November/December May-June, 2017

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1 November/December May-June, 2017 Allen Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Pastor Benjamin Oliveira 695 Allen Avenue, Muskegon, MI November 5 Pastor Jeffrey Hough November 23 Thanksgiving December 3 First Sunday of Advent December 17 Sunday School Christmas Program December 25 Christmas & Communion December 31 Guest Pastor Let s talk covenant: the covenant of grace (part v) When Jeremiah prophesied that the days were coming when God would make a New Covenant with the people of Israel, that he would put the law in their minds, write it on their hearts, forgive their wickedness, and remember their sins no more (Jer. 31:31-34), Israel longed for this day. So when Jesus is at the Passover meal he says the following, In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20, NIV) Jesus was telling his disciples, whether they understood it or not, that he was fulfilling the prophesy of Jeremiah, and the the New Covenant had come. The New Covenant is the Covenant of Grace. This last newsletter for 2017 covers the covenant we live under, the covenant of grace. The New Covenant is a gracious covenant. It is gracious because, God allows a Surety to meet our obligations; because He Himself provides the Surety in the person of His Son, who meets the demands of justice; and because by His grace, revealed in the operation of the Holy Spirit, He enables man to live up to His covenant responsibilities. (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 278) Because God is gracious, he saves the sinner from their sin by his grace secured by the Son. It is grace from the beginning to the end for the sinner. (L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 278.) This covenant is also a Trinitarian covenant, meaning each person of the Triune God has a role in it. The Father, because of his electing love, which is also tied to his grace, calls the elect to life from death from before the Creation of the World. The Son secures the salvation of the election in a juridical fashion. He justifies the sinner by faith. Then, the Holy Spirit applies the blessings of Christ to the unbeliever who comes to faith and is united into Christ. He also sanctifies the believer and prepares them for the Heavenly City. This covenant is eternal and unbreakable. It is limited only to the elect. Jesus didn t come to save everyone. Don t confuse passages like John 3:16, For God so loved the world This means that some from every tribe, tongue and nation will be saved. But it certainly doesn t mean he died for everyone. This is contrary to many theological traditions like Baptists. If you are wondering where to look on this, see John 6:60-71, John 17:9, Rom. 8:28-30, And in this wonderful and gracious covenant, we have life. This covenant makes you and me a special possession with a special place in all of world history as God s people. We have been blessed beyond measure and engrafted into the vine that is Christ. We have become Israel (Gal. 6:16), the chosen people of God. God has done this for you and me because he loves us. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Ben 1

2 Note: If you exchange assignments with someone, let Carmen Huttenga know so she can have it right in the bulletin. or Ushers for November: Cam Vlasma Yeabsira Vlasma Russ Vlasma Coffee Schedule Ushers for December: Roger Slorf Dave Bishop Mike Breuker If you are unable to usher for this month or a week in a month, please find a replacement. November 5 Laura & Aaron Ridings Keri Verwolf 12 Beth & Dave VanRees Susan & Bob Vanderlaan 19 Charry & Phil Snyder Barb & Jim Malda 26 Laurie & Rog Slorf Rebecca & Scott Sytsema December 3 Marcia & Mike Breuker Kelly Dauser 10 Val & Steve Morris Marie & Chuck Ritchard 17 Karen Alphenaar Nancy & Steve Rop 24 No Coffee & Cookies 31 No Coffee & Cookies If you are unable to serve on your designated Sunday, please try to switch with someone, otherwise, contact Deanna VanderPloeg at Children and Worship November 5 Renee Vlasma, Marcia Breuker 12 Renee Vlasma, Zoe Sytsema 19 Sherrie Wolffis, Ellie DeKam 26 Sherrie Wolffis, Carlie VanderPloeg Greeters November 5 Dale Johnson, Bud Fisher 12 Art Kieft, Alan Wolffis 19 Mike & Marcia Breuker 23 Gary & Tammy Schelske 26 Jim & Sue Secord December 3 Russ & Deb Vlasma 10 Rebecca Cloud Family 17 Tim Maat & Mary Patton Family 24 Howard & Carol Dirkse 25 Case & Judy Vaandering 31 Axel & Retha Johnson If you are unable to greet on your designated Sunday, please try to switch with someone, otherwise, contact Carmen Huttenga at Nursery Schedule November 5 Laura Ridings, Sydney Sytsema 12 Barb Malda, Daniel VanderPloeg 19 Susan Vanderlaan, Carlie VanderPloeg 23 Toni Schuitema, Ellie DeKam 26 Charry Snyder, Shelby Schuitema December 3 Amber Johnson, Yeabsira Vlasma 10 Laurie DeJonge, Emily Snyder 17 Jean Botting, Devin Snyder 24 Nancy Rop, Zoe Sytsema 25 Sue Sytsema, Adie Oliveira 31 Kristen VanderStelt, Taylor Johnson If you have any questions, call Sue Sytsema December 3 Sue Sytsema, Kayla Johnson 10 Sue Sytsema, Taylor Johnson 17 Amber Johnson, Faith Vlasma 24 Amber Johnson, Katelyn Morris 31 Barb Malda, Deb Vlasma If you have any questions, call Amber Johnson

