Share &Care. Class of. June 2014 A Newsletter of the Escondido United Reformed Church

Transcription

1 June 2014 A Newsletter of the Escondido United Reformed Church Share &Care And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Class of 2014

2 Psalm Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle s. 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children s children 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

3 Gre (Vander Lip) was born on June 1, 1923 in Woubrugge, Netherlands, the youngest of eleven children. She enjoyed a lively, laughter-filled family that worked together milking the cows and rowing customers across the canal. She married Arie in 1945 and together they began the proceedings to immigrate to America in January Their journey took them to Missouri where they were sponsored by the Bailey family, then eventually to San Diego County. They arrived in Escondido in 1956 where they started their own dairy - their American dream! Gre and Arie were blessed with six children: Trudy & Leen-Wim, Willy, Nellie & Ron, Cobie & Greg, Jake, John & Joanne. She was predeceased by her husband Arie and son-in-law William. They were also blessed with 22 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren; each of them were taught at an early age about the Lord and the importance of serving Him in everything that was said and done. Church was an important part of Gre s life as she faithfully attended, serving in Coffee Break and Project Philip. For two years, she enjoyed Meadowbrook Village and then moved to Park View Villa where she was lovingly cared for. She died on May 10, 2014 in Escondido, California. We truly thank God for the inspiration and example she has given to us and the precious memories we are left to cherish. Rev. Stephen Donovan officiated at the graveside service while Rev. Christopher Gordon and Dr. W. Robert Godfrey officiated the memorial service. Daphne played the organ and piano.

4 Welcoming New Covenant Children, as Baptized Members! Welcome to Levi Johannes! On March 19, 2014 at 3:33am, our 8 pound 1 ounce, 20 ¾ inch baby boy, Levi Johannes, was born. Levi s first name is to remind Levi to look to the Great High Priest just as the Levitical priesthood was meant to point God s people to look forward to Him (Hebrews 7:11-17). Levi s middle name is a family name that belonged to Alison s great grandfather, but we also liked that the meaning of the name is God is gracious, to remind Levi that he must always run emptyhanded to the sovereign grace of God. We ve learned from very early on that Levi is a very independent and curious boy who loves to look at the world around him. We enjoy his continually growing collection of facial expressions and gestures and are amazed at what new things he can do with each passing day. He is truly a gift from the Lord and a joy to our hearts. Timothy is currently studying in his second year at Westminster Seminary California pursuing a Master of Divinity. Alison lovingly supports Timothy and is fulfilling her current calling as mother and homemaker. Levi was baptized on April 13 th, and we were blessed in God s providence to have parents of both sides of the family visiting to be able to attend the baptism...timothy, Alison, and Levi Welcome to Abigail Louise! On Friday, April 4, 2014, at 4:49am our daughter Abigail Louise was born after 73 hours of labor! We did not know the gender beforehand and were pleasantly surprised because we both thought she was a boy. Abigail weighed 5 pounds and 15.6 ounces and was inches. Abigail's middle name is the same as her maternal grandmother's. She is the sixth grandchild on Sam's side of the family and the third for Stephanie's. Abigail enjoys waking us up multiple times a night due to her love for food (inherited from her parents). She is very expressive and overall an easy, happy baby. Stephanie is able to be on maternity leave until August. After that, she's hoping to only go back to work part time and work mostly from home. We were so blessed by Abigail's baptism, especially since it was on Resurrection Day. We praise God for His covenant promise to our daughter and look forward to its fruition in her profession of faith. Our prayer is that God will always be honored and glorified in Abigail's life....sam, Stephanie, and Abigail

5 In Memory of Blanche 12 September May 2014 Blanche was born September 12, 1914, in Los Angeles, the only child of Nellie Roberts and H. L. in his second marriage. She attended public schools in Los Angeles and graduated from Manual Arts High School with the Winter Class of She completed a bachelor s degree in English at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1936 and received a secondary teaching credential in She taught at Canoga Park High School and at Gardena High School in Los Angeles. Blanche moved to Escondido in 1945 when she married local dairyman Henry von Seggern, who predeceased her in Blanche was active at various times in the Business and Professional Women, Order of the Eastern Star, American Association of University Women, Lincoln School PTA, and Laubach Literacy Council. She enjoyed music and opera, travel, reading and book club. She exemplified life-long learning and giving to the community. She had strong faith in the Lord. She was a member of Emmanuel Faith Community Church and also attended Escondido United Reformed Church. Her family was the center of her life and she enriched our lives in many ways and leaves us with many wonderful indelible memories. She is survived by son Carl (Julia) of Escondido and daughter Ellen (Jan Paul) of Annapolis, MD; grandsons Erik of Escondido and Kurt (Amy) of Prescott Valley, AZ, and great grandchildren Kaylee and Isaak. A memorial service was held on Saturday, May 10 at 1:00 pm at Escondido United Reformed Church where Dr. W. Robert Godfrey officiated.

