Our King hasCome

Towards aCommonSongbook

The Unity ofAcademic andSpiritualTraining inReformedEducation

Volume 55, No. 13 • June 23, 2006

Azusa Street RevivalAzusa Street Revival

306 • JUNE 23, 2006

Guest EditorialA.J. de Visser

Azusa Street!If that name means nothing to you, you are

probably not a Pentecostal Christian. If you were one,you would know that this name symbolizes thebeginning of the Pentecostal movement, a hundredyears ago.

Azusa Street is a street in downtown Los Angeles,in an area that is nowadays called “Little Tokyo”because of the large Japanese community that livesthere. This is the place where a remarkable revivaltook place in 1906.

In April this year thousands of PentecostalChristians celebrated the 100th anniversary of theAzusa Street revival with a huge manifestation at theplace where it all started. According to the LosAngeles Times1 about 30,000 Pentecostal Christiansgot together for a week for worship and celebration.The report mentions that there was praying, singing,and dancing until midnight, when the participantswere anointed with “special oil from Jerusalem.” Onthe podium they had well-known Pentecostalpreachers such as Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes,Benny Hinn, and Creflo Dollar.2

So what happened in Los Angeles in 1906? In thatyear a black Holiness preacher with the name ofWilliam J. Seymour came to Los Angeles with themessage that baptism of the Holy Spirit should beexpected among those who have been converted. Thespecial sign to accompany baptism with the Spirit, hesaid, would be speaking in other languages.

During a prayer meeting in a private home whereSeymour was speaking, people began to speak and

sing in tongues. Within a few days the small grouphad grown so large that the house became too small.A larger accommodation was found at 312 AzusaStreet, an old church building that had beenabandoned by the Methodist church.

The Azusa Street revival caught the attention ofthe outside world when journalists started to visit themeetings and reported about it in local newspapers.People flocked to the building to find out whathappened there. Both black and white people visitedthe congregation and many of them spoke in tonguesthemselves. The Los Angeles Herald reported: “Therewere all ages, sexes, colors, nationalities andprevious conditions of servitude. The rambling oldbarn was filled and the rafters were so low that it wasnecessary to stick one’s nose under the benches to geta breath of air.”3

TonguesStarting in April 1906, the Azusa Street revival

lasted for almost three years. During these yearsrevival meetings ran almost continuously. What madeAzusa Street different from other revival meetingswas that there was not only talk about sin andsalvation, but also the experience of spiritual giftsthat are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12: tongues,interpretations of tongues, and prophecies. Therewere claims that some had seen visions and thatothers were able to speak freely in foreign languages.

Those who took part in the movement believed thatit was a second Pentecost and that this was thebeginning of a new movement to proclaim the gospelto the ends of the earth. Many of those who hadvisited the Azusa Street Mission took the “fire” withthem. The movement spread across North Americaand soon to other continents as well.

In this way Azusa Street was the beginning of acentury of Pentecostalism. The Azusa Street website

Azusa StreetWe need to resist claims of a “fullness” thatsurpasses the saving and sanctifying work of Christ

Dr. A.J. deVisser is professor ofDiaconiology and Ecclesiologyat theTheological College of

the Canadian ReformedChurches in Hamilton, Ontario

ajdevisser@canrc.org

Why does this movement appear to be soattractive to many people?

JUNE 23, 2006 • 307

claims: “Today, over half a billion Pentecostal andCharismatic believers throughout the world are atestimony of the pivotal impact that the Azusa Streetmeetings had on Christianity.”

Things did not go well with the Azusa Streetcongregation as such. There were struggles anddivisions among the leadership. Soon after theremarkable beginnings in 1906 the group fell apartand different congregations were formed. The racialharmony that prevailed in the beginning did notlast long either. There were tensions, not onlybetween blacks and whites, but also betweenblacks and Mexicans.

Another disappointment was the fact that the giftof “speaking in tongues” was not the same as“speaking foreign languages.” Initially, theexpectation was that the Spirit had given the gift ofspeaking foreign languages as a way to speed upmission work around the globe. However, themissionaries who went from Azusa Street to foreigncountries discovered that they were unable to speaklocal native languages.

A hundred years after the original Azusa Streetrevival, one thing cannot be denied: The growth of thePentecostal movement during the last century hasbeen phenomenal. The Pentecostal movement hasspread across the globe with such force that it hasbecome the second largest group within Christianity(after the Roman Catholic Church).

During the last fifty years the Pentecostalmovement has started to exert considerable influenceon mainline churches. Members of establishedchurches became “charismatic” in their views, andsince they stayed where they were, many churchestoday (from Roman Catholic and Anglican toMethodist and Baptist) have charismatic wings.

Even Reformed churches are not immune to theinfluence of the Pentecostal movement – maybe not inits extreme forms such as the Signs and Wondersmovement, but definitely in its moderate forms. Tomention an example, we hear and read that our sisterchurches in The Netherlands are confronted with thefact that many of its members feel attracted to theNew Wine movement with its emphasis on “Spirit-filled life and ministry.”4

HeresiesFrom a Reformed perspective, the 100th

anniversary of the Pentecostal movement causes usto do some reflection, not only on the heresies that arefound in the Pentecostal movement, but also on the

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INTHIS ISSUEEditorial – Azusa Street

— A.J. deVisser ..........................................................................306Treasures, New and Old – Our King has Come

—W.L. Bredenhof ..................................................................309A Lesson in History:The Baptism of ‘44 (3)— C. Bouwman ........................................................................310

Towards a Common Songbook (1)........................................312Ray of Sunshine — C. Gelms and E. Nordeman ....................314Education Matters – The Unity of Academic and

Spiritual Training in Reformed Education— R. Faber ................................................................................315

Press Releases – Theological Education Committeesof the URCNA and CanRC, Classis Manitoba,Classis Alberta (contracta) ................................................319

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308 • JUNE 23, 2006

question why this movement appears to be soattractive to many people, even to people who havebeen raised in the Reformed tradition.

From a theological perspective we cannot dootherwise than to distance ourselves from thePentecostal movement because of its inherentheresies. The core doctrine of the Pentecostalmovement is the idea that there are two kinds of faith:a basic level and an advanced level. At the basic levela person is saved from sins through the work of Christ.That is appreciated, of course, but it is not seen as the“fullness” of Christian life. The fullness is onlyexperienced at the “advanced” level: that is when aperson is baptized with the Holy Spirit, withaccompanying signs such as speaking in tongues andprophecy (although not all Pentecostals emphasizespeaking in tongues).

As a result of this view, Pentecostals tend to lookdown upon “lower level” believers with a kind ofpious haughtiness. If you are a traditional kind ofReformed believer, they will likely tell you that youhave made a good start but you “have not foundfullness yet” and they would encourage you to “openup yourself” to the power of the Spirit.

From a biblical perspective we need to resistclaims of a “fullness” that surpasses the saving andsanctifying work of Christ. Already the Apostle Paulhad to struggle against “fullness preachers,” as hisletter to the Colossians shows. The one thing heemphasizes in that letter is: “You have been givenfullness in Christ!” (Col 2:10) Paul warned against anyperson who claims to be on a higher spiritual level,while in fact his “unspiritual mind puffs him up withidle notions” (Col 2:18).

Self-examinationHaving said this, as believers and as churches we

always need to be prepared to examine ourselves,because we confess that in this life even the holiesthave only a small beginning of the new Christianobedience (HC, LD 44). In the New Testament we see

that already some of the first Christian congregationsneeded to be admonished because they werelukewarm and lacked the fruit of the Spirit.

Although the Scriptures do not teach that thereare two distinct levels of faith, they do teach that weneed to become more mature and “grow up intoChrist” (Eph 4:15). We are called to be continuouslyfilled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). The Apostle Paulencourages the churches to live a life by the Spirit.He speaks about gifts of the Spirit that are to be usedfor the edification of the church (1 Cor 12, 14) and hehighlights the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: joy,patience, kindness, and so forth (Gal 5:22). Thechurch of Jesus Christ is a church that lives a life bythe Spirit.

If the church loses these fundamentalcharacteristics, and if the work of the Spirit is beingresisted (Eph 4:30), it is to be expected that somemembers feel uncomfortable and start to seek thespiritual renewal of the church. If that leads toconfrontation and estrangement within the church,there is a real danger that these members could drifttowards charismatic groups, for the simple reasonthat there appears to be more spiritual life there. I’mafraid that this has happened all too often in the past.

It is clear, therefore, that the church should standfirm and resist the onslaught of the Pentecostalmovement. At the same time, the church shouldexamine itself and see whether we have not resistedthe work of the Holy Spirit.

If there is one thing that is obvious after witnessing100 years of Pentecostalism, it is that we need the HolySpirit to work powerfully among us. The gifts we needurgently are not the spectacular ones such asspeaking in tongues, but rather the edifying andpeace-bringing ones, such as discernment, wisdom,and love.

1 “Pentecostal Enthusiasm Is Spreading,” Los AngelesTimes, April 28, 20062 Official website of the Azusa Street Centennial:www.azusastreet100.net3 Quoted by Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. in his book The AzusaStreet Mission & Revival. The Birth of the GlobalPentecostal Movement, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006),p. 1. (This book is a good resource on the Azusa Streetrevival.)4 For Dutch discussions about “New Wine” see NederlandsDagblad, www.nd.nl, in the Dossier section.