3 Did you know Angell Neighborhood Association is Very Busy! they have painted 17 fire hydrants in the neighborhood. they are helping with 2 dumpster days for the neighborhood and for the city. they are excited about Trunk or Treat and partnering with Allen Avenue. they are talking about having a soup supper, movie night and a Christmas project. the community officers are working hard to keep crime down with success! they have 4 lots besides the community garden that they are responsible for in the neighborhood. They are alive and doing a GREAT job! We are blessed to be a part of this neighborhood! Submitted by Sue Sytsema Mary Martha Bible Study The Mary Martha Bible Study and Fellowship meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Ben is leading an interesting study of the book of Revelation. So far we have studied the Introduction and Revelation 1, 2, and 3. Each time we receive questions to go over beforehand. We always have delicious refreshments with coffee for fellowship, and before Christmas and again in the spring have a luncheon at a restaurant. We would love to have more ladies of any age join us for this enlightening study of the last New Testament book of God's Word. Submitted by Carol Dirkse 3

4 Step Up Muskegon Muskegon County youth can use our help! Did you know 60% of youth in foster care age out of the system with no place to live? Twenty-five percent will become homeless. Fifty percent will have no reported means of earnings during the first three years after aging out. A local ministry called Step Up Muskegon provides Christ-centered mentoring, housing, educational guidance, life-skills training, and a community with accountability for Muskegon County young adults ages It is primarily for youth who have aged out of the foster care system. Visit stepupmuskegon.org to see how you could volunteer, pray, give financially or mentor for this worthwhile non profit organization. Submitted by Kellie Cavanaugh, Mission Committee GEMS UPDATE "Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did." I John 2:6. This is the theme verse for GEMS this year. So, throughout the year we aim to study Jesus His character, life and ways. Also we will learn how to live by listening to Jesus and acting on what He says. And we will seek to walk closely to Jesus so we can live and love like Him. We've already been pretty busy since our opening meeting with the moms in September. We have had 3 meetings, earned the skating badge the night before we went to the Cadet/ GEMS roller skating party, and we held our Bake sale. The Bake sale raised $585 for the GEMS!!!! That's $85 more than last year and I thought last year was huge!! Thank you SO MUCH for your generosity and your support of the GEMS program at Allen Avenue. We have a great group of sixteen 2nd-8th grade age girls who have made a commitment to follow "In His Steps" (our theme). Please keep them in your prayers along with their counselors Charry, Renee, Amber, and Rebecca. Pray that this would be a year that brings these precious girls into a more dynamic relationship with their Lord and Savior. Thank you so much for your support of the GEMS program. Submitted by Jill Schuitema 4

