres Ouest, QuebecG8Y 6A6(Email:
May there be an increase in theReformed witness in Quebecthrough the efforts of L’ÉgliseRéformée.
On behalf of the Committee forContact with Churches in the
Americas – East, R. Faber
Rev. Jason Zuidema
MAY 12, 2006 • 245
Note to Readers:Our Apologies! A report mix-up
has taken place! The CRTA Reportthat was submitted for Issue 7 wasthe 2004 report. So here is the real2005 CRTA Report.
Cottage countryThe 2005 CRTA Convention
experience was unique! Wetravelled up north on Highway 6,past all the well known southernOntario cities and towns, intocottage country. Once there,vehicles laden with anticipatingteachers, teachers-to-be,presenters, and organizers turnedoff the Six towards the OwenSound Church/School building.Beautiful! The setting, thedecorations outside, as well as thedelightfully sunny weather filled
our sensory experiences, makingus eager to jump out our vehiclesand join the rest inside thebuilding. Canoes, pine trees, tents,a beach, seasonal displays, anddelicious aromas greeted us as wewalked into and throughout thebuilding. It was quite evident thatthe whole community was involvedin preparing for this 2005 TeachersConvention. Well done, OwenSound!
Once the greetings and nametags were taken care of, Miss JaneHoltvlüwer, chair of the CRTA,opened the annual CanadianReformed Teachers Convention.Then Rev. Feenstra, minister ofOwen Sound Canadian ReformedChurch, greeted us, alerting us tohis three stuffed animal friends: awolf, an owl, and a bear, who each
had an important word of advicefor us. A minister supported bythree stuffed animals – unique!
Behold what mannerof love. . .
Once Rev. Feenstra began hisdevotional, any stuffiness one mayhave felt wore off quickly. Thespeech explained the theme of theConvention, taken from John 3:1-3:“Behold what manner of love theFather has lavished upon us thatwe should be called children ofGod.” He showed us, teachers, howthe love of God is the strength ofour schools and urged us to thinkof seven implications of God’s lovefor us. Knowing that his love isthere for us should make us look tothe Father at any time. Second, aseducation is done in the context ofrelationships to God and to fellowstudents, schools should provide asecure setting for the developmentof these relationships. Third,Christian teachers must seekconnections with students, fellowheirs in Christ. Fourth, teachersshould look at a behaviouralproblem in the context of thestudents’ relations to God and tohis fellow students. Fifth, if there isa void of attachment to teachers,parents, and fellow students,children will often fill it with oftennegative results to their upward
Education MattersArthur Kingma
CRTAConventionNovember 3-4, 2005
Mr.Arthur Kingma is principalof Attercliffe Canadian
Reformed Elementary Schoolin Ontario
246 • MAY 12, 2006
orientation. Sixth, studentsrespond to their day in terms ofattachments, not in terms of whatthey learned; therefore,attachments to students are soimportant! And last, every studentis the teacher’s sister or brother inthe Lord. We look forward to thefull edition of Rev. Feenstra’spresentation in a later issueof Clarion.
After break, four presentersshared their thoughts aboutrelationships in Reformedcommunities. Mr. Hans VanDooren,Director of Christian CounsellingCentre in Burlington, shared howimportant it is for us to “story ourlives.” He urged all of us to lookback at our footsteps and to askgood questions about them andabout where we like to go. Heurged us to look ahead,realistically and ideally. As welook back or ahead, we also mustlook at Scripture, for it shows ushow to deal with disapproval, withsin, with personal struggles, orwith set backs. He also urged us toseek spiritual guides, directors, ormentors and to be one for ourcolleagues. Mrs. Rita VanDoorenshared with us how difficult it wasand is in our community for the
“unaccepted or marginalized ones”among us to find a voice and to beheard. She urged us to notminimize people’s problems, but toask understanding questions andto help them seek their ownsolutions. We should also askwhether and how the church ishelping. As teachers, we shouldalways watch out for marginalizedstudents in our classes. The thirdpresenter, Mr. Keith Sikkema,shared how easy it is for us to haveconflicts and how difficult it is forus to handle conflicts at times. Heprovided us with a few principles:conflict is usually a result ofelevating oneself and forgettingGod; restoration in God allowsharmony among people; resolvingconflicts can take much of our time– be patient. The fourth presenterwas Mrs. Christine vanHalen, whoaddressed the notion of bread andfish. We must give bread and fishto our students, but do we haveenough good diet ourselves to doso? Or to use another metaphor:Christian education must bebanana bread in the classroom.Teachers should address both thecognitive and the affective domainof the students in their care.