We need the Holy Spirit to workpowerfully among us

JUNE 23, 2006 • 309

We often think of kings as beingpowerful people and rightly so.Though not so much today anymore,kings, queens, and other royaltyonce meaningfully ruled over muchof the world. Today, our Queen hasa role that is nothing more thansymbolic. For all practicalpurposes, she is a figurehead.Nevertheless, we still hold her inhigh esteem as an authority placedin her position by God. Such esteemfor royalty is not to be taken forgranted. After all, the role andposition of monarchies is rapidlydiminishing throughout the world.People in Canada, the UnitedKingdom, Australia, and otherCommonwealth countries alsoquestion the viability of themonarchy if it has nothing morethan a symbolic role. Thepragmatists among us wonder:what is the point of spending taxdollars on this institution? Theexistence of royalty is thusquestioned and threatened.

Zephaniah 3 speaksprophetically about a King who hasnot only his royalty questionedtoday, but even his very continuingexistence. Among its first readers(living in the time of King Josiah,640-609 BC), it may have beenunderstood as something in thenear future. Zephaniah prophesiedabout a coming judgment, but alsoabout a time of transformation andrenewal. As readers living in theNew Testament era, we read thesewords and understand something ofthe depth of what God is revealinghere. Through faith we know a King

of Israel, a royal leader of God’speople. We know that our King isnot one of fairy tale castles. Rather,we are confident that He is real andever present. Our King cares deeplyfor us living in recognition of hisrule; in fact, He cares so much forthese subjects that He even laiddown his life for them.

King Christian X of Denmarkwas a remarkable man about whommany stories have been told – someof them apocryphal, some of themtrue. He was king during the Nazioccupation of Denmark in theSecond World War. Although theNazis were in control, the kingstayed in Denmark and even hadsome freedoms. On occasion, hewould drive through Copenhagen.Once while doing this he noticed aNazi Swastika flag flying over oneof the Danish governmentbuildings. This outraged the kingbecause it contravened the termsset upon Denmark when itsurrendered. The king stopped anddirected the German officer in frontof the building to take down theflag. The Nazi officer refusedbecause he’d been given orders toput it up and leave it up. The kingthen replied that he would send oneof his own soldiers to do it. Theofficer countered that the soldierwould be shot dead. The king thenboldly retorted that he would thenbe that soldier and he went andtook down the flag himself.

I haven’t been able to find out forsure if that story is true, but even ifit’s not true, it shows what peoplethought that King Christian X would

have done. In some ways, theactions of the Danish king and whatChrist did are similar. While he didnot die in the place of his subjects,he was willing to do so. That’s aremarkable man. There are probablyvery few earthly monarchs whowould lay down their lives for theirsubjects. Yet, this is the very thingthat Christ has done for us. Our Kingcame with grace and has takenaway the punishment we deserved.Without King Jesus, we would surelybe lost – it’s no wonder then thatZephaniah has such high words ofprophetic praise and exultation!

Our King made the ultimatesacrifice for us. He emptied Himselfcompletely of all the trappings ofroyalty. In many ways, the Princebecame a pauper. But after hishumiliation also came hisexaltation. He was lifted on highand now sits at the right hand ofGod. Today, our King is with us.Perhaps not yet in the physicalsense, but He is certainly with us ina spiritual way. Because we have aKing who knows our earthlycondition, we look to Him as ouradvocate in heaven. He constantlyintercedes for us and has blottedout all our sins and weaknesses.Now, we wait for his return. We waitfor the ultimate and final fulfillmentof Zephaniah’s prophecy – a timewhen every knee will bow andevery tongue will acknowledge hisroyal rule. Surely the day is comingwhen our King will be with us in thedeepest and richest way possible!Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!

MATTHEW 13:52Rev.W. L. Bredenhof isco-pastor of the CanadianReformed Church atLangley, British Columbiawbredenhof@canrc.org

Treasures, New and OldW.L. Bredenhof

Our King has Come

“Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD,the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.

Zephaniah 3:14, 15

310 • JUNE 23, 2006

During the war the fathers had toconfront very directly andpersonally the sensitive questionabout their children’s identity. Didthese little ones truly belong toGod, or not really? While the Synodgave a comfortless answer, thefathers found in Scripture adoctrine of greatest comfort: Godclaims for Himself the children Heentrusts to believing parents.

This glorious teaching ofScripture has a consequence.Though covenant children are rich,much richer than the richestneighbour on the street, they do notautomatically know this gloriousfact. In the words of the Form forBaptism: “Our children do notunderstand all this.” Hence theobligation God lays on parents:“As [the children] grow up, theirparents have the duty to instructthem in these things.”

Parents are the means God ispleased to use to teach his childrenof their royal identity and itswonderful implications. InDeuteronomy 6 God tells the

parents of Israel to teach his wordsdiligently to the children: “Talk ofthem when you sit in your house,when you walk by the way, whenyou lie down, and when you riseup” (v 6). God wanted thosechildren to know that in heaventhey had a gracious Father forChrist’s sake who provided themwith all good and averted all evilor turned it to their benefit; parentshad to teach this to their children.God wanted those children to knowthat they had a Saviour in God’sSon who washed their sins awayand made them righteous beforeGod; parents had to teach this totheir children. God wanted thosechildren to know that the HolySpirit dwelt in their midst, renewedthem, and on the last day wouldperfect them; parents had to teachthis to their children. All thecommandments contained in thebooks of Moses taught Israel thatwealth and this is the treasure theparents were to pass on to theirchildren as they did the dishes andchatted at bedtime. Their identitydemanded God-centered training!

Over the years that followednothing on this point has changed.God still makes his covenant withbelievers and the children Heentrusts to them. God is stillpleased to use the parents toinstruct his children of theirglorious identity. So we today havea wonderful – and at the same timeawesome – duty of impressing on

our children what their gloriousidentity really is.

Believe it!To do that we ourselves first

need to believe that our childrenare God’s children, that ourchildren have a fundamentallydifferent identity than do thechildren across the street. Let’s faceit: if I as a parent do not believethat my children are different,different because they belong notto Satan but to God, why should Ibother raising my childrendifferently than my neighbourdoes? Here, then, we areconfronted today with the samequestion our grandparents facedyears ago: do we accept God’sWord at face value or not?

He said that our children are his;do we believe it or do we not? If weaccept that Word, we have nochoice but to impress on ourchildren that they are different,have another Father than do theother children on the street, and

Rev. C. Bouwman is ministerof the Canadian Reformed

Church atYarrow,British Columbia

cbouwman@canrc.org

C. Bouwman

A Lesson in History:The Baptism of ’44 (Part 3 of 3)

Parents are the meansGod is pleased to use toteach his children of theirroyal identity and itswonderful implications

We need to put intoradical practice what welearn from Scriptureabout the special identityof the children God hasentrusted to us

JUNE 23, 2006 • 311

therefore other comfort andpurpose in life and ways of living.

Our faith on this point results inconcrete action. To embrace whatthe Lord has told us – and ourparents rediscovered – means thatin practice we talk with ourchildren at the table and thekitchen sink, on the beach and inthe garden about their privilegedidentity. To embrace in faith whatthe Lord has revealed means thatin practice we ensure that theinfluences that mould ourchildren’s attitudes and characteragree with their identity as God’schildren. To embrace God’srevelation means that in practiceat home and at school, in extra-curricular activities and throughfriends, we see to it that ourchildren receive differentinstruction than other childrenreceive, that we pass on differentvalues to our children than otherchildren receive, that we expectdifferent responses from themthan what other children can getaway with. In a word, we impressupon them, through word anddeed, that they are different,“distinguished from the childrenof unbelievers” as our Catechismhas it in Lord’s Day 27.

A questionThat implication gives us

something to think about. We takeGod’s promises seriously and so inthe home we teach the childrenGod’s revelation in Scripture. More,we send our children to a Reformedschool, to “church,” and tocatechism, and so on. And all ofthat is wonderful and the way it’ssupposed to be.

But look around you now. Whatelse do we do? Do we allow ourchildren to talk with the same toneof disrespect to authority as ourneighbours’ children, allow ourchildren to go to the same sportsevents which the world around usidolizes, watch the same programson TV, play the same computergames, appreciate the same music,dress as the world does…?

That would be distressing. Forwhen we as parents permit thesethings, we teach our children thatthey are different from the worldonly in degrees, only on thesurface, or only on Sunday;underneath they can stillappreciate the humour of theworld, the attitudes of the world,the values of the world, etc, and sostill belong to this world. But sucha message is not in agreementwith God’s declaration at baptismthat these children belong to Him.

They are different, they areenormously rich in God throughChrist, and in no way are we as theolder generation allowed to let theyounger generation understandthat this difference is only indegrees. Rather, we need to putinto radical practice what we learnfrom Scripture and believe byGod’s grace about the specialidentity of the children God hasentrusted to us. By the grace of Godwe believe God’s promises aboutour children, and so in his strengthwe need to treat them as veryspecial and so distinguish themclearly and completely from thechildren of unbelievers.

It’s by so doing that wedemonstrate that we’ve understoodthe lesson God taught us in theliberation of six decades ago andunderstood too the riches of hispromises to us.

312 • JUNE 23, 2006

RL: Brother van Popta, you and Ihave been asked by our respectiveSongbook Committees to write aseries of articles to better explainour work to our churches. Maybeyou could begin by giving a briefhistory of your committee for theCanadian Reformed Churches.

