It’s Christmas time. A great time of the year for Christians when we celebrate Jesus’ birth. The Beacon Lights staff has a great way for you to celebrate Christmas and keep our giving in perspective. Consider with us the following: suppose that Protestant Reformed families spend an average of $200 on Christmas gifts. (While some families spend less than this, there are other who spend considerably more.) There are about 1400 families in the P. R. Churches. This computes to $280,000 spent on Christmas gifts. The Beacon Lights staff, when considering this was compelled to make it possible to give to a cause, instead of just talking about it.
Using some of this money for the worthy causes listed below would help us each keep this giving in perspective.
Our two causes are the following:
- The Protestant Reformed Seminary Expansion Project
As you may know, the P.R. seminary has proposed an expansion to its facilities and this has been approved by Synod. However, you are probably not aware of the urgency of this endeavor, as it concerns not only this Seminary, but also the whole denomination. It is true that the Seminary provides our churches with the service of preparing men for the ministry of the gospel, but there is even more that it can do.
Our Seminary is willing to provide classes for the lay people of the church but at this time is not able to do so. These classes among others would include a distinctively biblical “Ethics” class which is desperately needed by our young men and women entering business and professional careers, and also a similarly distinctive “Reformed Philosophy of Education” class for aspiring teachers.
The present facility has been outgrown. There are no quiet areas for students to do research; the library has grown beyond capacity and continues to grow. The Seminary presently turns away much needed volumes of archive material because it has no climate controlled and fireproof room in which to keep them.
With the Lord’s blessing, the P. R. Seminary will become the choice of more young seminarians. We have seen evidence of this already.
Prayerfully consider this cause.
- Randolph, Wisconsin “Proposed” Protestant Reformed Grade School
On November 3, 1992; the Randolph P. R. School Society passed a proposal to begin classes in the fall of ‘93 in either a new school building or rented facility pursuant to the results of the present fund drive and final determination of the school board in early January 1992.
Many of you are products of P. R. education and others of you have taken full advantage (and rightly so) of being able to send you children to P. R. schools. Randolph School Society has been considering this possibility for several years and only now has deemed it prudent to begin these steps of serious preparation toward this goal.
Please give financial and prayerful consideration toward this cause as Randolph is in great need of the broader denomination’s significant initial support.
All money given by YOU will be divided equally and immediately forwarded to these causes. Please make checks payable to BEACON LIGHTS – GIFT FUND. Use attached envelope or send to: Beacon Lights P.O. Box 375 Jenison MI 49428. Monies should be received by January 1, 1993. Receipts sent upon request.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!!