DiscussionsThe presentations were
followed up by opportunities to askquestions. To get the flavour of thediscussion, I will share some of thequestions that were raised andaddressed: Do we have or needprotocol (beyond Matt 18) to tell thetruth in love to our colleagues?How do we deal with conflictsbetween generations? Do we reallyrecognize what anger is and how todeal with it properly, especially inconflict situations? God is a Fatherof love, and in love He provides uswith policies and procedures, ortools and rules, to help us show hislove: his law. True, but both partiesneed accepted structure to resolveconflicts, right? The questions andanswers helped the audience tomore actively focus on connectingwhat we heard to our personal,daily practices.
After a hearty meal of soupsand deliciously fresh buns, about180 teachers broke into smalldiscussion groups to look atvignettes of “relationship” issues.Some groups dealt with problemsand sought solutions, while othergroups shared positiveexperiences to their peers. Thesmall group discussions enabledteachers to refer to the morning’stalks and to get their headswrapped around the fact that ourschools are not just aboutcurriculum but about relationshipsbetween or among students,teachers, parents, and boardmembers – all in the covenantalrelationship of love to and fromGod. Key words that stood out inthe discussion included: avoidstereotyping; listen; communicate;express expectations; build
MAY 12, 2006 • 247
connections between home,church, and school.
At 2:30 the discussions wereended and all teachers were giventhe opportunity to becomephysically involved in buildingrelationships with one another.Some went hiking, others sat for achat or arranged for a meeting,others decided to explore the city ofOwen Sound. Most returned forsupper and the CRTA businessmeeting, after which some timewas taken for socializing. However,before long, all teachers were ontheir ways for a good night’s rest.
Courageous conversationsOn Friday morning the teachers
trickled into the church building atfirst, but the closer it came to 9:00the thicker the stream became.Stories were exchanged aboutplaying games and singing songsaround the campfire at Campfire!,not getting to bed until the weehours, and about the motels, the
cottages, and the billets. Togetherwith the Thursday afternoonleisure activities, it certainly madefor a perfect setting to start“courageous conversations.”
In her introductory commentsChristine VanHalen linked theplans for the day to the outcome ofthe previous day. Reading fromEphesians, she pointed out thatPaul wrote about himself to bringgreater glory to God for his grace,which also directs us to live a lifeworthy of the calling we received.After prayer and song (The Lord ismy light...), she introduced PeterO’Donnell of the Healthy FuturesGroup (www.healthyfutures.ca),who would facilitate thecourageous conversations we wereto have that day.
Tying in to Ephesians 4:14, 15and 25-27, Peter pointed out thatquality conversations free peopleup to do all sorts of good thingsand result in better progresstowards set goals. The question,
then, was first, how can we createenvironments in our communitiesin which truly productivecommunication can flourish; andsecond, what gets in the way ofthat happening, even though weall claim to want it? Throughexplanation and role play Peterdemonstrated that communicationis hampered by our blind spots, theladder of inference (assuming wecaptured what one is saying andstopping to listen), poor discussiontechniques, and the things wechoose to leave unsaid. He thenprodded us to think of courageousdiscussions that we were nothaving (or avoiding) withsignificant people in our lives.
World caféIn a second session, after the
coffee break, Peter started with anactivity that demonstrated howself protection (“if I’m right, allothers are my enemies”) leads togroup breakdown, while efforts tostay connected (“we are in thistogether”) lead to group cohesionand community. With the help of abell-curve Peter illustrated how,in many situations, a few peoplemake things happen and moveforward in setting andaccomplishing a goal; a farlarger number jumps in to helpmake it happen; a similar sizegroup watches it happen; asmaller group tries to hold back;and a small minority areabsolutely against. He suggestedthat we usually spend too muchtime and energy arguing with thepeople who are against renewaland too little on listening to theconcern-raising “watch ithappen” group. As a practicalexercise we had to solve thequestion of how to engage
248 • MAY 12, 2006
people more fully and effectivelyin some school qualityimprovement program, from theperspective of parents, teachers,the church, or the widercommunity. We did this usingEdward DeBono’s Six ThinkingHats, which each representdifferent kinds of thinking.