GvP: I could do that. The Book ofPraise Committee has been aroundsince the early days of theCanadian Reformed Churches(early 1950’s). When our mothersand fathers immigrated from TheNetherlands, they brought theDutch-Genevan Psalter with themfrom which they and theirancestors had been singing sincethe time of the Reformation. Theylooked around and found a numberof Reformed songbooks, but noEnglish Genevan Psalter. Veryquickly the desire grew to producean Anglo-Genevan Psalter.Remarkably, this wasaccomplished by 1971. The second,and present, edition is the 1984version. The committee is chargedto protect its copyright and to makeany corrections that are needed. Aswell, the churches have said theywant more hymns. Presently, theBook of Praise has sixty-fivehymns. A recent synod said thismay be increased to 100. Ourcommittee has been busyreviewing suggestions fromthe churches.

RL: Why did the synod limit youto 100 hymns?

GvP: This was at thecommittee’s suggestion. As we areprimarily a Psalm-singing church,we thought the balance of Psalmsand hymns in the Book of Praiseshould reflect that. The churchesagreed.

Could you tell us about yourcommittee?

RL: The URC songbookcommittee was formed by the firstsynod of the United ReformedChurches, meeting in St.Catherines, Ontario, Canada, in1997. I was not at that synod, butthose who were there tell me thatthe delegates recognized that theURC churches needed their ownsongbook. Though the blue PsalterHymnal would serve as a“temporary book,” the consensuswas that it was too much identifiedwith the CRC. Also, it wasrecognized that other good churchmusic was found in other books,such as the new Trinity Hymnal,and we should make use of some ofthat music.

GvP: In that respect, our historyas a church federation and as asongbook committee is differentfrom yours. Although we have onlybeen here for about sixty years, wehave established ourselves, also

as far as our songs and liturgy go.We presently have a songbook thatis greatly loved by our people.

RL: So your mandate has beento produce and maintain anEnglish version of the GenevanPsalter. Our mandate was first toproduce a new songbook for URCchurches. Later, as discussionsbetween our two federationsdeveloped, a second mandatewas added….

GvP: That’s right! Phase Twocalls for the production of a newsongbook that will be used in theunited federation of churches onceour two federations merge, Lordwilling.

RL: I think it’s fair to say thateach of our committees struggles abit with two mandates: a more“narrow” mandate, for our ownchurches, then the “broader” towork together. I think, in general,our URC committee is saying, whyproduce a book just for ourchurches, if someday (soon?) ourchurches will merge together? Wedon’t want to have to go through allof this again in another ten years.Maybe you could say somethingabout how our two committeeshave been able to work together.What are some things that havesurprised you in a positive wayabout our joint meetings?

Towards a Common Songbook(Part 1)

A Conversation betweenRev. Rand Lankheet and Rev. George van Popta

JUNE 23, 2006 • 313

GvP: Yes, the two mandates. Thesynods have not made it easy for us!On the one hand they mandated usto improve and expand the Book ofPraise; on the other hand we are towork together with your committeeto produce a new songbook. But it isall great work! I really enjoy oursemi-annual, two-day meetingswith the URC brothers and sister. Ihave developed a real appreciationfor how we work together incollegial harmony. Mutual respect,fraternal love, and friendship havedeveloped between the members onthe two sides of the joint committee.

I am curious, Brother Lankheet,what your impression of us is.

RL: For myself, being added tothe committee at a later synod andserving as a URC pastor insouthern California, I hadabsolutely no connections withCanadian Reformed churches orpastors or people. I read one bookon Dr. Schilder while I served inCalifornia, but that was the extentof my knowledge. And I must saythat I had formed some negativeopinions about the CanadianReformed Churches.

GvP: What sort of “negativeopinions?”

RL: For example, I thought thatthe Canadian Reformed were“ultra conservative.” I also fearedthat instead of moving forward in aNorth American context, bymerging with the CanadianReformed Church we might further“dutchify” the United ReformedChurches. In my context in

southern California, with a varietyof members in those churches frombackgrounds other than Dutch, Ihave come to believe we needmore diversity, ethnically, while atthe same time maintaining our fullcommitment to Reformedconfessions and biblical practices.

GvP: I said earlier that we haveonly been here for about sixtyyears. That’s not long! But, lookedat another way, we are into thethird and fourth generation. I wasborn in Canada; my children andgrandchildren are born and bredCanadians. The third generation,while standing on the Reformedfoundation, wants to have amissional impact on NorthAmerican society.

RL: It’s probably true that youhave your share of “traditionalists”who stand against any change, butthe URC does as well. And I’vecome to appreciate your globalcommitment to mission andoutreach. I think of your local workin the downtown area of Hamilton,Ontario. I’ve met Rev. Barros, fromBrazil, who works in a CanadianReformed church planting effort inToronto among the Portuguesespeaking peoples. So, some of my“characterizations” of theCanadian Reformed Church havebeen proven wrong.

GvP: I think it is fair to say thatalthough the Canadian ReformedChurches are pretty conservative,there is at the same time a strongand growing desire to reach outwith the gospel of Christ and theReformed faith. I thinkconservative and evangelistic is agood thing to be.

RL: At our last meeting wediscussed how your committee hastaken a position, in general, to use“you and your” not “thee and thou”in your Psalms and hymns. You alsotend to use the NIV translation asthe basis for your work on thePsalms. Those things, amongothers, have surprised me. In someways, your committee has beenmore “progressive” than some ofour URC members! Within ourrespective committees, I think wehave something of a “spectrum” ofopinions. For example, some of usare more open to “altering” an oldtext to remove archaic expressions;but others think it is best not tochange an artistic composition atall. Yet I think in all of our voting, onour principles and guidelines, and98% of our song recommendations,we find consensus. That shows adeveloping sense of trust andfriendship among us.

GvP: I’m with you in rejoicing inthe broad consensus we havemaintained in our work on the newsongbook. I’m entirely confidentthat we’ll continue on the samepage “singing from the samehymnbook.” I very much lookforward to co-authoring with youthis series of articles. We hope toshow our readers that we haveadopted very good guidelines andprinciples that will help us toproduce a songbook which isfaithful to the Bible and theReformed confessions, one thatwill be a real joy to sing from as weworship God in our churches fromLord’s Day to Lord’s Day.

Rev. Rand Lankheet Rev. G. van Popta

314 • JUNE 23, 2006

To the petition “Lead us not into temptation” theLord Jesus teaches us to add: “But deliver us from theevil one.” When we study this petition, one mightthink the Lord has already taught us to ask his Fathernot to lead us into temptation. Does it not seemsomewhat repetitive to add, “But deliver us from theevil one”? What may not be overlooked is that Satan isa real person and a real threat. Satan is always busytempting God’s people and trying to draw them awayfrom the Lord.

In 1 Peter 5:8 we read, “Be self-controlled and alert.Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lionlooking for someone to devour.” When we think ofnature, lions will attack sick, young, or stragglinganimals; they choose victims who are alone or notalert. Therefore, Peter here warns us to watch out forSatan when we are suffering or being persecuted. Attimes we may be so focused on our own problems thatwe forget to watch for danger. This is when webecome very vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. We mustkeep our eyes on Christ and resist the devil. For thensays James (4:7), Satan will flee from you.

Although God and the devil are at war, we do nothave to wait until the end to see who will win. Godhas already defeated Satan and when Christ returns,the devil and all he stands for will be gone forever.Satan is doing his evil work with strong force rightnow. He is trying to win over as many as he can to hisevil cause. Yet with the Holy Spirit’s power we canresist the devil and he will flee from us.

We may never overlook the activity of Satan andhis very real army of demons. We can surely see thisin the book of Job. There we learn how Satan isaccountable to God. Satan cannot see into our mindsor foretell the future. For if he could, he would haveknown that Job would not break under the attacks heendured. Since Satan can do nothing without God’spermission, God’s people can overcome his attacksthrough God’s power.

Whenever something happens in our lives we areinclined to say that it is the Lord’s will, knowing thatnothing happens outside of his eternal counsel.Indeed, nothing happens without divine permission;

let us not forget that the Lord still permits Satan someroom to continue his activity.

Satan’s temptation of Christ Jesus was very real.Satan was trying very hard to make Christ stumbleand fall. Yet, through all this we may find comfort inthe knowledge that God is in control of all things. “ForGod did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receivesalvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:9).

Living in a sinful world, we must be aware of ourmany weaknesses and our sinful human nature. Thenwe must humbly pray for God’s grace, strength, andHoly Spirit to help us fight against our enemies: thedevil, the world and our own sinful flesh.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to hiseternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a littlewhile, will Himself restore you and make you strong,firm, and steadfast” (1 Pet 5:10). What a comfort for us,who could easily be overpowered by the evil one,when the Lord Jesus teaches us to ask his Father,“Deliver us from the evil one.”

Birthdays in July:4 JAMES BUIKEMA will be 45

c/o R. Feenstra278 St. Catherine Street, PO Box 662Smithville, ON LOR 2A0

20 CHARLIE BEINTEMA will be 3129 Wilson Avenue, Chatham, ON N7L 1K8

28 JIM WANDERS will be 412142 Deerwood Drive, Burlington, ON N7L 2A9

29 TOM VANDERZWAAG will be 53Anchor Home361 Thirty Road, RR 2 , Beamsville, ON L0R 1B2

Congratulations to you all who are celebrating abirthday this month. May our heavenly Father grantyou all an enjoyable day together with your familyand friends. May you receive many rich blessingsfrom above. Till next month,

Mrs. C. Gelms & Mrs. E. Nordeman548 Kemp Road East, RR 2, Beamsville, ON LOR 1B2

905-563-0380

Ray of SunshineRay of SunshineBy Mrs. Corinne Gelms and Mrs. Erna Nordeman

“The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent calledthe devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled

to the earth, and his angels with him.”Revelations 12:9

JUNE 23, 2006 • 315

This article summarizes a speechpresented to a conference of FreeReformed Teachers in WesternAustralia (September 2005) and tothe National Principals’ Conferenceof the Canadian Reformed Schools(October 2005).