6 A TASTE OF RETIREMENT - TWICE AS SWEET! When Arlan signed a contract to teach at Calvin Christian School in 1974, little did he imagine that each weekday for the next forty years he would be greeting students in the warmth of sunny Escondido. The month of June, 2014 finds both him and his wife Elaine cleaning off their desks for the last time, completing their lengthy and industrious careers as Christian school educators staff photo Arlan applied for the 4 th -5 th grade teaching position at Calvin Christian in the spring of 1974, recalled then-school board member Chet. Chet met the Arlan & Elaine for the first time the previous summer at a Christian Schools International Convention they attended in Wisconsin, where Arlan and Elaine were currently teaching. The convention program included choral selections by a small singing group directed by Elaine. Chet shared their experiences with the staff photo board. It would be wonderful if we could bring this capable and experienced teacher here and at the same time enjoy the musical talents of his wife, the board thought. The rest is history, as the expression goes. Driving their 73 Plymouth Fury and pulling a 5 x 8 U- Haul trailer packed with all of their belongings, Arlan & Elaine moved from Wisconsin to Escondido in August of They immediately took up duties at Calvin Christian School; Arlan in a fourth and fifth grade combined classroom and Elaine a short time later as part-time music teacher. They quickly settled in to life in Escondido, purchasing their first home where they still reside today, and welcoming their first child, Mark, who was later followed by Jeff and Karen. Arlan soon moved to the junior high department where he remained for the rest of his career, teaching mainly U.S. and world history, geography and social studies. Students under his tutelage number in the thousands during the span of his career, impacted for life in God s world. He was instrumental in implementing and managing many events such as the Spelling Bee, National Geographic Bee and the Knowledge Bowl, as well as the WW II veteran interviews and magazine campaigns. Interestingly, Arlan s junior high classroom still has a set of wall maps that were likely purchased the year Calvin Christian School opened, with a copyright date of Arlan notes that although they are very fragile, it helps to pull down the map of a continent and compare it to a current map. While the physical features don t change, the political boundaries change more than one realizes! After several years of staying at home with their children, giving piano lessons, and working at Westminster Seminary, Elaine took up the fourth grade position her husband once held. Over her career Elaine has touched the lives of 733 students yes, she kept records! California maps, world globes made from white pumpkins, the jelly bean jar, recorder concerts and the Wax Museum Day are just a few of the many special memories that live on for her students. Elaine was also very involved each year in helping students prepare for the Fine Arts Festivals, and spent out-of-classroom hours too numerous to count accompanying the high school musicals.

7 As quickly as Arlan & Elaine became involved at school, they soon also became members of Escondido United Reformed Church (then Christian Reformed) and began serving in many areas. They volunteered as Young People s Leaders and were involved in the Young Couples Club, a large and active organization in the church at that time. While balancing the duties of family and teaching, Arlan and Elaine continued their strong commitment to and involvement with the church. Arlan has held the office of both deacon and elder for many terms, and for many of those years he has ably served as clerk of the council. He recalls how Rev. Howerzyl, who typed and printed the church bulletins on a mimeograph machine in his study s closet, taught him a lot about doing the job of council clerk. In his earlier years, Arlan hand-wrote the minutes in cursive and in minute ledgers. Gradually as time progressed he used a typewriter, followed by printing them on a word processor, an Atari computer. For many years Elaine has been seated at the piano bench to play during worship or accompany a special number. Beginning in the mid 1970s and continuing on until 2014, Elaine stepped in numerous times and served willingly as choir director whenever asked. With her leadership and abilities she enthusiastically helped choir members sing not only with voice but with the heart in worship and praise. Who can forget the beige and brown choir robes of years gone by, the bags of candy bars she would toss during rehearsals or the end-of-the-season barbeques enjoyed by the choir? Forty years after arriving at Calvin Christian, it s time to set aside the lesson plans, cap the correcting pen and retire from their professional careers. While this phase of their life comes to a close, it is certain that Arlan & Elaine will not sit idle! With hundreds of thousands of graded homework papers behind them, they will likely be found continuing to use their gifts in many ways. Many have been blessed by their labors. The church and school community are very thankful for their dedicated service over these many years! Arlan and Elaine have thoroughly enjoyed traveling and hope to continue doing so in their retirement years. They ll take trips to visit out-of-state relatives, especially children and grandchildren. They ve been to each of the 50 states and have visited the 13 presidential libraries. They would like to tour more state capital buildings, having seen 29 so far. Short-term service projects may be in their future as well. They look forward to whatever God has in store for them, and the Lord willing, they will go on serving Him in faith and love, for His glory. First Staff Photos Last Staff Photos For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