After a great lasagne lunchPeter led a world café (seewww.theworldcafe.com) in whichhe set the early church (Acts 2:42-47) as an example of an“intentional Spirit-led learningcommunity” that was“transformational, restorative,engaged, affirming, celebrating,attractive, and growing.” Incontexts that changed after timewas given for each person ingroups of eight to express and thento discuss and record answers,several key questions werediscussed and the key ideas andcommon threads raised wereshared with many others. Thequestions were: what does it looklike when such a community is realin your life? What sustains it?What threatens such a community?What must be done to deal withthose threats? What can you do tobuild and sustain intentional,spirit-led learning communities inyour schools? For the last question,staffs of individual schools weresitting together, facilitating theopportunity to bring concrete ideashome from the conference.
ConclusionChristine vanHalen provided a
few brief closing comments, afterwhich Matt van Popta closed inprayer. It was a great convention,in which many people tookcourage to tell stories and shareinsights that might have been leftunsaid without it. It was a specialconvention as well, in particularbecause the main fare was not
dished up in the form ofworkshops, but in sharing and incommunity-building orrelationship-building activities.All were also impressed with theexcellent community effort ofvirtually all members of the OwenSound Canadian ReformedChurch to provide for this largegroup of guests and forgenerating a welcoming andpleasant atmosphere.
On Friday afternoon, teacherswith heads full of sensoryexperiences, speeches, and storiespiled back into their cars foranother run down the Number Six.On the way, in many a vehicle,further discussions about theconvention took place. I am sure
that the range of conversationextended from jokes to deadserious talks, from platitudes todeeply personal experiences.Also, whether verbalized or not inthose vehicles, I am sure that mostparticipants were enabled to givethanks to God for the “manner oflove the Father has lavishedupon us.”
The Education Matters column issponsored by the CanadianReformed Teachers' AssociationEast. Anyone wishing to respond toan article written or willing towrite an article is kindly asked tosend materials to Clarion orto Otto [email protected]
MAY 12, 2006 • 249
Letter to the EditorRe: Dr. R. Faber’s article on the new Dutch Bibletranslation
The latest theory of translation called“functional-equivalence” is yet another attempt bytranslators to impart to the reader what they believethe source language is saying. One very seriousproblem with this type of translating is captured inthis statement by the author: “Especially when atheological point is at stake, such interpretivetranslation may amount to a suppression orexaggeration of a doctrinal point that may beabused in the churches’ teaching. In my view, then,the translator who over-explicates the originalwords by means of translation has assumed the taskof the exegete.” This is a problem common to allnon-literal translations – excessive interference withthe text.
Translators definitely have to make choices whenthey are translating, such as distinguishing Hebrewand Greek idioms, for example. But translatorsalready did that with the Reformation-eratranslations of Scripture. The direct method oftranslating which became known as “formalequivalence” was to render the text in asstraightforward a way as possible unless theoriginal languages used expressions whichrequired a less-literal handling of the phrase. Thusthe translators’ desire was to stick as close aspossible to the text as originally penned. Thisresulted in translations of Scripture which werefaithful to the Hebrew and Greek texts in thevernacular languages (German, French, English,Dutch, etc.) Dr. Faber mentions the NKJV and ESV astwo examples of modern versions that use this word-for-word method of translation.
In his conclusions Dr. Faber states: “When afederation of churches adopts a new rendering ofthe Bible, it implicitly adopts the theories oftranslation and interpretation that come with it; thenext generation of readers will be affected by theprinciples that are practiced in the modernedition.” Thus churches are liable for the wholeBible translation that they adopt. Churches cannotplead innocence when the modern-theory versionsthey adopt have mistranslations/interpretationsdue to the speculative theories of translation usedto make them.
The reformerstreated the Word of Godvery reverently whenthey were translating.This awe for the Word isalso very evident inhow they translatedthat Word. Verycarefully! Withprecision! With minimalinterpretation! Let the exegete interpret the Bible.Yes, have the Bible in the modern language, butmaintain the formal translating principles thatguided our faithful forefathers. Then the commonpeople can truly trust that what they are reading intheir own language is true to the very words of God.
Rick DukerEdmonton, Alberta
Letter to the EditorAfter reading the Letter to the Editor about
Women’s voting privileges in the February 17 issue,I’d like to respond. I have struggled with this issuefor some time now, and I agree with the letters andthe question “Why is this (voting) privilege withheldfrom the communicant sisters in the church?”
For widowed or single female members such asmyself it feels as though your voice is not important,whereas single men or widowers don’t have thisdilemma. And for married couples it shouldn’tmatter if either the man or the woman (or both) vote.The response: “find a husband so you can votethrough him” doesn’t do it for me because I don’tbelieve that obtaining the “right” to vote is a strongenough basis for marriage, and also, why shouldthis privilege be denied to me as a single person?