IntroductionEvidence from the early history

of the Reformed churches andschools in The Netherlands revealsthat academic and spiritualinstruction were joined. Contrary tothe Roman Catholic separation ofthe sacred from the secular, theReformed belief maintained theunity of faith and learning in theeducation of the youth. However,from about 1650 until the end of thetwentieth century, in reaction tomovements that over-emphasizedthe subjective, experiential, orhumanist aspects of the faith,Reformed teaching stressedobjective, impersonal, and anti-humanist elements. As a result, theschools’ responsibility regardingspiritual nurture was suppressedor neglected. Whereas some otherbranches of the Christian faithhave developed principles andpractices that apply religiousvalues to students’ lives, Reformed

schools do not possess a richheritage of spiritual instruction.

In the following paragraphs weshall present a few pieces of theevidence for the emphasis on thecombination of academic andspiritual training in early DutchReformed schools. By means of thephrase “spiritual training” we seekto render several terms in therelevant Dutch and Latin texts.These include instruction ingodliness, in being devout andsincere (“onderwijzen ingodzaligheid”); imparting pietyand holy conduct (“pietatem ...imbuere”); and producing studentswho are trained in the fear of theLord (“onderwezen in de vrezeGods”). Opposite to these is beingcorrupted, or ruined morally(“verdorven”).

In order to explain how thespiritual training in schools wasdemoted for much of the last fourcenturies, we shall review threemajor religious developments.These are the so-called FurtherReformation, Pietism, andPuritanism. In reacting to each ofthese movements, the DutchReformed churches tended tosuppress the schools’ role inpromoting holiness in thoughtand action.

Also in the last decades of thetwentieth century, we shallobserve, orthodox Reformedschools displayed ambivalenceabout their responsibility forstudents’ spiritual development.This ambivalence arose in partfrom uncertainty in responding toEvangelicalism, a movementwhich may be traced back toPietism and Puritanism. We shallconclude that on the basis ofproper Reformed principles schoolsocieties should once again payconcerted attention to the spiritualdevelopment of students bypromoting explicitly Reformedcriteria and guidelines.

Academic and spiritualtraining in early DutchReformed schools

The decisions at broaderassemblies of the early DutchReformed churches attest to aconjunction of academic andspiritual training in the schools.One of the first formal meetings ofthe young churches was held in1587 at Dordt. There it wasdetermined that efforts should bemade to establish schools “inwhich children learn not onlyeloquence and the arts, but aretaught also and especially the

Dr. R. Faber is professor ofClassical Studies at University

ofWaterloorfaber@watarts.uwaterloo.ca

Education MattersR. Faber

The Unity ofAcademic andSpiritual Training inReformed Education

316 • JUNE 23, 2006

Christian Catechism, and areguided towards the preaching(Chapter 3).” The churches hadobserved that the state-controlledschools were slow to discard theirRoman Catholic character; theysought to ensure the teaching ofthe Reformed confession and toprepare the young minds to receivethe proclamation of the true gospel.In a similar vein, the Synod ofRotterdam (1594) determined that“for the purpose of improving unitybetween churches and schools,both the churches and the schoolsshould be charged to supervise theschools and the teachers.” Bymeans of collaboration of churchand school, youths would beinstructed in matters of the faith aswell as in the liberal arts.

The churches advanced theunion of academic and spiritualtraining not only because of thereligious upheaval of the late-sixteenth century; they advanced iton grounds of Scripture andconfession. After the Reformedreligion was well-established inthe lowlands in the first decades ofthe seventeenth century, thechurches continued to promotespiritual training at day-schools.The article in the Church Order ofthe well-known Synod of Dordt(1618-19) that pertains to schoolsstates that teachers should beappointed who are qualifiedacademically and spiritually:“Everywhere consistories shall seeto it that there are goodschoolmasters, who shall not onlyinstruct the children in reading,writing, languages and the liberalarts, but likewise in godliness andin the Catechism (Art 21).”

Article 44 of the same Synod ofDordt, which deals with the

practice of church visitation, statesthat the visitors must confirm thatalso “schoolmasters faithfullyperform their duties, remain true tothe doctrine. . . and promote theedification of the congregation,including the children. . . .” Notonly from these articles, but alsofrom the extant minutes ofconsistory meetings, classicalrecords, and reports of churchvisitation it is clear that the earlyDutch Reformed churches made aconcerted effort to encourageschool-teachers in nurturing pietyin the hearts of students.

The devaluation of spiritualtraining in Reformed schools

In the centuries following theSynod of Dordt there arosemovements in The Netherlandswhich caused the Reformedchurches to emphasize aspects ofthe faith that devalued theimportance of spiritual training inschool. One such movement wasthe Further Reformation (in Dutch,“nadere Reformatie”).

This movement sought tocorrect the tendency in Dutchtheology and preaching towardsscholasticism, that is, expression ofthe Christian faith in purelyobjective terms, by means of

rational argumentation and barrenconfessionalism. In schools, too,spiritual instruction stopped shortof a direct application of the faithto the lives of the youth.

However, in counteracting thegrowing separation of faith frompractice, certain extremistspromoted non-scriptural aspectsthat caused a reaction fromReformed thinkers – which in turnled to a depreciation of spiritualnurture at schools. Downplayingthe importance of the formalaspects of religion, the FurtherReformation focused on thepersonal, subjective experience ofthe faith. As far as education wasconcerned, it had been part of theteachers’ duties to encourage inthe student the “subjectiveexperience of the faith.” From atheological perspective, however,these personal elements smackedof the heresies in Anabaptism andArminianism, against which theReformed faith had contended inrecent decades.

Though the movement ofFurther Reformation was distinctlyDutch in character and scope, itwas affected by Pietism inGermany and elsewhere. Pietismsought to strengthen the believers’devotional life rather than to insiston theological definitions andliturgical norms. Focusing more onthe human heart than the mind,Pietism stressed the believer’s dutyto reform his life. Some extremePietists taught and lived a mysticallifestyle. To many orthodoxReformed thinkers the Pietist (over-)emphasis on conversion andsanctification threatened toundermine the doctrines ofjustification by faith alone. Thereader will understand that the

Consistories shall see to itthat there are goodschoolmasters, who shallinstruct the children ingodliness (Church Orderof Dordt, Art 21)

JUNE 23, 2006 • 317

emphasis on devotion andintroversion in the Pietistmovement touches the Reformedteacher’s duty of inculcatingholiness. In exposing the dangersinherent in Pietism, Reformedleaders pointed to the extremevalue placed on spiritualism. Asthe Reformed pendulum swungaway from the extreme ofexperientialism, proper spiritualnurture in the schools tended tobe devalued.

Another movement whichsimilarly caused suspicion of theschools’ role in spiritual instructionis that of English Puritanism,which influenced Dutch believersduring the seventeenth andeighteenth centuries. Beginning asa reaction to formal aspects of theliturgy in the Church of England,Puritanism developed into a broadmovement that promoted holyliving in precise accordance withthe Bible. It tended to be non-confessional in outlook and itdepreciated the church as aformal institution.

In response to the influence ofPuritanism, Dutch Reformedthinkers emphasized theinstitutional church, theimportance of the preaching of thegospel, justification by grace

through faith, and corporate ratherthan individual experience of thefaith. A sharper distinction wasdrawn between the jurisdictions ofchurch and school than had beenthe case in the early seventeenthcentury. Reformed leaders wishedto prevent the erosion of the churchas institution, including its task inproclaiming the gospel and inteaching the Christian belief.

As the Reformed churchesemphasized these roles of thechurch, the restoration of spiritualtraining at schools was notadvocated, for such restorationwas perceived to accord withmovements that in other respectsdiffered with the Reformed faith.From the preceding paragraphs itis clear that during theseventeenth and eighteenthcenturies the inculcation of“godliness” (as the Church Orderof Dordt had put it) was associatedwith explicitly non-Reformedmovements. As a consequence,spiritual instruction in the day-schools was unsupported; anexplicitly Reformed understandingof the schools’ role in spiritualnurture remained undeveloped.

Similar explanations may begiven for the repercussions fromtheological issues in thenineteenth and twentiethcenturies, including the Secessionof 1834 and the Liberation of 1944.One example from the NorthAmerican context of the Reformedfaith will have to suffice toillustrate the continuedambivalence that exists towardsthe schools’ responsibility inproviding spiritual nurture. Duringthe last three decades of thetwentieth century Evangelicalismhas become a powerful movement

in the United States and Canada.This movement shares with theReformed faith several scripturalteachings, including, most notably:the sovereignty of God; theauthority of Scripture; Christ’ssubstitutionary atonement; andsalvation by grace throughfaith alone.

Distinguishing characteristicsof Evangelicalism include asuppression of the authority ofcreeds and confessions; a stronglyapologetic, missionary role forindividuals as well as Christiancommunities; a view of the churchas organism rather thaninstitution; and a stress onsanctification rather thanjustification. The reader will haveobserved that some of the featuresof Evangelicalism are the same asin the Pietist and Puritanmovements discussed above.

