the hamiltonian - Westdale Reformed Church

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THE HAMILTONIAN
September 2011
Volume 44 #8
IN THIS ISSUE
Bowling League
4
Calendar
20
Camp Shalom Fun Fair
1,2
Church Library
5,8
Hurricane Irene
4
Missionary Update
19
“Needed”
8
Reformed Marriage Encounter
17
Refresh & Renew Conference
2
Senior Youth
3
Super 60’s+
4
Thank you Letter
18
Visioning Journey
2
Women’s Fall Conference
9,10
Women’s Ministry Newsletter 11-16
THE HAMILTONIAN
Published by: Westdale Reformed Church
201 Paradise Road North
Hamilton, ON, L8S 3T3
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Website:
905-527-0998
905-527-3255
[email protected]
www.westdalereformed.com
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"Refresh and renew" your
appreciation of Worship:
Anyone and everyone interested
in exalting God and uniting His
people in exalting Him is invited to
attend the
Redeemer
University
College
Conference on Worship on Saturday,
Sept. 24 from 8:30-4:00. Pastor Stan
is going.
There will be workshops on
many important topics including:
"Thoughts on choosing music for
worship services, Leading worship
with a team, Speaking and singing the
Bible. The two Redeemer professors
who led our workshop in worship in
May will be leading workshops.
Go to redeemer.ca/worship to
register and for more information.
Deadline: Sept. 16. Please contact
Pastor Stan if you are interested.
FUN FAIR AT CAMP! The Annual Fun
Fair at Countryside Camp will be held on
Saturday September 17th 10am-4pm.
1) If you can donate a silent auction item
(value of at least $20), please contact Rob
Godwaldt.
2) Please sign up to work in the Fish
Booth or the Country Store - we need 4
volunteers/hour.
3) Baking is also needed for the Country
Store.
VISIONING
JOURNEY:
The Consistory thanks all those who
have offered feedback and suggestions as
we embark on this journey. We look
forward to continually reporting and
hearing your thoughts and feelings. Your
prayers are of course vital to this journey
and we trust the Lord will lead us to
deepen our prayer lives in the coming year.
Soon, Lord willing, we will have our
20/20 Team leaders in place in the areas
of: Chairperson, Prayer Coordinator,
Church Profile Coordinator, Community
Profile Coordinator and Purpose and
Values Coordinator. If you are asked to
consider one of these positions, we urge
you to pray and consider your decision
carefully. We want to stress that we need
many more people to assist in this work
than the team leaders.
Within the next month to 6 weeks
we will be asking everyone to fill out a
survey of where we are as God's people in
our time and place and who we sense God
leading us to be.
In the meantime, let us "continually
ask God to fill us with the knowledge of
his will through all the wisdom and
understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10
so that we may live a life worthy of the
Lord and please him in every way: bearing
fruit in every good work, growing in the
knowledge of God. - Col. 1:9-10.
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SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2011
SENIOR YOUTH MINISTRY EVENTS Friday September 9th ‐ Sunday September 11th VALENS CAMPOUT Let’s start the youth year off right…at Valens for a campout! We’ll have some fun around a roaring fire, play lots of games, hear some great speakers, and eat lots of yummy food…spider dog anyone? Sunday September 25th CHURCH IN THE BOX @ REDEEMER Join us for this awesome contemporary service held in the auditorium at Redeemer University. Let us know if you need a ride! Saturday October 1st CROSS CULTURE Come serve, worship and experience the brokenness and beauty of Hamilton. Together we will worship God with our hearts, voices and our hands as we serve God by serving out city. Venue: Wentworth Baptist Church–120 Wentworth Street North, Hamilton Cost: only $5! Watch your mailboxes for forms and further info. Sunday October 2nd COMFY COUCH CHURCH Come join us in the youth room during the morning service for some music, a message, and some discussion. See you there! Friday October 14th ‐ Sunday October 16th ANCHOR 2011 @ CAMP SHALOM This year the theme is "Preserve & Illuminate" based on Matthew 5:13‐16. There will be a guest speaker and seminars to choose from, worship, large group games, and great meals! Remember, if you register by October 5th you will receive a $20 discount! ~4~
HURRICANE
Mark your calendars!
We will meet on
Wednesday, October
12th, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.
Coffee will be served,
with a lunch to follow.
Speaker: Klaas Slagter
will be sharing his
journey biking across
Canada to raise funds for
the Bible Society.