5 Reports from Tom Walcott September 29 Had a productive week in Dubai. Visited some of our community engagement partners - an autism center and a school for children with special needs on Monday. The Middle East can be a little like the US of 50 years ago - children with special needs are kept home and out of sight. Only recently have schools and centers opened. They are nice but just like in the US expensive to run. Typically the king or royal family members give the land and pay for the building but the operational expenses have to be raised. They love having our sailors visit and interact with the kids. Tuesday we (Chief Johnson and I) went to one of our ships that was there - the USS Nimitz. I hadn't visited them yet so that was good timing. Spent about 5 hours with the religious ministry team and talking with chaplains. They've had some internal issues so it was good for me to be there for them to talk to. Wednesday we visited a dog shelter we support. They have about 120 dogs that are starved for attention and need to learn to be around people. We had two groups of 20 sailors go there to exercise and interact with the dogs. Many of the dogs had been abused or abandoned. Flew back Thursday on Emirates Airline which is my favorite. Really good customer service and seats you can fit in. I know Americans would cringe at a government owned airline but the tickets are relatively cheap, the service is good and the planes new. October 13 Church was good this morning. I had a sit down with the new chaplain last week and we talked about the challenges of leading a service for the broader faith community while being true to who you are as a pastor of a particular faith community. Since he is Presbyterian I had a pretty good idea of the essentials for him and we talked through the other "stuff" in terms of the structure of the service. He is making some adjustments although I think the long term plan will be to have 2 services - one "general" and one liturgical. Tonight is the Navy Ball (I am sure you all knew it is the 242nd Birthday of the Navy today!). Normally that would be an over priced but nice event with my beautiful wife. Now however it just seems like work (and is still over priced). We do have a table of 10 chaplains and Religious Program Specialists so hopefully that will be semifun. The oldest and youngest sailors on active duty come up and cut the birthday cake. I haven't heard anything so maybe I am off the hook but I am probably in the running for oldest active sailor on the base. I'd rather not have that honor. October 20 The exercise was very interesting and somewhat frightening. Interesting to see up close how the whole command works together on the operations center watch floor. Frightening to see how a few very possible little steps or mistakes or misunderstandings could easily lead to war. Because real stuff is going on and we had this exercise going on we had more than twice as many meetings - real world ones and exercise ones - as normal. I was at the office at least 12 and as many as 16 hours each day so I earned my pay this week. The Operations Center Director didn't leave the base all week. Since my deputy doesn't have all his clearance stuff approved yet I am the only one on our staff who can get on the watch floor (it is a "top secret, special compartmentalized information" space) so I couldn't share much of the work load. We did identify some areas we as chaplains need to be better prepared in. The Navy Ball was nice last week - as suspected I was the oldest sailor there (at last the oldest who admitted it). So in addition to praying I cut the cake with the youngest sailor - she was 18. I might have a picture of that. Submitted by June Walcott 5

6 Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?" October Zuni Prayer Bulletin Dear Friends, This past week in chapel, we had the opportunity to watch a video segment of the Gospel of Luke in the Zuni language. Our students appreciate being able to engage the Bible in the language they often hear at home. We watched the stories of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee, restoring the demonpossessed man by commanding the demons go into pigs instead, and feeding the 5000 with the equivalent of a sack lunch. It is easy to imagine that if we were to go back to the first century world and sit down for a meal in Galilee, we would find that Jesus was likely the topic of discussion around many dinner tables. Jesus himself was apparently aware of the conversation he was creating. The next story in Luke tells of Jesus asking his disciples, Who do the crowds say I am? Apparently, there were a wide variety of opinions on the topic of exactly who Jesus was. John the Baptist, Elijah, and other Old Testament prophets are all put forth as possible answers by the crowd. Then he turned to his closest companions. What about you, Jesus asked, Who do you say I am? Peter knew the answer, revealed to him by God, but that question has echoed through the years and across the miles to us today: Who do you say I am? One of our teachers asked her students to answer that question in their journals after chapel. Here were some of their responses: I don t know what to think about Jesus yet. I still have mixed feelings because of what I hear at home. Jesus is someone who does miracles. Jesus died for my sins and mistakes. He is the Son of God and so powerful. Jesus is my Savior and the Lord I trust in. We are thankful for all these students the ones who know Jesus and are committed to him, the ones who are honestly wrestling with questions of faith, and ones who find themselves somewhere in between. God is at work here, doing something good in the lives of our students. Thank you for your continued prayers for our students and staff. Fun with face painting at our Fall Fest! Some Specific Prayer Requests: Please pray not only for our students, but also for their parents that they would be drawn to Jesus. Pray that Zuni people who know Jesus would be kept strong and bold as ambassadors for Christ. Parent-Teacher conferences are next week. Pray that those conversations are productive and heavily seasoned with the presence of God. Continue to pray that the schemes of the enemy will be foiled at every turn and that the light of Christ will shine brightly here in Zuni. In Christ, Tim Becksvoort Principal Zuni Christian Mission School 6