8 Abounding Grace Radio On behalf of the board of Abounding Grace Radio I would like to thank the congregation for your support of the program. Many of you attended our recent fund raising dinner here in Escondido at Meadowbrook Village. Rev. Robert Godfrey and was kind enough to make the trip for the dinner and provide us a night filled with laughter and entertainment. We are grateful for his comedic contribution in making our dinner a time of joyful fellowship. We enjoyed a great meal from the Meadowbrook staff (special thanks to JoMay for her hard work and for those chocolates!), heard more about the program, and ended singing together. The board continues to meet via Skype every month, thinking creatively about how best to use this wonderful opportunity the Lord has given us to advance the gospel over radio. We presently air in the Pacific Northwest, San Diego, and we have now added the Central Valley of California. To give you some idea of the population base Abounding Grace Radio is able to reach, airing to those three regions combined gives us the opportunity to broadcast the Christian faith into a population of well over ten million people! What I love about radio is that we simply cast forth God s Word, but we never know to whom the Lord will send it. Who will tune in at that moment? Who will be greatly convicted about their need for Jesus Christ? Who will be in their car and hear just what they need at that time in their life? Who will see the importance of attending a church from what they hear on AG Radio? Who will become saved through the message preached? These questions excite me. The results belong to the Lord, and we may never know how the program has been used. But it s really exciting when we know the Lord is in control of these things. Often we get letters that give us some sense of how the program is being received and the fruits that result, some of them are recorded below for your encouragement. At Abounding Grace Radio we do not seek to replace the work of the local church, but we view ourselves as an extension of the teaching ministry of the local church. Our mission statement is as follows: The mission of Abounding Grace Radio is to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ from all of Scripture as witness to those who do not believe and to strengthen believers in the truth of God s Word, the Bible. There are two goals in our mission statement. First, we desire that our messages would be a witness to those who have never heard the gospel of Christ. As you will see in the letters below, there are still many who, even in a post-christian culture, do not know the message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. We desire for the gospel message to be spoken clearly and effectively so listeners may be brought into a church that faithfully preaches God s Word. On a given Sunday in the Escondido URC we are seeing visitors from Abounding Grace Radio. Please greet them, welcome them, and tell them how thankful we are to have them here! This is fruit from our feeble attempts to do local outreach.

9 Second, we also realize how many Christians need to be reinstructed in the basic doctrines of the Christian faith and who are not receiving sound Biblical instruction. We hope to encourage already Christians to grow and be faithful in the churches where they attend. Abounding Grace Radio is an open door that the Lord has provided for us to advance the gospel. As long as this door remains open, we will continue to tell others the wonderful things the Lord has done for us. Thanks for being a part of this effort to reach people with the gospel. Your support is much appreciated and makes this possible. Thanks also to all the board members and their wives for their service in continuing Abounding Grace Radio. Your Pastor and Fellow Servant in Christ, Rev. Christopher Gordon AGR LETTERS RECEIVED FROM LISTENERS 1. FROM A REFORMED PASTOR IN CAPE CORRAL FLORIDA Hello Chris Well, I first heard the program with your interview of Michael Brown. Loved it! Ironically, per your example, we are the small church with (literally) a mega church next door -- there is nothing between. We are tiny in a tiny building; their parking lot is overflowing. I once went into their office and asked for a doctrinal statement, I received a blank look (you could hear crickets). I then asked for "statement of faith," then a "mission statement," finally she handed me their bulletin. It was a long list of social programs. The closest they came to any mission statement was a line about "Partnering with God," no context there, Yikes! Well, loved the program. If you could also pass on to Michael Brown how much I appreciated it too... (forward this or if you see him). Thanks, Stay faithful to our precious Savior, 2. APPRECIATION FOR REFORMED DOCTRINE Thank you for the broadcast on KARI radio. I appreciate the Reformed doctrine and encourage you to keep telling the good message. Seldom these days do we hear the Whole Word of the Good News of the Gospel. Blessings 3. WANTING SOLID TEACHING Hi, I've been listening to your program on the radio on my way home from work for a few months now and I really like it. You sometimes have guest pastors, Mark Stromberg and Mike Brown. I find it's hard to find good solid teachings out there these days. Also wanting to know if it's possible to find recordings of the programs that are on the radio weekdays because of my shift time I only catch the last 10 to 15 minutes. Thanks so much and God bless!