Bring a friend and share
a time of fellowship.
Connie Lenarduzzi
IRENE:
Hurricane Irene caused heavy
rains along the East Coast, causing
flooding that has impacted nearly
20 RCA churches in
New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania,
and the Virgin
Islands. Several of
the churches have experienced
severe flooding. Please pray for
people who are part of the
churches that have been impacted.
Reformed Church World Service
has set up a fund for hurricane
relief. If you would like to
contribute, send donations,
designated "U.S. Hurricane," to
Reformed Church in America, 201
Paradise Rd. N., Hamilton, ON L8S
3T3.
Westdale Church Bowling League:
As we had previously mentioned,
we were looking to get at least 24 bowlers
for the league to continue. As we were not
able to reach that number, it was decided
that the bowling league will not continue
this year.
Thank you to those who came out
in the past and maybe one day we can
revive it.
Henry and Jackie Boesveld
John and Yvonne VanWyngaarden
Roy and Greta Vanderwal
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LIBRARY NEWS: The CD
music collection has
increased! Thanks
to a generous
donation, we now
have a wide variety and
selection of CD's. Come
& check them out!
ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS:
Helping Hands Street Mission is
always looking for volunteers. If you are
interested in becoming a volunteer and
would like to get more information of what
is involved, then
come to our
volunteer meeting on
Saturday Oct 1st at
351 Barton Street (the program center).
Lunch will be served and the meeting will
be from 1-3:30. This will be a time to sit
down and clearly define our expectations
for volunteers as far as your role in HHSM,
to go over policies and procedures, to let
you know of leadership opportunities in
our organization and to set clear standards
of practice for all volunteers. It is also a
time for you to share concerns and
questions regarding the store front or the
street outreach.
We would love to have you there!
Please RSVP by Sept. 28 to Sherry
Huisman at 905-628-3382 or email
[email protected] to let me know you
are coming.
CHOIR
I want to sing…I want to
shout…praise the Lord! It is time
for choir to start again! Practices
will begin Thursday, September 15th
at 7:30 in the church sanctuary. We
always love to have new members,
no prior experience necessary. So
come out and join us for a time of
singing and fellowship!
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REFORMED
CHURCH
MEN'S
MINISTRIES
Hamiltonian
Mensletter
September
AD2011
"All the ways of a man are pure in his own
eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits-the
thoughts and intents of the heart." Proverbs
16:2 AMP
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but
in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 16:25
NIV
Dear Men of Christ: It has been an amazing
summer for me. The early morning sunrises,
the hard labour of work, times spent with
family and friends and through it all, my ever
growing relationship with God.
I felt the need to continue my early
morning devotions by reading a chapter from
Proverbs each day not because I was so
strong or disciplined but rather because I
needed strength and wisdom to handle the
things that came each day. I wanted to be
found faithful to Christ no matter what God
had in store for me. Sometimes I failed and
other times I succeeded yet through it all
Jesus sustained me.
One of the things I committed to this
coming fall was a one day event that is
sponsored by The Promise Keepers called
Purity. It is only $20 before Sept. 7 and
includes lunch and is held on October 1 at the
Brampton Christian Family Church. It is a
practical overview about sexual purity through
teaching, discussion and exercises. And my
invitation for you is to come along with me and
enjoy the fellowship and teaching.
In this day and age, to compromise is the "in
thing" to do. To stand up for nothing means
you fall for everything. To be a man means to
be a leader; a leader at home, at church, and
in your community, however, how you lead and
with what motive you lead determines the end
results of your leadership. The above bible
verses help us to see what kind of leadership
pleases God, for in the end that is all which
really counts. God judges all things, even the
intents and motives of our hearts. Therefore it
is important that we judge our own thoughts
and make them captive to Christ (2
Corinthians 10:5).
Sadly, many men have their thoughts
captive to women. (Judges 16) They are not
just captivated by women but are held captive
to women in their minds. Proverbs chapters 57, have many warning about the adulteress.
Jesus takes this dangerous situation even
further to include pornography (Matthew
5:27+28). The Apostle Paul gives us the
solution for overcoming these weaknesses of
the flesh by walking according to the Spirit.
"Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step
with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
We thank God who is Our Father in
heaven, which never leaves us nor forsakes
us. He trains our hands for war (Psalms 144:1)
and also strengthens our hands to reach out
and help the needy (Acts 3:7).