7 First Council of Delegates Meeting Takes Place October 11, 2017 Kristen deroo Vanderberg, CRC Communications "In my past work as a pizza delivery boy, COD meant Cash On Delivery. It was my job to deliver, said Rev. Paul De Vries, interim chair of the newly formed Council of Delegates (COD) of the Christian Reformed Church. I hope the Council of Delegates can deliver on the trust that each classis and the Christian Reformed in North America as a whole has given us. After years of discussing denominational structure, making several synodical decisions, and figuring out legal and ecclesiastical details, the first Council of Delegates meeting of the Christian Reformed Church in North America opened this morning in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a chapel service that included denominational staff. This meeting marks the start of a new era of governance and collaboration for the denomination. While the work of the CRCNA is governed by synod (the church s annual decision-making assembly), decisions that need to be made when synod is not in session or actions that follow up on synod s decisions have been delegated to a 30- member Board of Trustees for nearly 25 years and prior to that to a Synodical Interim Committee. There have also been separate boards for several denominational agencies. Everything is changing, said De Vries in remarks to those gathered in the atrium of the Grand Rapids office of the CRCNA for the chapel service on Wednesday. I remember when synod met for two weeks, when we had to have the words Christian Reformed in our names (of church agencies and ministries). As this new structure of governance begins, the denomination itself is changing; there are new names; new approaches. The church is spreading and growing in places across North America and beyond, said De Vries. We look different.we are not just white or black or Hispanic..We are the baptized sons and the baptized daughters of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we go forward, let s remember that! said De Vries. Beginning this year, while synod is not in session its work will be carried out by the Council of Delegates. Through the COD, the CRCNA will be governed by 52 people who represent each of the 48 classes (regional groupings of congregations) of the church. There are also four at large members one from the United States and three from Canada who add additional perspective, expertise, and diversity to the mix. Together, this group of 52 individuals will provide oversight to the work and ministries of the denomination including Back to God Ministries International and Resonate Global Mission. The decision to move to a Council of Delegates was made by synod in 2015 with a goal of improving input from local congregations and fostering increased collaboration across ministries, said Dr. Steven Timmermans, executive director of the CRCNA. We ve spent the past two years getting all of the legal and ecclesiastical details in place, and it is exciting to finally open this first meeting. I love the vision of local churches coming together in classis and delegating a servant leader to represent Christ in the broad collective ministry of the denomination, added De Vries. Whereas in the past we had several boards overseeing specific ministry interests, which often did not have delegates from each local classis, now we have a one council, with a delegate from each classis, representing all the streams of our collective mission. Following this morning s chapel, the Council of Delegates divided into separate meetings of U.S. Corporation representatives and Canadian Corporation representatives to deal with country-specific legal matters. This afternoon the delegates will meet in five different committees to do work related to congregational ministries, global missions, mercy and justice, support services, and the ministry plan. The council will also elect its executive leadership today. As they begin this work, COD members and CRCNA executive staff request your prayers. Putting together this first meeting of the Council of Delegates has been like arranging a mini-synod, said Timmermans. Many people have put a lot of thought and prayer into the agenda and details. We now pray that things will run smoothly and that the Holy Spirit will be present to guide discussions and decisions. I hope the COD can deliver, added De Vries, returning to his pizza-delivery metaphor. Please pray that this new delivery system will work, and that each individual delivery boy or girl on the council will represent Christ well." Submitted by Carmen Huttenga 7