10 4. CONVICTION OF SIN I just wanted to start by saying, your radio show is something that we all need and we need to take a hold of these things that we are denial for and repent. I have discovered that I really don't know God, there was a time when I was getting close, but life s trials beat me down and anger resided. With my anger problem, I have a sex addiction, and I am once again on the verge of losing my marriage and possibly my life. I feel this is my last shot at getting well and finding Him and keeping Him near. If you could please offer some advice or someone I could talk to in my area, which is Lower Mainland Vancouver. Any help or counsel would be much appreciated. 5. WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR I would like to tell you how your radio program Abounding Grace has blessed me. I was for many years, what I consider, a lost sheep. When I was younger I embraced Jesus and the church. Then slowly, I was pulled by the ways of the world, and away from Christ. Of course that never ends well. I have been dealing with the results of my sinful behavior for a long while. I have been trying to do that by myself. That doesn t work of course. But then I found Abounding Grace on KARI radio. I started listening to Abounding Grace on the drive home from work. Every message I heard was tailored to me and the questions I had. People talk about their eyes getting opened, but to experience it is something different! Thank you for taking the time to minister over the radio, and thanks for being part of my return to God. And thank God for his workings! For if the gospel seed had not been planted years ago, if I had not fallen so hard from grace, if God had not put KARI on my radio, if you had not had Abounding Grace on KARI, if your website had not had a map to my local church...if church weren t one block from my home, and if church didn t have an evening service (because I work Sunday s).. well that goes to show how far and how deep God s grace is and how far God is willing to go for me. Thanks for letting me ramble. I hope this helps brighten your day. As ever, XXXXXXX Sir, we wish to see Jesus. John 12:21

11 Westminster Seminary California Honors Dr. Derke P. Bergsma On April 23, 2014, Rev. Dr. Derke Bergsma was honored by faculty, friends, and alumni of Westminster Seminary California (WSC) as part of an appreciation dinner held at Meadowbrook Village. After 33 years of faithful service to the seminary, Dr. Bergsma is retiring for the second time, and will be deeply missed by the seminary s faculty, students, and staff. Dr. and Mrs. Bergsma were surprised as the following proclamation was read and presented to Derke. Whereas The Rev. Dr. Derke Bergsma, after years of faithful and effective pastoral and academic work, joined Westminster Seminary California as the founding Professor of Practical Theology, Whereas Dr. Bergsma served WSC for sixteen years, from 1982 until 1997, as full-time Professor of Practical Theology, Whereas Dr. Bergsma in those years frequently traveled and spoke on behalf of WSC, Whereas Dr. Bergsma continued to serve WSC after his retirement for the last seventeen years as Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology continuing to educate men for the ministry of the gospel, Whereas Dr. Bergsma has been a teacher, mentor, and friend to many members of the faculty, Whereas Dr. Bergsma has been an example to all of the faculty both in his dedication to the seminary as well as in his continued service to Christ, his gospel, and the church, The faculty extends its thanks for Dr. Bergsma s service to the seminary and prays that his sacrificial labors will continue to produce great fruit in the church of Christ for generations to come; and that the Lord will continue to use and bless him and his wife Doris for many years to come in his second retirement.

12 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17 Thomas will be attending Dordt College in the fall. Sara will be attending Bellus Academy for cosmetology. Morgan will be attending Dordt College in the fall and achieved a voice and soccer scholarship. Jaime plans to go to Dordt College and is enrolled in their 2 year program to get a teacher's aide certification with an emphasis in special needs.

13 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Jordan graduated from Dordt College with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a Chemistry minor and will be working for his Dad at S&S Farms raising swine for bio-medical research. Cory graduated from Dordt College with a Bachelor in Business and is currently looking for a job in business.