No matter how young or how old... God
has a good plan, a good purpose for you. That
plan and purpose is found in His Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Christ's rule and reign is to
make us faithful men. Faithful to God and His
Word, faithful to our wife and family, and
faithful to the tasks and talents He has given
us to do.
Remember Saturday mornings for prayer and
Bible study at 7:00 a.m.
On behalf of Reformed Church Men's Ministry,
Klaas Detmar
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“Learning” by Karen Kingsbury
“The Ultimate Gift” DVD
Jason thought his inheritance was
going to be a gift of money and lots of it. Was
he ever in for a big surprise.
Based on the best-selling book The
Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall, this film sends
trust fund baby Jason Stevens on an
improbable journey of discovery, having to
answer the ultimate
question: "What is the
relationship between
wealth and happiness?"
Jason had a very
simple relationship with
his impossibly wealthy
grandfather, Howard "Red"
Stevens. He hated him. No
heart-to-heart talks, no warm fuzzies. So of
course he figured that when Red died, the
whole "reading of the will" thing would be
another simple cash transaction, that his
grandfather's money would allow him to
continue living in the lifestyle to which he had
become accustomed. But what Red left him
was anything but simple. Red instead devised
a plan for Jason to experience a crash course
on life. Twelve tasks, which Red calls "gifts,"
each challenging Jason in an improbable way,
the accumulation of which would change him
forever.
Featuring an all-star cast including
Golden Globe winner and six-time Emmy
nominee Brian Dennehy, Academy Award and
Golden Globe nominee James Garner, and
Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin
(Little Miss Sunshine, Signs).
Bailey Flanigan is growing closer to her
dream to be an actress and
dancer in New York while Cody
coaches a small high school
football team ... on and off the
field. But neither feels
complete without the chance to
share their dreams with one
other. Can distance truly make
the heart grow fonder? Or will Cody learn to
turn to others to share in his happiness? And
when tragedy strikes? Who will be there to
provide comfort in the face of loss? As
Cody's past catches up with him, he must
learn to reach out for help or risk withdrawing
permanently inside himself. Both Bailey and
Cody find themselves learning significant life
lessons in this poignant love story, featuring
members from Karen Kingsbury's popular
Baxter family.
NEEDED: Used greeting
cards for making health card
gifts for patients in
Third World
Countries. Please
place them in the
box in the narthex.
P.S. Don't forget to
bring your spare eye
glasses to church if
you don't need them.
Thanks, Marti.
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Local Executive Team
Gary & Corina Oosterhof
Local Executive Couple
[email protected]
Ed & Jean Visser
Local Clergy Couple
[email protected]
David & Danielle Stell
Registration Couple
[email protected]
Harold & Diane Westerman
Canada Finance Couple
[email protected]
Facts about Reformed Marriage Encounter Weekends
Reformed Marriage Encounter (www.reformedme.org) began in 1981 in Michigan. Since that time, more
than 6700 couples have benefited from the weekend in North America and Nigeria. Weekends are typically
led by 4 couples, one a pastor and wife and the other three lay couples, all of whom are members of the
RCA or CRC and share from that faith perspective. Reformed Marriage Encounter has no paid staff. All
work is done on a volunteer basis. The North American Board meets twice per year and is made up of
representatives from the areas where weekends are given regularly, currently: Ontario and Michigan.
Weekends have also been given in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, New York,
California, and Alberta.
A couple typically attends one of these weekends once in a lifetime, experiencing a very private spouseoriented communication technique that can be used over and over again at home after the weekend. A
pastor from Iowa commented that he believes the strength of a Marriage Encounter Weekend is in its set up
for enabling couples to actually PRACTICE living God’s plan for marriage for a full 44 hours. He indicated
that much of what is available for marriages offers ideas through videos or entertaining presentations, but
doesn’t offer an opportunity to actually PRACTICE purposely non-defensive sharing and loving. Strong
marriages contribute to strong churches and a Marriage Encounter Weekend can be another
building block in a strong marriage. In the book, Marriage Savers, author, columnist, and marriage
advocate Mike McManus cites studies that show 9 of 10 couples attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend
fall in love with each other all over again.
The weekend runs from 7:30 Friday evening through 3:30 Sunday afternoon. A worship service is part of
Sunday's program. Two overnights and five meals are included.