8 The Posture of Prayer from network.crcna.org Submitted by Carmen Huttenga Editor s Note: In forming Resonate Global Mission, Resonate staff developed six core postures that are essential for effective mission work in and through the Christian Reformed Church. While the postures can stand alone, we ve asked staff around the globe to give them some substance by sharing examples from their own experiences on the mission field. This first post focuses on the posture of Prayer and is co-written by Resonate s Joyce Suh in Cambodia and another Resonate staff member in the Middle East. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16 This short verse tells us that Jesus ministry of word and action among the crowds, disciples, and religious establishment was centered around his posture of prayer. Jesus often went to be alone to pray needing rest and refreshment from perpetually pleasing those around him, and truly enjoying these moments with his Father. Think about it. The very son of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, yet Jesus mission would not have been as transformational without prayer. Jesus opened the door for us to follow him into this posture of prayer, especially in the difficult and diverse contexts where we serve as leaders, partners, and servants in ministry. A posture of prayer means a life of prayer. Whatever form this may take in our lives, this posture will bring our most powerful contributions to our mission in God's kingdom. Prayer allows us to acknowledge God's work before we even begin to plan our goals for mission work and helps us be open to how He wants to use us to accomplish his work. Prayer means withdrawing ourselves from a hectic schedule to holy ground looking for God, presenting our circumstances to him, requesting his presence and power, and recognizing him in every detail of our lives at any moment of our lives. A posture of prayer is about our internal transformation as much as it is about an external transformation of the world around us. It s an ability to see God's will and God's work, and to ready ourselves to cooperate and call others into communion with the Holy Spirit. Prayer helps us recognize God's mission in every element of the world around us from the places where evil presses in, to the glories of creation. So what does prayer look like on our mission field? We meet with Chan (not his real name), a young Cambodian drug addict who wants to know Jesus but who is caught in a cycle of addiction. We pray with him, for restraint of the evil that is at work in his life. We make it a habit to pray for him in our family devotion time. We receive a cry for help by phone text. We pray to God to help us discern the ways in which we can help and the things that we must leave to God and to others. We invite prayer from others, creating and entering a circle of prayer. After hearing of a relapse (again), we cling together to God and lament the brokenness of the situation. Whether God has called you to serve in your local context or in a cross-cultural mission field like Cambodia, you ll likely find prayer to be both life-giving and difficult. This posture may feel unnatural at the beginning and during stressful times. But, like something we have become accustomed to in the culture we live in, a culture of prayer takes on a momentum. Effortful and effortless, the posture of prayer is essential for our effectiveness The Posture of Listening This second post focuses on the posture of Listening and is written by Rich Braaksma, Resonate s regional leader for Western Canada. LISTEN UP! God gave you two ears and only one mouth for a reason! my Sunday School teacher declared, looking at me 8

9 intently to make sure I understood. I did. Apparently, I needed to be reminded more often than most. Maybe that s why as a kid, by God s sovereignty, on my first trip to summer camp I was placed in a cabin where we were assigned a bible verse to make a song out of. The result was an artless tune which is nevertheless permanently ingrained in my mind: My dear brothers [and sisters] take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak, slow to become angry Quick to listen. Slow to speak. That reminder, of course, comes from James 1:19. And working in the field of mission those words, that perspective, that posture is immensely helpful. In naming the CRC mission agency, Resonate Global Mission, the singular mission (as opposed to missions ) was chosen intentionally. There is only one mission. God s mission. Whether it is over many seas in a far off place, on the campus of a big university, in the dense urban center of a North American city, or on your doorstep in the neighborhood where you live there is one mission. God s mission. And every church, every workplace, every school, every individual heart, every square inch is the site of that mission God moving, calling, revealing, shaping, and making things new. But who is up for that task? Being a mission agency called to support, encourage, and fan into flame what God is doing everywhere!? Who can do that? No one. God alone. But that doesn t mean we don t have a way forward. A big clue concerning that way forward might just be what my Sunday School teacher was onto so many years ago. God gave us one mouth but two ears. Brothers and sisters take note, we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. What is God doing? What s bubbling up? Are we listening? With our ears? Listening with our eyes open? Our minds attentive? Our hearts expectant? What a gift to know that wherever we go, God is there already. And what a privilege to be invited in, by grace, to participate with God in what he is doing. But don t jump in too fast! Start by listening. God is full of surprises, doing incredible things in unlikely places and through unlikely people; even you and me. So speak to us Lord, through your still small voice, in the words of friend and stranger, in your Scripture, in the contexts you ve placed us give us ears to listen and hear your voice. The Posture of Learning This third post focuses on the posture of Learning and is written by Marco Avila, Resonate s regional leader for the Eastern United States. Avoiding the Landmines Every good thing comes with challenges that can help us grow or become a landmine. Once we step on these landmines, it s impossible to lift our feet up without them blowing up in our own face. Taking a posture of learning, we can avoid triggering landmines that get in the way of effective mission. Landmine 1: Arrogance Years ago, I met with a possible church planter. During our conversation, he spoke as if there was just one way to do things, unable to recognize any flaws in himself. This raised a red flag for me. This person was not teachable. Sometimes this landmine comes from the idea that one has walked with the Lord longer, has more experience, or knows the Bible better. While this may be true, this I am better than you posture leaves no room for learning. The apostle Paul said, Don t be selfish; don t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3). Landmine 2: False Expectations Another landmine, according to Paul, is trying to impress others. In our culture, we aren t expected to show our weaknesses. There is pressure to show everything you know, and perhaps, pretend to know what you don t even know. But we must defeat our fear of being labeled as incompetent. 9