14 Mike graduated from Calvin College with honors earning an engineering degree. He accepted a position with Gentex in Zeeland, Michigan. Melissa graduated from Dordt College with a Bachelors in Business. She is currently looking for a job in the business field; hoping for positions in either marketing or event coordinating. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Adam graduated from Providence Christian College with a liberal arts major with concentrations in Biblical Studies and Social Science. Adam is living in Eagle Rock, CA and is currently looking for employment.

15 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11 Julianna graduated from Azusa Pacific University on May 3, 2014 receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Health with an emphasis in Physical Therapy and a minor in Psychology. She is currently attending Grad School at the University of St. Augustine, School for Health Sciences where she is working to receive her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy. Joshua is graduating with his Master's of Divinity degree from Westminster Seminary. This summer, he has an internship with Trinity CRC in Sparta, MI. This fall, he will take classes at Calvin Seminary to prepare him for ordination. They will remain in Grand Rapids, MI, at least through December, as they discern a call to domestic or international ministry. Our new address (through Dec 2014) is: Thank you for being our church away from home during the past 4 years of seminary. You have welcomed us and shown great hospitality. May God continue to bless the Escondido URC.

16 Fourth of July Picnic Friday, July 4th :00 a.m. - mid afternoon at the CCS Elementary Big Field All EURC members and friends are welcome! 10:30 - Games for all beginning with the youngest children - adults 11:50 - Flag Raising, Singing and Prayer 12:00 Lunch - Gilled Hamburgers & Hot Dogs. Please bring a side dish to share (salads, fruits, vegetables, chips, appetizers, etc...) After lunch - Play mush ball, Frisbee, soccer, volleyball, go on the waterslide, etc... Or, just sit and visit! Have fun! Please bring a lawn chair and a shade canopy if you have one! We will have a waterslide again this year, so if you would like to go on it, please wear a modest swimsuit (girls if you only have a bikini, please wear a shirt over it) and bring a towel because you will get wet! We will have a little pool for the younger kids too. ***Please sign up at the Information Counter if you plan to come so we know how much food to purchase! We still need some help in the areas of games, watching the waterslide etc. Will you please consider helping out the Fellowship Committee? We would really appreciate you looking over the signup sheet and see how you could help. The more helpers we have the easier the tasks are.

17 Dutch Festival On Saturday, April 26 Calvin Christian School community gathered for the traditional Dutch Festival, which takes place every two years. Those who attended this fundraiser enjoyed an array of games, food, auction items, and entertainment. The funds this year will go toward remodeling the high school kitchen and the Legacy Fund (assistance for those who can t pay full tuition). Because of the generous contributions of many donors, the school exceeded their goal and made $81,125. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Dutch Festival! Thank you for helping with the games, baking, working the food booths, being Apron Oma, making stroopwafels, sewing, making pies, donating to Mothers' Day Table, donating plants and just being generous to Calvin Christian School. Thank for your contribution of time and money! It is so wonderful to see all the support for our school! We would not have reached our goal with out you! Thank you from the Dutch Festival Committee!

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19 On Monday, May 19, the GEMS invited their mothers to join them in a fun Mother-Daughter Tea Event. Michele started off the event by leading us in devotions about spiritual beauty in Christ. Then we had a fun mother-daughter look-alike contest, and played some games, including a mother-daughter relay race and a quiz for each pair of mothers and daughters asking one question about the other, and vice versa. For a craft, we decorated hats with flowers and ribbons and then posed at the photo booth. We also wrote kind notes of encouragement to those in our church and community who aren t able to get out much. Then Emily read us a sweet poem about mothers and led us in a closing song. We enjoyed lots of delicious tea time snacks and had a wonderful time with our mothers.