Many elders and pastors call about Marriage Encounter, wanting to help a couple experiencing marital
problems. Marriage Encounter Weekends are intended for good marriages (marriages in which the couples
know they want to stay together 'til death parts them). The couple will spend about 44 hours on a Marriage
Encounter Weekend focusing simply on each other. They will not receive counseling since there are no
counselors on the weekend. They will benefit greatly if they can follow the modeled pattern of sharing with
and listening to each other over and over again in their motel room on the weekend. If you can sense in a
hurting couple any desire to still remain together, then a Marriage Encounter Weekend can be a beginning.
It may also have the effect of keeping such a couple together for a longer period of time. Professional
counseling will most likely still be a good choice for such a couple, though.
There is also information available on Retrouvaille (Rediscovery) weekends that are for troubled marriages.
These weekends have 70% success rate at bringing miserable, separated, or divorced couples together.
See the website @ www.retrouvaille.org.
There is a required $50 registration fee. Contributions beyond that are free-will and confidential, made, after
private discussion between husband and wife, on the weekend itself. We are pleased that Marriage
Encounter continues to be able to function in this manner, enabling couples of every means to attend.
Reformed Marriage Encounter, of course, would not be able to do this if there were not a significant number
of couples who are willing and enabled to contribute the cost of the weekend (about $400 here in Ontario),
double the cost, or even more.
For more information please visit our website at www.reformedme.org.
"Strengthening the Church by Strengthening Marriages."
ARE YOU MARRIED AND FEELING
GLAD ABOUT THAT? Then come
and experience the deepening joy of
God's grace in your marriage on the
Reformed Marriage Encounter
weekend to be held November 4-6,
2011 at the beautiful Otonabee Inn in
Peterborough. Questions? Contact
September 2011
registration couple David and
Danielle Stell at 905-985-8305 [email protected]
or register online @
www.reformedme.org. Register before
October 21 to be assured a spot. There
is no group sharing on the weekend.
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September 2011
Sunday
11.
8:45am praise team
10:00am worship
Monday
12.
Tuesday
13.
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25.
8:45am praise team
10:00am worship
“Church in the Box”
at Redeemer – Sr. Y
2.
8:45am praise team
10:00am worship
10:00am Comfy
Couch Church Sr.
Youth
9.
8:45am praise team
10:00am worship
Thursday
Friday
16.
7:00 p.m. Gems,
Cadets
7:00 p.m. Jr. Youth
Saturday
17.
7:00 a.m. Men’s
Bible Study
14.
Prayer Meeting:
7:30pm Silent
Prayers; 8:00pm
Corporate Prayers
15.
20.
9:30 a.m. Coffee
Break/Story
Hour/Little Lambs
21.
22.
26.
9:30 a.m. Bocce
Ball
7:00 p.m. Bell
Ministry
27.
9:30 a.m. Coffee
Break/Story
Hour/Little Lambs
28.
3.
9:30 a.m. Bocce
Ball
7:00 p.m. Bell
Ministry
4.
9:30 a.m. Coffee
Break/Story
Hour/Little Lambs
5.
9:30 a.m.
Women’s
Conference at
Camp
6.
7.
8.
7:30 p.m. Choir
7:00 p.m. Gems,
Cadets
7:00 p.m. Jr. Youth
7:00 a.m. Men’s
Bible Study
10.
Thanksgiving
Day Service
10:00 a.m.
11.
9:30 a.m. Coffee
Break/Story
Hour/Little Lambs
12.
13.
9:30 a.m. Super
60’s
7:30 p.m. Choir
14.
ANCHOR Youth
Retreat at Camp for
Jr./Sr. Youth
15.
ANCHOR Youth
Retreat at Camp for
Jr./Sr. Youth
7:00 p.m. Bell
Ministry
Jr./Sr. Youth
Campout ends right
after morning
worship
18.
8:45am praise team
10:00am worship
Wednesday
19.
9:30 a.m. Bocce
Ball
7:00 p.m. Bell
Ministry
7:30 p.m. Choir
FALL FAIR
AT CAMP
10am-4pm
23.
7:00 p.m. Gems,
Cadets
7:00 p.m. Jr. Youth
24.
29.
30.
OCT. 1.
7:30 p.m. Choir
7:00 p.m. Gems,
Cadets
7:00 p.m. Jr. Youth
7:00 a.m. Men’s
Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Choir
7:00 a.m. Men’s
Bible Study
“Crossculture” Sr.
Youth
7:00 a.m. Men’s
Bible Study