No, it’s not a question of “where does it stop?”since there is a big gap between women having theright to vote and having women elders and deacons!In my study of the Bible I haven’t found anywherewhere it says that women cannot vote. Wheneversomeone asks me why females can’t vote in ourchurch I don’t have an answer, because I don’tunderstand it myself.
I have heard some wonderful sermons latelyabout the roles of man and woman, that each has aspecial task, whether married or single, and thatthey are equal before God. I pray that allowingwomen to vote will reflect this.
Monique Graafland
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor should be written in a brotherly fashion in order to be considered for publication.Submissions need to be less than one page in length.
250 • MAY 12, 2006
With joy and heartfelt thankfulness to our heavenly Father, weannounce the birth of our daughter
KIERSTEN ALEXIS DEWITTKIERSTEN ALEXIS DEWITTborn on January 31, 2006 to Peter and Sandra deWitt
Excited siblings are Curtis, Mitchell, Kyleigh-Ann, Brett and Serena18th grandchild for Luitsen and Anne deWitt
25th grandchild for Dan and Janet VanLeeuwenAnother great grandchild for Roelie Kamphuis6155 Guelph Street, RR #2, Elora, ON N0B 1S0
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him.Psalm 127:3
With great joy and thankfulness to our faithful covenant God andFather we announce the birth of our fifth child, a healthy baby
boy, whom we have named
ASHER HENDRIKASHER HENDRIKBorn on March 7, 2006 to Mark and Jenn SlompLittle brother to Caleb, Madison, Taylor, and Liam9th grandchild for Willem and Barbara Slomp
8th grandchild for William and Joanne Vander Heide2102 10 “A” Street, Coaldale, AB T1M 1C1
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him.Psalm 27:3
With great thankfulness to our heavenly Father, the Giver of life,we joyfully announce the birth of our precious
son and brother
NICHOLAS JORDAN SNYDERNICHOLAS JORDAN SNYDERBorn on Wednesday March 29, 2006
Joseph and Anna Snyderproud big brother Jakob
4th grandchild for George and Wilma Snyder5th grandchild for John and Jenny Hordyk
Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them, for to suchbelongs the Kingdom of God. Luke 18:16
With thankfulness to the LORD, who has made all things well,we joyfully announce the birth of our second son
IAN WENDELLIAN WENDELLBorn on April 9, 2006
Wendell and Marjorie Dallinga (nee Vanderwoerd)Proud big brother: Dylan
12th Grandchild for Dale and Annie Dallinga5th Grandchild for Bert and Grace Vanderwoerd
25 Briarlea Road, Guelph, ON N1G 3H4
With thankfulness to the Lord,Ed and Audrey Vanlaar (nee Vanderleest)
and big sister Dallas are thrilled to announce the birth of
SAWYER AIDAN VANLAARSAWYER AIDAN VANLAARBorn March 20, 2006 at 10:15 am weighing in at 8 lbs 6 oz at
the Chilliwack General Hospital.Proud grandparents
are Jake and Liz Vanlaar of Chilliwack andYogi and Sophie VanderLeest of Vernon
For thou, O LORD, art my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. UponThee I have leaned from my birth; Thou art He who took me from my
mother’s womb. My praise is continually of Thee. Psalm 71:5, 6Once again the Lord has richly blessed our family! We bring all
thanks to Him alone for His wonderful gift – our son and brother
BENJAMIN JOHANNESBENJAMIN JOHANNESBorn on Saturday, April 22, 2006
Lovingly welcomed into our hearts and homeMenze and Sylvia Feenstra
Christina, Nicholas, Timothy and JuliaRR #1, Chesley, Ontario N0G 1L0
I prayed for this child and the LORD has granted me what I askedof Him. 1 Samuel 1:27
With thankfulness to the Lord who heard our prayers, wejoyfully announce the adoption of our daughter
KATE AVA FAITHKATE AVA FAITHBorn: January 24, 2006
Adopted: February 23, 2006Pete and Lynne Jans
77 Boulding Avenue, Waterdown, ON L0R 2H3
Matthew 6:25-34With thankfulness to the Lord for bringing them together in His
time, Jerry and Minnie Meyer are ecstatic to announce themarriage of their youngest pride and joy
MICHELLE CYNTHIAMICHELLE CYNTHIA toto BERT ANDREWBERT ANDREWson of Nick and Betsy Nyenhuis who are equally elated!