20 Cadet Campout On May 9 th, the Cadets set out on their annual campout to the Hurkey Creek campground, which is located north east of Hemet. A total of 22 cadets, and 16 fathers/ counselors attended this year s outing. We arrived at the group site about 5:30 pm on Friday and began setting up tents and getting ready for our hearty dinner. We feasted on chili cheese dogs and nachos, prepared by the 7 th grade boys, which gave us energy for the coming night hike. Josh Van Ee led the boys on an hour long hike up a trail until it was about ½ hour past dark, the boys enjoyed hiding behind brush and rocks, and trying to jump out to scare their friends and the counselors. We enjoyed a raging camp fire, and the boys partook of the s more roast, which is always a fun and tasty thing to do. Several adults stayed up sitting around the fire till about 1:00 am to make sure the boys were quiet and stayed in bed. We were schooled by Chris on how to stay warm at night while sitting near the fire, just place a shovel of

21 charcoal under your chair every ½ hour, just make sure the chair is high enough, otherwise you will be barbecued. After a far too short night of sleep on the hard ground, we enjoyed a meal of breakfast burritos prepared by the eighth grade boys. The group set out on a long hike next to Lake Hemet, which was a picturesque area, where the boys enjoyed skipping rocks and running wild. After we arrived back at camp, we packed up our site, made lunch, and enjoyed several games of capture the flag. Most of the group headed back, but several of us made a side trip to Idyllwild where we explored the unique town for 2 hours. I hope the boys were nice and tired for the parents Saturday night, I know I slept very well myself..rob (Head Counselor)

22 Report of Classis Southwest Meeting on March 11, 2014 Classis Southwest met for its Spring meeting on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at the Ontario URC in Ontario, CA convened by the High Desert URC of Apple Valley, CA. On the surface the agenda was light including reports of classis functionaries, reports of synodical committee representatives, and requests of advice concerning discipline matters. Classis spent a majority of its time giving advice to three churches going through the scheduled dinner time and finally adjourning around 8:30 in the evening. The Lord was gracious to the delegates and the discussion on these weighty matters was done in unity and with brotherly love. Good order was preserved under the leadership of the chairman (Rev. Michael Brown) and vice-chairman (Rev. William Godfrey). Classis made some important appointments during this meeting: Treasurer: Mr. Tommie Sloan Alternate Treasuer: Mr. Mark Lockyear Alternate CERCU Representative: Rev. William Godfrey CECCA Representative: Mr. Huibert den Boer Alternate CECCA Representative: Rev. Movses Janbazian After the meeting many delegates met at a local Mexican restaurant for a late dinner and fellowship. The next meeting of Classis Southwest U.S. to be convened by First URC in Chino, CA on September 9-10, Respectfully submitted, Rev. Mark Vander Pol Clerk, Classis Southwest U.S.

23 OFFERING SCHEDULE DATE MORNING SERVICES EVENING SERVICE June 1 General Fund/CCS Tuition Aid Fund Rev. Juan Arjona - MNA June 8 General Fund/Building Fund Homes for Mexico June 15 General Fund/Benevolent Fund Rev. Allen Vander Pol-MINTS June 22 General Fund/Building Fund Rev. Bill Green-printing equipment June 29 General Fund/CCS Tuition Aid Fund Oceanside URC The General Fund offering not only support the ongoing expenses of our local congregation, but also other ministries such as: Rev. Bill Green, MEANS-Nollie Malabuyo, NKST Sponsorship Program, and Christ URC (Santee). The deacons ask that everyone support the General Fund with 5% of their income and other causes with an additional 5% of their income. Descriptions of Offerings BENEVOLENT FUND This fund is administered by the deacons to those with financial needs in our congregation and in our community. CALVIN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS TUITION AID This offering is used for tuition assistance for families from our church who are unable to pay full tuition at Calvin Christian Schools. The Deacons think that it is necessary to maintain at least two tuition aid offerings per month. Keep in mind that our commitment for tuition aid amounts to approximately $7500 per month. The budget is $90,000. BUILDING FUND is used to maintain the facilities and for any new building projects or improvements on the church properties. REV. BILL GREEN (printing equipment) is a missionary serving churches in the Tepeyac & Guadalupe area of Costa Rica. He also works with the Latin American Fellowship of Reformed Churches (CLIR) in the publication of Reformed literature in Spanish. REV. JUAN ARJONA (MNA) is a church planting work of the Presbyterian Church in America to reach the Hispanic community in Escondido, CA. Also known as Mission Vida Nueva. MNA stands for Mission to North America. HOMES FOR MEXICO - Homes for Mexico is a fund established for donations designated specifically for mission work in Baja California, Mexico. The funds are used by the church to buy materials in Mexico that are connected to the various mission trips and work projects we are involved in. These trips include house building in Vicente Guerrero, widows and pastors homes in Tijuana, and group homes for an orphanage in Uruapan. Rev. Allen Vander Pol MINTS- Rev. Vander Pol is a missionary with MINTS. His home church and mainly supported by the Ontario URC in Ontario, CA.