Several aspects of the Evangelicalapproach to education deservecritical examination, but for manypeople the missiological role ofChristian schools especiallydistinguishes Evangelicalismfrom the Reformed view, whichholds that converting children tothe faith lies not in thejurisdiction of day-schools. Inresponding to the missiologicalobjective of Evangelicaleducation, however, there may

During the eighteenthcentury an explicitlyReformed understandingof the schools’ role inspiritual nurtureremained undeveloped

In the Reformedtradition, Christianeducation involves bothacademic learning andinstruction in holy living

318 • JUNE 23, 2006

have been a tendency to over-react, by claiming that nospiritual nurture ought to beprovided by the schools. While theseparate jurisdictions of churchand school are both clear anddefensible from Scripture, it isReformed to hold that schoolshave a certain task in the spiritualnurture of the covenant children.

ConclusionsIn the Reformed tradition,

Christian education involves bothacademic learning and instructionin holy living. Due to specificcharacteristics of certain non-Reformed movements in history,however, the advancement ofspiritual nurture in the schools washampered. While there is no doubtthat today’s Reformed teacherspromote piety by means of their

exemplary conduct and instruction,it behoves school boards, societies,and indeed the larger churchcommunity to pay greater attentionto this important aspect ofReformed education.

In comparison with Evangelicalprinciples and methods ofimparting religious values, theReformed community in NorthAmerica may be encouraged toarticulate explicitly Reformedcriteria and guidelines. Herebyteachers would be supported inconveying the religious qualities ofeach subject they teach and innurturing the entire student as hegains both intellectual andspiritual maturity. To this end,education committees may beencouraged to pay greaterattention to the way in which thedistinctly Reformed character of

the curriculum is appropriated bythe students and to supervise moreactively the spiritual nurture in thevarious grades.

Especially in post-modernCanadian society Reformedstudents should be encouraged todevelop skills of maintaining,defending, and promoting theirfaith, whether it be in the work-force, college, or university. To thisend also consistories may exercisetheir responsibilities regardingArticle 58 of our Church Order moreactively. And, as the primaryteachers of their children, parentsmay be reminded of their duties ininstructing their children in theChristian faith and in godliness, sothat home, church, and school worktogether in raising covenantchildren in the fear of the Lord.

The Education Matters column issponsored by the CanadianReformed Teachers' AssociationEast. Anyone wishing to respond toan article written or willing towrite an article is kindly askedto send materials to Clarionor to Otto Bouwmanobouwman@cornerstoneschool.us

Church NewsChurch NewsCalled by the Free ReformedChurch of Darling Downs,WA,Australia:

Rev. J.VanWoudenberg

of Guelph, Ontario.

Called by the Church ofChilliwack, British Columbia:

Rev. R. Ijbema

of the Reformed Church of theNetherlands (Liberated) atVoorburg, the Netherlands.

Called by the Church ofWinnipeg-Redeemer, Manitoba:

Rev. R. Schouten

ofAbbotsford,British Columbia.

JUNE 23, 2006 • 319

Press Release of JointMeetings of the TheologicalEducation Committees of theUnited Reformed Churches ofNorth America (URCNA) andthe Canadian ReformedChurches (CanRC) held in atMid-America ReformedSeminary in Dyer, Indiana,United States of America,November 7 – 8, 2005

BackgroundSince this is the first press

release of the TheologicalEducation Committees, somebackground information is in order.At present the URCNA primarilysupport the theological training atMid-America Reformed Seminaryand Westminster SeminaryCalifornia, without direct officialfederative control. The CanRCprovide theological training byway of the Theological College inHamilton which is maintained,supported, and controlled by thefederation of these churchesthrough synod.

Earlier joint meetings of the twoTheological Education Committeeshad been held on January 13, 2004and June 15, 2004. The first meetingincluded a discussion of twoposition papers: “Why do theCanadian Reformed Churcheshave their own Seminary” and“Theological Education in theUnited Reformed Churches.” Thismeeting ended with the adoptionof the following statements ofagreement.1. It is the task of the churches to

train ministers;2. Ministers of the churches must

receive sound Reformedtheological training;

3. As a principle, the training ofministers should be done byministers;

4. Such training is bestaccomplished in the context ofinstitutional theologicaleducation;

5. It is acknowledged that activeinvolvement of the churches isrequired for the training ofministers and to protect theconfessional integrity of suchtraining; and

6. The churches, i.e. the URCNAand CanRC, should worktowards theological educationthat is properly accountable tothe churches.

The joint meeting of June 15, 2004was held in conjunction with theURCNA Synod meeting in Calgary,Alberta. This meeting continuedthe discussion but did not result inany further agreement on theoutstanding issues.

Current press releaseThe November 2005 meetings of

which this is a press release wereheld Monday evening, Tuesdaymorning and afternoon ofNovember 7 and 8. It was agreedthat Rev. J. Barach would chairthese meetings and that Mr. K.Veldkamp would record theproceedings.

Present from the URCNA were:Rev. John Barach, Mr. JonathanGross, Rev. Bradd Nymeyer, Rev.Cal Tuininga, and Rev. MarkVander Hart. Present from theCanRC were: Dr. James Visscher,Dr. Cornelis Van Dam, Dr. NicolaasH. Gootjes, Rev. Robert A. Schouten,and Mr. Karl J. Veldkamp. Absentwas Dr. W. Robert Godfrey of theURCNA.

For this meeting, the followingitems were part of the discussion:a. The position paper of URCNA

committee dated May, 2005b. The response of the CanRC

committee to the May, 2005URNCA position paper datedSeptember 12, 2005

c. A presentation byrepresentatives of the CanRC

committee as to how theologicaleducation is provided in theCanRC and the manner inwhich it is delivered.

An extensive free flowing brotherlydiscussion took place in whichmany aspects of trying to come togrips with a common approach totheological education received dueattention. By the end of the timewhich was available for ourmeetings, a motion was made thatwe adopt the model of onefederational seminary, with twoofficially approved independentseminaries (this was withoutpresumption as to which of thepresent seminaries would bewhich). The intention was to jointlyagree on a model which could beworked with, expanded upon, anddeveloped for presentation to therespective synods of the URCNAand CanRC which are bothscheduled for 2007.

A break is taken to allow theURCNA committee to consider thematter. Following their discussion,the URNCA committee advisedthey had unanimously agreed that“we as a committee are notprepared to entertain anyproposal for theological educationthat mandates at least onefederational seminary:Grounds:1. We are not convinced that this

is biblically mandated; and2. We do not believe that this will

serve the churches well.”From this resolution it wasdetermined that we were at animpasse since the mandate of theCanRC committee requires at leastone federational seminary. Therewas no common ground to moveforward and we would need toreport to our respective synods.

The Theological EducationCommittees of the CanRC and

URCNA

Press Releases

320 • JUNE 23, 2006

Press Release of ClassisManitoba, held Monday,March 20, 2006 at 9:00 AM atGrace Canadian ReformedChurch, Winnipeg

After the brothers sang Psalm67:1-3, Rev. K. Jonker opened themeeting on behalf of theconvening church of Winnipeg-Grace. He read 1 John 5:12-21 andled in prayer. Under memorabiliahe mentioned that the work in thechurches could continue. Thechurch building of Carman-West isnearly finished. Rev. Van Raaltewas congratulated with the birthof their daughter and with hisacceptance into the Ph.D. programat Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids.Rev Jonker also wished the churchof Redeemer strength in filling thevacancy. Further, he mentionedthat Prof. Ohmann had passed onto glory and God’s blessingsto the churches through himwere commemorated.

The delegates of the conveningchurch examined the credentials.All churches were represented bytheir primi delegates.

The chairman declared Classisconstituted. The followingexecutive officers took their places,according to the suggestions madeby the previous classis: Rev. P.H.Holtvlüwer (Chairman), Rev. D.M.Boersma (Vice-Chairman), and Rev.T.G. Van Raalte (Clerk). Thechairman thanked the organizingchurch for the arrangements madefor the meeting. He noted withthankfulness that Rev. Jonker hadreturned to active duty and waspresent at classis.

The agenda was adopted aftersome additions.

Seating of fraternal delegates:Br. H. Nagtegaal was welcomed asfraternal delegate of ProvidenceUnited Reformed Church (URC).

The Classis Treasurer Reportwas received, discussed, andgratefully accepted.

The Church of Carman Westreported that the books of theTreasurer were found in good

order. Classis thanked the churchfor their work.

The church of Winnipeg-Redeemer reported that theinspection of the classis archiveshad not been done yet. A reportwill be expected at the nextspring classis.

Contact with ProvincialGovernments: Rev. Jonker reportedon his activities. Discussiondeveloped around the registrationforms for marriage licenses whichhave become gender neutral. Thegovernment allows changing of thegender-neutral terms to theirbiblical terms.

The church visitors presentedthe reports of the visits they hadbrought to the churches of CarmanEast and West and Winnipeg Graceand Redeemer. They were receivedwith thankfulness. After everyreport and subsequent discussionone of the elder-delegates led inprayer for the church.

Report on visit to URC Classisin Pella: Rev Holtvlüwer reportedon his visit to Classis Central U.S.of the United Reformed Churchesin North America (URCNA). Thiswas the first visit on our behalf totheir classis and it was muchappreciated.

The chairman read art. 44 C.O.and asked each church the threequestions.