The ceremony will take place, the Lord willing on Saturday, June 3,2006 at 1:30 p.m. at the Cornerstone Canadian Reformed Church
353 Stonechurch Road East, Hamilton, ONRev. J. deGelder officiating
Future address: 25 East 27th Street, Hamilton, ON L8V 3E6Email: [email protected]
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WWEDDINGSEDDINGS
Advertisements:Advertisements:Announcements of Weddings, Anniversaries (with Open House)should be submitted six weeks in advance.
CLARION ADVERTISEMENTS
BBIRTHSIRTHS
AADOPTIONSDOPTIONS
MAY 12, 2006 • 251
1981 ~ May 23 ~ 2006Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (RSV)With thankfulness to our God and Father for His steadfast loveand blessings, we and our children joyfully announce our 25th
Wedding Anniversary
RONRON andand MARIAN BREMERMARIAN BREMER (nee Dokter)(nee Dokter)MarinaMelissa and GeraldMarkMeaganMadeline
We pray that the Lord will give us many more years together ingood health and happiness, so that we may see His Covenant
promises passed on from one generation to the next.1467 Alderson Road, Carlisle, ON L0R 1H1 or
1971 ~ June 4 ~ 2006Thirty-five years ago, our parents and grandparents
LAMMERTLAMMERT andand MARIANNE JAGTMARIANNE JAGT (nee Vermeulen)(nee Vermeulen)exchanged marriage vows based on their wedding text ofEphesians 5: 28b “He who loves his wife, loves himself.”
We, their children and grandchildren, are witnesses of theLord’s faithfulness in blessing them with a loving example of a
Christian marriage in the LORD.We thank you, Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma,
for your godly instruction and guidance and we pray for manymore years of health and happiness in service to Him.
With love fromOttawa, ON: Marc and Jody Jagt (nee VanGrootheest)
Benjamin and EvanHamilton, ON: Deb and Brad Alkema
Lauren, Brie and ColeAimee and Mike Ludwig
Hannah, Samuel and LeahAncaster, ON: Kristen and Ian Bartels
Maya and ReeseWaterdown, ON: Joel Jagt
Ashlea Jagt and Andrew Groeneveld21 Carl Crescent, Waterdown, ON LOR 2H4
AANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES
With thankfulness to our Heavenly Father, the Giver and Sustainer of life and all blessings,we are happy to announce the
50th Wedding Anniversaryof our dear parents and grandparents
JAKEJAKE andand NEL VANDERGAAG (NEL VANDERGAAG (nee vandeRee)nee vandeRee)
May 26, 1956 ~ 2006This is the day which the LORD has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24
God has blessed Mom and Dad with many good and wonderful things in the many years that He has given them together.He has also blessed us with the gift of God-fearing parents.
It is our prayer that He will continue to bless them with good health and happiness as theycontinue their walk in His service.
Their thankful children and grandchildren:
Toronto, ON: Mariann and Andrew BaartmanEdward, Neal
Burlington, ON: Kent and Janese BaartmanToronto, ON: David Baartman and Brooke Bishop
BrentChatham, ON: Gerald and Nancy Vandergaag
Amy Vandergaag and Kevin OosterhofLuke, Kendra, Ryan, Kyle, Jodi, Danielle,Laurenne, Matthew
Langley, BC: Wendy and Nick MansBruce Mans and Lydia MoesBeth, Michelle, Hannah, Kristina
Beamsville, ON: Sharon and Henry SalomonsJames, Sarah, Esther, Josiah
Langley, BC: Yolanda and Dave BaartmanDaryl, Rebecca, Andrea, Rachel, Eric
Jake and Nel Vandergaag312 - 40 Elm Street, Chatham, Ontario N7M 6A5
Thank youThank youWe are very thankful for the 65 years of marriage the Lord hasgiven us, and for all of you who remembered us on this specialanniversary. Your good wishes in person, your cards and phonecalls were appreciated! God has richly blessed us.
John and Frances Oostdyk, Burlington, ON
252 • MAY 12, 2006
1981 ~ May 27 ~ 2006Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways. You will eat
the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.Psalm 128:1-2
With thankfulness to the Lord, we joyfully announce the 25thWedding Anniversary of our parents and grandparents
RIEKSRIEKS andand JANNA DEVINKJANNA DEVINK (nee Dykstra)(nee Dykstra)Tania and Dirk Barendregt
Maddisyn PaigeLeanne and Darryl VanDasselaarLouiseRick DeVink and Stephanie BikkerAdrian
We will celebrate this joyous occasion, D.V., May 27th with anOpen House at the Glenreigh Hall from 2:00 p.m. till 4:00 p.m.