10 If we take the posture of learning, we will avoid this landmine. Someone may critique you for not being the expert they expect you to be. Nonetheless, it will become clear that you have valuable skills to offer others. It will show you are a learner. We must strike a balance between having humbleness to receive and the willingness to give graciously. This is a healthier way to do mission. Landmine 3: Preconceived Ideas We have learned much from past bad experiences where most missionaries imposed how to dress, what to eat, and what music to play without taking into account the culture or context. Still, we face the temptation of telling others how things should be done. Recently, I visited a new church plant that defied my preconceived ideas about what makes a church service good. The group met in a multi-floor building. Everyone read from the Bible including kids who couldn t read well, elderly who struggle seeing, and first-time visitors. Kids sang with the only two microphones. Then everyone was encouraged to share experiences or thanksgiving. People shared their struggles and disappointments as if they knew each other forever! That was mission, that was church; there was the Spirit. I cannot stop having pre-conceived ideas of what church should look like especially coming from the Catholic Church. But I can free my mind to new missional paradigms and see ways God is at work in different contexts. I must decide to be a learner. When we talk about mission, we must keep in mind that we can always learn from one another instead of assuming we have the answers. There is no need to impress anyone but to be humble in learning. The posture is to be exercised not just among ourselves as Christians, but among our neighbors, our communities, and the countries we live in. As A Baby, Jesus Came As a baby, Jesus came From His home above He left His throne, and who He was, To teach us how to love As a baby, Jesus came, Wrapped in swaddling cloth; Willingly took on humanity, Though He was one with God As a baby, Jesus came To one day grow to be The saviour of the human race, People like you and me As a baby, Jesus came As God's eternal light That will never be extinguished, But forever shine out bright As a baby, Jesus came The hope of eternal life, Reconciling us back to God, Giving meaning to our lives As a man, Jesus died, His blood poured out for all, Cleansing and forgiving us, For to this, He was called We thank Him that He came a babe And grew to be a man And for His sacrificial love, His nailed scarred feet and hands Through it all we can live on With Jesus Christ our Lord The babe that came that first Christmas Is what we thank Him for. By M.S.Lowndes 10

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18 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Tiffani Schelske Chuck Ritchard Judy Vaandering June Walcott November 2017 Adele Maat Dave VanRees Scott Schuitema Tillie Witt Lorraine Wolffis Bob Vanderlaan Walt Kitchen Jean Botting Marcia Breuker 18

19 December 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Jacob VanderPloeg Jim Meyers Cam Vlasma Charry Snyder Andrew DeJonge Dave Bishop Tekalegn Vlasma Barb Malda Phil VanRees Trent Alphenaar Luke Maat Bruce Anderson 31 19