One church asked for advice.Advice was given.

Fraternal contacts: Br.Nagtegaal conveyed the greetingsfrom Providence URC andexpressed appreciation. Thechairman thanked him, commentedon the meaning of these contactsfor all the churches, and asked himto convey the appreciation ofClassis for the continued contacts.Rev. Van Raalte led in prayer forProvidence URC.

A letter of greeting wasreceived from Classis Central U.S.of the URCNA.

A letter of greeting wasreceived from the Presbytery of theDakotas of the OPC.

Correspondence: Fraternalgreetings had been sent to Classis

Central U.S. of the URCNA, ClassisSouth-West of the URCNA, andNorthern Plains Classis of theReformed Church in the UnitedStates (RCUS).

Appointments: the conveningchurch for the next classis will beWinnipeg Redeemer. The followingdates were chosen for next classis:June 19 or, if not needed at thattime, September 18. Suggestedexecutive officers for the nextclassis: Rev. Jonker (chairman), Rev.Holtvlüwer (vice-chairman), andRev. Boersma (clerk). Appointmentswere reviewed; no changes weremade.

Personal question period washeld.

The chairman noted that nobrotherly censure was necessaryaccording to article 34, C.O.

The Acts were read andapproved and the Press Releaseadopted.

The chairman spoke words ofgratitude to Rev. Van Raalte onbehalf of Classis.

Rev. Holtvlüwer closed themeeting with prayer after thebrothers sang Psalm 122:3.

Written on behalf of Classis,Rev. D.M. Boersma

Press Release of ClassisAlberta (contracta) held April10, 2006

Rev. J. Kalkman opened themeeting of Classis with scripturereading and prayer. Thecredentials were examined andfound to be in good order. Theprimary delegates were presentfrom Calgary and theneighbouring church Coaldale.

Rev. Kalkman was appointed asthe chairman and Rev. D. Poppe asclerk. After perusing thedocuments and finding them to bein good order, Classis decides tohonourably release Rev. J.L. vanPopta from all his duties in ClassisAlberta and supply him with acopy of this release. The Acts ofClassis were adopted, the pressrelease was approved, and Rev.D. Poppe closed in prayer.

JUNE 23, 2006 • 321

You have created all things. Revelation 4:11Ten little fingers, ten little toes

We thank the Lord for the blessings He bestows!

EVAN GERALD JAGTEVAN GERALD JAGTjoined our family

on January 13, 2006, weighing 8 lbs 13 oz.Welcomed lovingly by big brother Ben,

and parents Jody and Marc JagtOttawa, Ontario (mjagt@primus.ca)

Your hands have made me and fashioned me;give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

Psalm 119:73With praise and thankfulness to our heavenly Father, we joyfully

announce the birth of our son

BRAYDEN JOSHUABRAYDEN JOSHUABorn on March 26th 2006Frank and Anne ReininkA little brother for Sarena

390 Forfar Street E., Fergus, ON N1M 1B5

For children’s children through the generations, the LORD shall work Hisglorious vindication. Psalm 103:7 BOP

Rejoicing in God’s covenant faithfulness through the generations,we give thanks for His precious gift of life in granting us

a healthy son

ARIE WILLEMARIE WILLEMBorn April 30, 2006 toAllard and Elsa DeVriesA little brother for Claire

11th grandchild for Harry and Cisca DeVries19th grandchild for Rev. Willem and Gertie den Hollander2829 South Grimsby Road 14, RR 1, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0

This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:23We give thanks to our God and Father for His wonderful gift ofnew life. We received our third covenant child, a daughter, whom

we have named

MIKAYLA IRENE KLEYNMIKAYLA IRENE KLEYNBorn: May 12, 2006

Darryn and Beatrix KleynA beautiful sister for Samuel and Seth

9th grandchild for Arthur and Hilde Kleyn30th great-grandchild for Mrs. DCM Bruning

(Armadale, Western Australia)2148 Eastwood Way, Lynden, Washington 98264

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. . .Psalm 106. . .

Floyd and Maryne Vandermeulen (nee van Orizande) wish toannounce the birth of their son

FENTON JAMES VANDERMEULENFENTON JAMES VANDERMEULENBorn May 25, 2006

Also welcomed by his big sister Aveline andmedium sized brother Samuel

He doesn’t really have much of a personality yet,but he can almost smile. . .

Grandparents: Flory van Orizande and Jack and Frances VandermeulenBox 35, Group 10, RR 2, Lorette, MB R0A 0Y0

With great thankfulness to our Lord we

KATHERINE HELENA SPEIJERKATHERINE HELENA SPEIJER andand CHRISTOPHER JOEL KEEPCHRISTOPHER JOEL KEEPjoyfully announce our engagement.

May 5th, 200650 Elm Crescent, Ottawa, ON K2S 1S8

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3

With thankfulness to the Lord Who brought us together we

HELEEN KNOLHELEEN KNOL andand DIRK FOLKERTSDIRK FOLKERTStogether with our parents, joyfully announce our marriage.The ceremony will take place, D.V., July 5th, 2006 in the Geref.Kerk (vrijgemaaakt) de Lichtkring, Laan naar Emiclaer 1,

Amersfoort, the Netherlands.Ds. J. Beekhuis officiating.

Future address: Logger 192, 1186 RW Amstelveen, the Netherlandse-mail: heleenknol@yahoo.com

With praise and thanksgiving to God for leading our lives togetherin love, we

ANDREA NICOLE VANDERHORSTANDREA NICOLE VANDERHORSTandand

STANLEY NEAL DE HAANSTANLEY NEAL DE HAANtogether with our parents, Gerrit and Grace Vanderhorst and

Ron and Shirley de Haanjoyfully announce our upcoming wedding, to be held, the Lordwilling, on Saturday, July 15, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. in the Living HopeChristian Reformed Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Rev. R. Schouten officiating.Future address: 4506 No. 3 Road, Chilliwack, BC V2R 5E8

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WWEDDINGSEDDINGS

Advertisements:Advertisements:Announcements of Weddings, Anniversaries (with Open House)should be submitted six weeks in advance.

CLARION ADVERTISEMENTS

BBIRTHSIRTHS

EENGAGEMENTSNGAGEMENTS

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322 • JUNE 23, 2006

The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD isthe stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1With thankfulness to our Heavenly Father who has guided our

lives together, we

BETH ELLEN KINGMABETH ELLEN KINGMAandand

MICHAEL RENE STELMICHAEL RENE STELtogether with our parents, Lloyd and Fenny Kingma and Harryand Francisca Stel, joyfully announce our forthcoming marriage.The ceremony will take place, D.V., on July 15, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. in

the Canadian Reformed Church of Attercliffe.Rev. D.G.J. Agema officiating.

Future address: 6244 Regional Road 614, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0

40th Wedding Anniversary1966 ~ July 29 ~ 2006

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentiveto their prayer. 1 Peter 3:12a

In joy and gratitude we announce the Fortieth Anniversary of ourparents and grandparents

ALBERTALBERT andand NELLY VANSYDENBORGHNELLY VANSYDENBORGH (nee Doekes)(nee Doekes)We praise God for His blessings in bringing them to this day.We pray for our Heavenly Father’s continued love and care over

them in the years that lie ahead.Smithville, ON: Pete and Sheila DeRuiter

Tara-Lyn†, Tarissa, Jeremy, Brent†, Jordan, JaunitaOrangeville, ON: Rick and Joyce VanSydenborgh

Lee-Anne, Jamie-Lynn, Alexandra, John, KayceeRob and Joanne VanSydenborgh

Kirsten, Korey, Sheldon, HaileyJeff and Karen VanSydenborgh

Joel, Aaron, Jonah, HannaGrimsby, ON: Jay and Linda Tenhage

Owen, ZacharyOrangeville, ON: Ian VanSydenborgh and Jessica Vis

RR 3, 307 Country Road 16, Orangeville, ON L9W 2Z1Email: nelvans@sympatico.ca

1976 ~ July 31 ~ 2006Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

With joy and thankfulness to God our Father, we would like toannounce the 30th Wedding Anniversary of our parents and

grandparents

JOHNJOHN andand JANE HUIZINGJANE HUIZINGWe thank God for His blessings through the years and we pray He

continues to be with them.Hamilton, ON: Dan Huizing and Sarah HeyinkRichmond Hill, ON: Margaret and John Spanninga

MeganHamilton, ON: Nick and Denise HuizingRichmond Hill, ON: Ingrid

JoelMailing Address: 4 Versailles Court, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 8V4

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AANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES

65th Wedding AnniversarySpakenburg, 1941 ~ July 4 ~ Dunnville, 2006

With great thankfulness to the Lord, the provider of allthings, we announce the 65th Wedding Anniversary of our

dear parents, grandparents and great-grandparents

LAMMERTLAMMERT andand HENDRIKA HOPMANHENDRIKA HOPMAN (nee Duijst)(nee Duijst)We pray that the Lord will continue to guide and bless

them, surrounding them with His love and care.

Their Wedding Text: Psalm 71:1A“In Thee, O Lord, do I take refuge” “Bij U, o HERE, schuil ik.”