Mailing Address:5825 - 55 Street, Barrhead, AB T7N 1E2
45th Wedding AnniversaryOn Saturday, June 10, 2006 it will be 45 years ago that we
WYBEWYBE andand MARIA SIPKEMAMARIA SIPKEMA (nee Huizinga)(nee Huizinga)were married.
With thankfulness to the Lord, who has kept us in his loving care,we hope to celebrate this happy occasion with our children,
grandchildren, family, and friends with an“open house” on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at the Ebenezer church,
607 Dynes Road, Burlington from 7:00-9:30 p.m.2313 Barclay Road, Burlington, ON L7R 2B7
TTEACHINGEACHING PPOSITIONSOSITIONS
The Board of Dufferin Christian School seeks applications forthe following:
SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTFull or part-time positions are available.
Duties include:• working one-on-one with a special needs student
• implementing a learning program based on the goals set outin an Individualized Education Plan
• attend various team meetings and consultations.Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.
For more information, contactMr. Rob vanSpronsen – Principal
(204) [email protected]
AANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES
OOBITUARIESBITUARIES
Our Gracious God and Heavenly Father took home our belovedmother, mother-in-law, grand- and great-grandmother
KINSKE ZELDENRUSTKINSKE ZELDENRUST (nee Sminia)(nee Sminia)on March 23rd, 2006 in her 99th year.
We thank the Lord that He allowed us to have our mother forso many years. The last 4 years of her life, mother lived in“Shalom Manor.” Our father passed away October 1976.
Dunnville, ON: Sid and Margaret ZeldenrustLinda and Keith Elzinga
Smithville, ON: Klaas and Henny Zeldenrustgrandchildren and great-grandchildren
Corresponding address: Linda Elzinga7800 Reg Road 63, RR 1, Dunnville, ON, Canada
50th Wedding Anniversary1956 ~ June 5 ~ 2006
I will counsel you with my eye uponyou. Psalm 32:8b
With much praise andthankfulness to our Heavenly
Father, Who has kept them in Hiscare, we joyfully announce the
50th Wedding Anniversaryof our dear parents and
grandparents
AUKEAUKE andand FENNIE MEINTSFENNIE MEINTS(nee Post)(nee Post)
Our prayers are that the Lord will continue to be your Guideand be near you always.
With all our love,Houston, BC: Andy and Jan Meints
Tanya and Trevor VanderMoorenBrenda, Marcel, Ashlee, Kyle, Travis
Jack and Regina MeintsJesse and Amanda, Brett Byron, Cody
Clarence and Sharon MeintsJustin, Dwayne, Graham, Lindsey
Henry and Bonnie MeintsBrandon, Jennifer
Lumby, BC: Tiemo and Shelly MeintsCourtney, Quintten
Houston, BC: Jane MeintsSmithers, BC: Clarinda and Tim Penninga
Ian, Skyler, Craig, OliviaAn Open House will be held, D.V., June 5, 2006
8:00 p.m. at the Canadian Reformed ChurchMailing address: PO Box 121, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0
Advertise in
MAY 12, 2006 • 253
The Covenant Canadian Reformed School of Neerlandia, AB,urgently invites applications for an:
ALBERTA CERTIFIED ELEMENTARY TEACHERfor an opening for the 2006/2007 school year.
Neerlandia is a small, friendly hamlet, only 20 minutes fromBarrhead and 1 1/2 hours from Edmonton.
We have to offer competitive wages with less teaching days thanmost schools. For more information, please contact the principal:
Mr. H. VanDeldenPhone 1-780-674-4774 (school); 1-780-674-3704 (home)
Applications should be sent to:Covenant Canadian Reformed SchoolAttention: Mrs. Sonja VanLeeuwen
Box 67, Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0
Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School in the Bulkley Valley –Smithers, BC – expresses its thankfulness to God that once again
He has provided us with all our staffing needs.We have a fully certified staff with a rich balance of experienceand energy. We continue to see God’s blessing in this and many
other areas such as increasing enrollment and apositive school community.
We would like to encourage teachers and teachers in trainingwho are motived and dedicated persons with a love for God and
his covenant children, who set high personal standards,understand the responsibility they are entrusted with as
Christian teachers and continually strive to submit their wholelife to God to keep the Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School
in the Bulkley Valley in mind as they consider future changesin their career.
We urge you to plan a summer vacation in the Bulkley Valleyto get a sense of the community.
Principal, Derek Stoffels, at work at (250) 847-3492 oremail him at [email protected]
Ebenezer Canadian Reformed SchoolThe Education Committee
PO Box 3700, Smthers, BC V0J 2N0
FOR THE 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEARThe Canadian Reformed School Society of Flamborough, Inc.operating Covenant Christian School has an opening for an:
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTwho will be responsible for working with a Special Needs child
who will be entering Grade 3 in September, D.V.Qualified persons are asked to send their letter of application
and résumé to the address below.For further information, please contact the principal
Mr. G. Hofsink(905) 689-3191 – school; (905) 383-6782 – home
Applications and résumés may be sent to or faxed to:Covenant Christian School
497 Millgrove Sideroad, PO Box 2, Millgrove, ON L0R 1V0Fax: (905) 689-0191, email: [email protected]
The Emmanuel Christian High School of Fergus, Guelph anddistrict is in the process of expanding their school into grade12 for the 2006-2007 school year, having just added grade 11this year. For this expansion to take place next school year wewill be in need of high school teachers in various disciplines.
If you are interested in aHIGH SCHOOL TEACHING POSITION
we would love to hear from you. Our school is located in abeautiful and picturesque southern Ontario town, where one
would be very close to rural life and within easy reach ofmajor urban areas.
With the addition of grade 12, we expect a high schoolpopulation of approximately 115 students; currently in grades
9 to 11 we have 88 students.Staffing is required in most subject areas; the board also offers
an innovative compensation package.If interested in a possible position in our expanding high
school (with attached elementary school), please contact oneof the following people for more information,
or submit your resume to the following address.H. Nobel, principal
(519) 843-3029 (work); (519) 843-1790 (home)A. Wildeboer, chairman of the board
(519) 928-2849 (home)Dr. S. Spencer, chairman of the education committee
(519) 767-1614Applications to be addressed to:
Maranatha/Emmanuel Christian SchoolAttention: S. Spencer, Education Committee Chair
RR 3, Garafraxa Street, Fergus, ON N1M 2W4
The Three Formsof Unity
The Three Forms of Unity constitute thedoctrinal standards to which, amongothers, the Canadian/American Reformed Churches andthe Free Reformed Churches of Australia adhere. While theseconfessions can be found in the 1993 revised edition of theBook of Praise, numerous requests have been received fromboth churches and individuals to have them published inseparate book form.
Soft cover, 136 pages . . . . . . . .Can. $ 8.75. . . . . . . . U.S. $ 7.00
ISBN 0-88756-057-1
ORDER FROMYOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM
PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5
THETHREEFORMS
OFUNITY
THE BELGIC CONFESSIONTHE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM
THE CANONS OF DORT
INCLUDINGTHE ECUMENICAL CREEDS
254 • MAY 12, 2006
Live yourdream.Consider a
FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEWYour goals and dreams are important to us and we want to help
you achieve them by implementing sound financial stewardship
principles within your personal financial plan. Being mindful of
your values, financial circumstances, and long-term aspirations,
we provide the input, direction, and advice that you need.
Call today for your personalized plan.
Wade Van Bostelen,FMA, CFP
Collin Spithoff, CFP
Bill Van Huisstede,Branch Manager
Phone. 905.333.0902 or Toll Free. 1.866.IPC.GROW3425 Harvester Road – Suite 104, Burlington, ON
www.harvesterfinancialteam.com
Investment Planning Counsel
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For more information, please contact:
Jerry Bosscher, Mortgage Consultant
Investment Planning Counsel
I P C S A V E I N C .
TM
Serving BC,AB, and ON
Serving Ontario
To complement the growing needsof our Carman operation, we areinviting applicants for the position of:
MACHINISTIt is preferred that the applicant is proficient in thefollowing activities:* To set-up and operate conventional machines.* To program, set-up, and operate CNC machines.* Must be flexible, and able to operate various
machines in a cell.
Or… if you are looking for a new trade, we havetraining programs available.
We are looking for ambitious, self motivated, andquality minded team players.
The town of Carman is a great place to raise a familyand there is plenty of affordable housing available.
Please contact:
Cor Lodder @ WALINGA INC.Box 1790, 70 3rd Avenue, NE.Carman, MB R0G 0J0Ph # 204-745-2951Fax # 204-745-6309e-mail: [email protected]
Covenant CanadianReformed Teachers College
Hamilton, Ontario
ADMISSIONS SEPTEMBER 2006The Board of Covenant College invites applications fromprospective students for the 2006-2007 academic year.