Their thankful children, grandchildrenand great-grandchildren

Dunnville, ON: Clarence and Anna HopmanWelland, ON: Lawrence and Romina Hopman

Aaron, DylanFergus, ON: Robert and Joanne Hopman

Kelvin, Fionna, Alexis, SheldonDunnville, ON: Helena and Len Petter

Teleah, Jared, RainnaBismark, ON: Rouel and Jennifer Hopman

Kelsey, Tianna, Megan, LylaDunnville, ON: Julian HopmanWainfleet, ON: Cyrus and Erica HopmanBeamsville, ON: Bert and Elsa HopmanGuelph, ON: Theo HopmanBeamsville, ON: Gus and Trish HopmanBurlingon, ON: Erika and Nick Kottelenberg

AnneliseOrangeville, ON: Tesha and Errol KottelenbergBrantford, ON: Allison SchuttenHamilton, ON: Rodney Schutten and Vlada Kononchuk

Duane Schutten and Dallas JeromeBrantford, ON: Nathan Schutten and Jennifer Straatsma

Neil SchuttenFenwick, ON: Margaret and Taco VanderVeldeKemptville, ON: Brendan and Erin VanderVeldeSt. Catharines, ON: Aren and Jolanta VanderVelde

KyleeDundas, ON: Jordan and Kate VanderVeldeFenwick, ON: Marisa Vandervelde and Geoff Hutten

Alexa VanderveldeDunnville, ON: Art and Cheryl Hopman

Nick Hopman and Christine OrtYvonne HopmanNadine Hopman and Will DykemaAndrea HopmanChris Hopman

Richmond Hill, ON: Hetty and Karl VeldkampBrianna VeldkampRachelle VeldkampHarrison VeldkampOlivia Veldkamp

Lansdowne, ON: Wilma and Chris Dakin

773 Marshal Road, RR 9, Dunnville, Ontario N1A 2W8

JUNE 23, 2006 • 323

1971 ~ June 18 ~ 2006I will sing of the loving kindness of the LORD forever. Psalm 89:1With praise and thankfulness to our Heavenly Father forkeeping them in His care, we announce the 35th Wedding

Anniversary of our parents

BEN AND NANCY MEERSTRABEN AND NANCY MEERSTRAMay our gracious God continue to uphold and sustain them

in His love.With our love,Lynden, WA: Shona and John Doornbos

Devon, Katrine, Emma, BenjaminAncaster, ON: Chandra and Pete Vanderboom

Vanessa, Justin, Melanie, MatthewLangley, BC: Alex and Sarah MeerstraSt. Anns, ON: Colin and Laura Meerstra

Anna, Naomi, BethanyAbbotsford, BC: Sharon and Erik DeBoer

Owen, KayleighSmithers, BC: Lindsey MeerstraAddress: #1, 41854 Stevenson Road, Chilliwack, BC V2R 5W5

1971 ~ July 10 ~ 2006O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures

forever. Psalm 136:1With joy and thankfulness to the Lord, we are happy to announce

the 35th Wedding Anniversary of our dear parentsand grandparents

LOUISLOUIS andand NANCY SIPKEMANANCY SIPKEMA (nee Walsh)(nee Walsh)Dave SipkemaBrent and Jen Sipkema

Madison and KatelynCathy and Jeff Scheper

Shannon, Lauren, Kimberly and Ryan2232 Britannia Road, RR 3, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0

1976 ~ June 25 ~ 2006And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who

love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28With great joy and thankfulness to our heavenly Father,we announce the 30th Wedding Anniversary of our

dearly loved parents

BILLBILL andand HENRIETTA RAAPHENRIETTA RAAP (nee Kuik)(nee Kuik)Thank you Dad and Mom for teaching us God’s covenant of grace

through your daily walk with Him. We pray that the Lordcontinues to bless you with his unfailing love and faithfulness as

you persevere in your walk with God. We love you!Winnipeg, MB: Jason and Aileen Raap

Devon, Shayna, BrandonNeerlandia, AB: Matt and Kerry BreukelmanCloverdale, BC: Shaun and Brenda Raap

SethRandy RaapChrista Raap

Winnipeg, MB: Kaylie Raap and Kazwel Levandoski281 Symington Road, Winnipeg, MB R2C 5J7

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you inChrist Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

In honor of the 50th Wedding Anniversary of

RICHARDRICHARD andand AMIE VELDKAMPAMIE VELDKAMPthe congregation is given an opportunity to congratulate them

on Sunday, July 2after the morning service.

Coffee will be taken care of by the family!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!1961 ~ June 23 ~ 2006

John 16:33bWith praise in our hearts and on our lips, we celebrate the 45th

Wedding Anniversary of our parents and grandparents

LUCASLUCAS andand ENA JONKERENA JONKER (nee Groen)(nee Groen)We thank our Lord, the Giver of all things, for the many years oflove and joy He has given to them, and pray that He will continue

to keep them in His loving care for many more years.Erin, ON: John and Carrie Jonker

Ben Jonker and Joni VanTolAlyssa, Katrina, Megan, Jocelyn

Honeywood, ON: Robert and Kim JonkerJoshua, Jessica, Courtney

Orangeville, ON: Jarrod and Liz JonkerTyler, Chelsea

Trevor and Marlene JonkerTaylor, Brianna, Carmen, Brendan

St. Anns, ON: Jason and Corinne JonkerMitchell, Morgan, Kaitlyn, Dylan

Caledonia, ON: Tamara and Arie denHollanderWilliam, Lucas

Niagara-On- Rachel and Ed Gansekoelethe-Lake, ON: Eliana

Orangeville, ON: Shaun and Ashley JonkerKristen and Alan Kottelenberg

Kya, TarynFergus, ON: Kyle and Henrietta Jonker

20 Lynda Avenue, Orangeville, ON L9W 1Z6lejonker@rogers.com

OOBITUARIESBITUARIES

May 4, 1921 – May 24, 2006He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Psalm 91:2

Our heavenly Father called home, our belovedMom, Oma and Great-omaCatharina Homan [Lenting]

Predeceased by her husband Jacob Homan Oct 29, 1994.She will be missed by her children:Granisle, BC: Tina and Herman DallingaLangley, BC: John and Elles HomanClearbrook, BC: Ann and John Vantil14 grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren

23017-72 Avenue, Langley, BC V3A 6H4

AANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES

� �

� �

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324 • JUNE 23, 2006

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 minutesfrom Barrhead and 1 1/2 hours from Edmonton.

We have to offer competitive wages with less teaching daysthan most 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 VanLeeuwenBox 67, Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0

Due to upcoming vacancies, the Canadian ReformedSchool Society of Edmonton, operating Parkland ImmanuelChristian School, invites applications for the following

position for the 2006-2007 school year:A FULL TIME ELEMENTARY TEACHER

A University Degree is a requirement for this position.For further information, please contact the Principal:

Mr. R. Van DelftPhone (780) 444-6443 (school); (780) 458-0433 (home)

Applications should be directed in writing to the school:Parkland Immanuel Christian School

c/o Personnel Committee21304 35 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6M 2P6

TEACHING POSITIONThe Coaldale Canadian Reformed School Society operating

Coaldale Christian School invites applications for thefollowing position:

TEACHERfor the 2006/2007 school year.

Our requirements are:• Qualified to teach English, French, Religions Studies

and a possible third language• Bachelor of Education or equivalent, or be able to

acquire or update to the samePreference will be given to applicants that have:• Some expertise in Special Education• Approximately 5 years experience

Applicants must be members of aCanadian Reformed Church or a church with which

we have ecclesiastical fellowship.Letters of application, including experience may be sent to:

Coaldale Christian School2008 – 8 Street, Coaldale, Alberta T1M 1L1

Phone: 403-345-4055Fax: 403-345-6436

Email: ccsoffic@telusplanet.netFor more information, please contact the principal:

Joop HarthoornPhone and email same as above.

Male Female

Age $250,000 $500,000 $250,000 $500,000

30 $15.42 $23.40 $12.32 $16.98

35 $16.16 $25.18 $14.00 $20.30

40 $19.35 $32.47 $17.55 $24.95

45 $27.97 $44.10 $19.80 $32.85

50 $37.35 $65.48 $26.55 $44.87

55 $58.50 $108.00 $40.95 $74.08

60 $90.00 $164.85 $63.00 $111.26

TTEACHINGEACHING PPOSITIONSOSITIONS

PROVIDENCE REFORMED COLLEGIATEInvites applications for the position of

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERin the areas of Bible, English, Law, Geography, and Civicsfor the 2006/2007 school year. There is some flexibility to

the position and thus other subject areas will beconsidered. Full and part-time applicants will be given

consideration.Providence has a student body of 100 students in grades 9-12. Now in its 9th year, the school is located a few minutes

west of London in a recently built facility.Qualified individuals who seek to serve in the field of

Reformed Christian education, who submit to Scripture assummarized by the Reformed Confessions, are invited tosubmit a resume, a statement of faith, a statement of your

philosophy of education, and letters of reference(including one from your church consistory) to:

Providence Reformed CollegiatePO Box 114, 93 Queen Street, Komoka, ON N0L 1R0

For more information contact the principal,Mr. Roger Vanoostveen

at school: (519) 471 0661, home: (519) 264 2575or e-mail: prc_principal@rogers.com

JUNE 23, 2006 • 325

ASPECIALOPPORTUNITY!Encouraged by gifts received, both fromindividuals and via deaconries, our FOREIGN

STUDENT BURSARY FUND supports academically qualified,but needy, students from abroad. Our current commitment isto a student from Russia.

You now have the opportunity and privilege of helping fundtheir studies in Canada. The Lord willing, your donation will beinstrumental in spreading the gospel in their countries of origin.