The College offers teacher training programs to preparecandidates for teaching positions in the K-Grade 10 range.
Admission Requirements:For the 1-year Diploma of Education Program:
a suitable university degreeFor the 3-year Diploma of Teaching Program:
a grade 12 diploma with university equivalence.
Prospective candidates are invited to contact the College for moreinformation and/or to obtain an enrolment package.Those whoplan to seek admission in the year 2007 are also encouraged tocontact the College as soon as possible.
Visit our website: www.covenantteacherscollege.com
Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers CollegeLocation: 410 Crerar Drive, Hamilton, OntarioTelephone: 905-385-0634 Fax: 905-385-8409E-mail: [email protected]: 1576 Upper James Street, P.O. Box 30026
Hamilton, ON L9B 1K0
...tell the next generation...Psalm 78:4
MAY 12, 2006 • 255
Escarpment RealtyIndependently Owned and Operated
370 Wilson Street EastAncaster, Ontario L9G 4S4
Bus: (905) 304-3303Fax: (905) 574-1450Res: (905) 648-7705
Email: [email protected]
serving Ancaster, DundasHamilton and surrounding areas.
John van AndelSales Representative
MEMBER
100% CLUB
Age $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,000,000
25 $11.90 $16.40 $23.80 $38.7035 $12.40 $17.60 $26.10 $43.2045 $16.90 $28.80 $48.60 $88.2050 $22.05 $41.60 $74.30 $139.5055 $28.80 $58.50 $108.00 $207.0060 $41.40 $90.00 $171.00 $333.0065 $62.30 $142.20 $275.40 $541.8070 $112.50 $267.80 $526.50 $1,044.00
CONVOCATION NOTICE FOR GENERAL SYNODSmithers, 2007
In accordance with the decision of General Synod Chatham,2004, Acts, Article 117 the church at Smithers, BC will, D.V.,
convene the forthcoming General Synod forWednesday, May 9, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.
in the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church building, with aprayer service on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
You are reminded of the following provisionsof the “Guidelines for Synod”:
1.A. “All material for Synod should be received by the conveningChurch (in thirty copies) no later than six weeks prior to theconvocation date of General Synod. Material received after thisdate shall ordinarily not be added to the agenda unless Synod issatisfied that the reasons given for late arrival are reasonable.”
1.C. “All material submitted to Synod, including Reports, Appeals,Overtures which quote any foreign language source must providein the text of the submission a full English translation and in afootnote the citation in the original language.”
Mailing Address:Agenda Committee, General Synod Smithers 2007
Box 2229, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0
MAY 12, 2006 • 256
PM40
0632
93R
9907
MAY 12, 2006 • 256
INVITATION: Mission Information DayMay 27, 2006 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
At the John Calvin School, Smithville, OntarioPresenting eight mission projects supported by Ontario and Quebec
MERF, Streetlight, ERQ - Projet Quebec (Owen Sound), MissionToronto - PNG, Mission Smithville - West Timor, Urban Portuguese
Mission - Toronto, Mission Hamilton - Brazil.Audio - Visual Presentations on the hour
Refreshments and lunch available, donations only
COUNTRY VACATION HOME FOR RENTDaily / Weekly
Available year round. Between Owen Sound and Wiarton.3 Bedroom, sleeps 8, A.C., Fireplace, BBQ,
Modern kitchen, Linens supplied.Adrian and Linda van Gils – 519-371-5616
The Christian Counselling Centre is seeking qualified
CHRISTIAN COUNSELLORSto partner with us in advancing the purposes of the CCC as wellas assist us in better utilizing our office space in the Lambeth,
Chatham and Burlington areas.
Anyone desiring to be a partner should subscribe to theapproaches and beliefs of the CCC (see our website
www.christiancounsellingcentre.ca).
We are also interested in hearing from Reformed studentsdesiring to enter the field of Christian counselling.
Please send inquiries toJen Wagenman at
or call 1-866-833-2741.
FOR RENT4 bedroom cottage on Wellers Bay (close to Trenton, Ontario)
• Running water • shower • waterfrontAvailable: June 24th – July 1st
July 22nd – July 29thAugust 19th – August 26th
Cost: $800.00 for the weekPlease call Gerry or Brenda
(613) 962-4467 or (613) 394-0731