Gifts of any size are welcome and those of $10.00 and overqualify for a receipt for income tax purposes.

Please remit to the College at the following address, with thecheque clearly identified as intended for the

“FOREIGN STUDENT BURSARY FUND”The Theological College

of the Canadian Reformed Churches110 West 27th Street, Hamilton, ON L9C 5A1

John MeerveldAssociate Broker

garden city realty inc., REALTOR®

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Serving the Ancaster, Hamilton, Glanbrook, Caledonia and Flamborough areas.

CREDOAN OVERVIEW OF THE CHURCH’S CONFESSION ASSUMMARIZED IN THE THREE FORMS OF UNITY

by J. De Jong

“What do you believe about God? Aboutsalvation and redemption? About the tencommandments?” These are the kinds ofquestions young people are confrontedwith in today’s climate of religiouspluralism. This book – originally designed as acourse for confession of faith – has been structured to help youngpeople answer these questions and to confirm them in their own faith.It presents an overview of the continental Reformed confessionsknown as the Three Forms of Unity: the Heidelberg Catechism, theBelgic Confession and the Canons of Dort.

The text has been supplemented with a large number of Scripturepassages to help students realize that these confessions are based onScripture and that they cannot be understood apart from livinginteraction with the Word of God. Indeed, if the exercises lead one backto Scripture, then the purpose of this book has been realized!

Soft cover, 182 pages Can. $ 10.00 . . . .U.S. $ 8.50

ISBN 0-88756-068-7

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

The Theological Collegeof the Canadian Reformed Churches

The Thirty-Seventh Anniversay Meetingand the Thirty - Second Convocation of the

Theological Collegewill be held, D.V. on

Friday, September 8, 2006 at 8:00 p.m.

in the auditorium of Redeemer University College(777 Garner Road East, Ancaster, Ontario)

Prof. G.H. Visscherwill be the featured speaker.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHURCH’S CONFESSIONAS SUMMARIZED IN THE THREE FORMS OF UNITY

byDR

. J.DE

JONG

CREDOCREDO

326 • JUNE 23, 2006

TinkeringwithCreation?The Promise and Perils ofGenetic Engineering

Edited by Cornelis Van Dam

The possibilities of human ingenuity and scientific advances seem to belimitless in our day. Plants are genetically modified to produce food thatmeets predetermined criteria. Basic building blocks of life are beingmanipulated for healing diseases and improving health. However, thesame basic techniques are used to produce cloned animals and there ismuch talk about doing the same with humans. Such scientific activitiesraise many questions.

Soft Cover, 112 pages . . . . . . Can. $ 8.25 . . .U.S. $ 6.75

ISBN 0-88756-082-2

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

BURLINGTON REFORMED STUDY CENTRE

TIN

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Prom

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Genetic

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The Promise and Perils ofGenetic Engineering.

The Promise and Perils ofGenetic Engineering.

TreasuresNew and OldExploring theRiches of Scripture

by Jack De Jong

Dr. De Jong’s passion was to search the Scriptures andto bring its treasures new and old to the attention of God’s people.With his insights into God’s Word he was able to encourage,instruct, and comfort many when his meditations were firstpublished in Clarion. His work retains its value and can be usedfor personal Bible study and devotions as well as for group studyinto God’s Word.

Soft cover, 292 pages . . . . Can. $13.00 . . . U.S. $11.00

ISBN 0-88756-085-7

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

CelebratingSalvationby Clarence Stam

What is the real meaning ofChristmas, Good Friday, Easter,Ascension, and Pentecost?What will happen before Jesus Christ returns?“Celebrating Salvation” discusses those Bible passagesthat deal directly with the great facts of salvationconcerning the ministry of Jesus Christ. It may help tounderstand what really happened and how Christ todaylives as Head of his church.

Soft cover, 302 pages . . . . . . . .Can. $17.00

. . . . . . . .U.S. $13.75

ISBN 0-88756-066-0

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

About the birth, death,resurrection, and ascensionof Jesus Christ and theoutpouring of the Holy Spirit.Epilogue: the returnof Christ

CDivorce

Remarriageby C. Van Dam

Divorce and remarriage are not pleasanttopics. The beautiful institution ofmarriage is under siege in our day. Theresult is that also in Reformed circles the subject needsto be discussed more and more.

The questions that come up raise sensitive and emotional issues. Onlythe Lord can show us the way. This publication is a look at whatScripture says on the topic.

Highly recommended for office bearers and also very useful as a guidefor Bible discussion groups.

Soft cover, 69 pages . . . . . . . .Can. $ 6.50

. . . . . . . . U.S. $ 5.00

ISBN 0-88756-064-4

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

JUNE 23, 2006 • 327

TheSpirit

and theBride

by Clarence Stam

In this book Clarence Stam discusses many Biblepassages that speak about the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit.It is specifically his purpose to show that the Holy Spirit perfects andcompletes the work of salvation in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit cameto dwell in and with the church of Christ, his holy bride, to prepareher for the great marriage feast of the Lamb. It is through this Spiritthat the bride prays, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.”

Soft cover, 236 pages. . . . . .Can. $12.75 . . . .U.S. $10.00

ISBN 0-88756-083-0

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

by W.W.J. VanOenePatrimony Profile retraces theinheritance (“patrimony”) which theCanadian Reformed Churches receivedfrom the fathers throughout thehistory of the Reformed Churches inthe Netherlands from 1795 on, via Secession(1834), Doleantie (1886), Union (1892), and Liberation (1944).It outlines (“profile”) why, in order not to forfeit thispatrimony, the Canadian Reformed Churches had to beinstituted when, at the first so-called Reformed EcumenicalSynod in 1946, the Christian Reformed Church expressed itsapproval of what was done in the Netherlands by those whoclearly had abandoned and denied that very patrimony.

Hard cover, 453 pages Can. $27.00 . . . .U.S. $19.00

ISBN 0-88756-073-3

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

PostmodernismA CHRISTIAN APPRAISALby F.G. Oosterhoff

This book consists of five lectures,each of which deals with different aspects ofpostmodernism. Beginning with the reasonswhy the movement arose, the book describespostmodern attitudes with respect to socialjustice, the environment, religion, andeducation. It also shows the use postmodern thinkersmake of language and literature, and it deals at some length with thecentral element in postmodernism, which is the changing attitude towardknowledge and truth.The author is a graduate of University College, London University, England,where she received the Ph.D. in European history. Now retired, she hastaught courses in Ancient and European history, Church history, and thehistory of ideas for several years at the secondary and college levels.

Soft cover, 126 pages Can. $ 8.00 . . . .U.S. $ 6.75

ISBN 0-88756-074-1

ORDER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

WORK&LeisureEdited by Cornelis Van DamandKristen Kottelenberg Alkema

What actually is working? How would youdefine it? The answer seems elusive in anage when the cell phone makes it possible to strike a dealon the beach and when the ever present laptop computer makes staying intouch with business partners easy even when away from the office. Workinvades our time at home and activities more likely associated with thehome are entering places of work.

What defines leisure time? What is a responsible Christian approach tousing opportunities for leisure? Is God’s idea of rest the same as that ofthe culture in which we live?

Soft cover, 75 pages Can. $ 8.00 . . . . U.S. $ 6.75

ISBN 0-88756-087-3

ORDER FROMYOUR FAVOURITE BOOKSTORE OR FROM

PREMIER PUBLISHINGOne Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3X5

BURLINGTON REFORMED STUDY CENTRE

Work and Leisure in theLife of a Christian

Work and Leisure in theLife of a Christian

OurReformedHeritage

Retraced1795

-1946

PATRIMONY PROFILE

W.W.J. Van Oene

JUNE 23, 2006 • 328JUNE 23, 2006 • 328

PM40

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Maranatha Homes, located in south Burlington near manyamenities, is a place where Christian seniors can enjoy

independent living in community with others.

The Home’s newly renovated units and award-winningarchitectural design, combined with its reasonable rent rates

make Maranatha an attractive and affordableaccommodation for seniors.

For further information contact:Rosanne van der Woerd

109-3260 New Street, Burlington, ON L7N 3L4905-681-0311

Email: rvanderwoerd@sympatico.ca

Manager, Lending Services

CHRISTIAN CREDIT UNION LTD.Edmonton, Alberta

Christian Credit Union is a full-service financial cooperativeserving members of the Reformed Christian community inAlberta for 54 years. Assets total $97 million and loans total $72million. We have one branch in Edmonton and one inLethbridge. Our goal is to serve God through the provision offinancial services to the Reformed Christian community.

We have an exciting opportunity for an individual to playan integral role on our management team. The successfulapplicant will have 5 or more years of commercial andagricultural lending experience as well as strong managerialand interpersonal skills. The Manager, Lending Servicesmanages the lending function of the credit union by developingand promoting a full range of credit union services, coachingand mentoring other credit union lending staff and providingfinancial services to commercial and agricultural accounts.

For more information on the position and requiredqualifications, please visit our website at www.christiancu.ca.

Closing date: July 7, 2006

Submit resume to: Peter Lindhout, General ManagerChristian Credit Union Ltd.13504 – 142 Street, Edmonton, AB T5L 4Z2Fax: (780) 426-2313plindhout@alberta-cu.com

Bus: (519) 843-5400Fax: (519) 843-2810Cell: (519) 993-1780

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ASSOCIATES / ADMINISTRATIONPETA-GAY TAI-MILTON, B.A.TINA TAI-DESTRO, B.A.

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