The end of the school year is in sight once again. As school will be drawing to a close the summer will start; and the big highlight for our young people is the up-coming convention. As always, the delegates from each Young People’s Society will meet at the convention to elect the new officers nominated by the Fed Board. The elected members will take their new positions in the end of Summer 2007.
The nominees for the office of Vice President are Jon Mingerink and Karl Dykstra. Jon is 20 and attends Southeast Protestant Reformed Church. He is a student at Grand Valley State University. He hopes that the Fed Board might continue in its faithful governance of the Protestant Reformed Young Peoples Federation and that all of the members “must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members” (Lord’s Day 21 Q&A 55).
At age 19, Karl Dykstra attends Trinity Protestant Reformed Church. While attending Grand Valley State University, he also works for Dykstra Cement Contractors. He has great new ideas for the Fed Board, which include improvements made to the scholarship fund, as well as additional topics for the Beacon Lights magazine. He would like to see more articles written by ministers concerning current issues that young people face like “blogging,” Internet use, and sexual purity.
The two nominations for Vice Treasurer are David DeBoer and Eric Pastoor. David DeBoer is 20 years old and attends Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church. He is currently a student. His goals for the Fed Board are to continue to serve our young people to the best of his ability.
Eric Pastoor is 19 and attends Trinity Protestant Reformed Church. He is working for Kleyn Electric. He hopes to bring different ideas to the Fed Board about the planning of conventions to the end that more young people stay involved and interested in the things of the church.
Holly Lotterman and Leah Koole are the nominations for the office of Vice Secretary. At age 21, Holly attends Grandville Protestant Reformed Church. She is working as a secretary at Mingerink and Associates. Keeping in mind the day and age in which we live, Holly hopes to see the Fed Board, as a mature, godly group of young people, continue to work hard to encourage all of our young people to live apart from the things of this world. The work of the Fed Board is, after all, the work of the Kingdom of God among His people and we cannot forget how precious the lives of His children are. Currently, she believes a wonderful job is being done, but as God says in His word, the devil never rests and neither should we.
Leah Koole is 18 years old and attends Hope Protestant Reformed Church. While attending Calvin College, Leah also works at Motman’s Orchards & Greenhouses. Her goal is to continue the Fed Board’s work in keeping the Young People’s Societies organized and united. She also hopes to promote spiritual growth of the young people during each society year through annual mass meetings and singspirations; and encourage leadership among other young people.
The nominations for the office of Youth Coordinator are Kurt Van Overloop and Justin Koole. Kurt is 42 and is attending Trinity Protestant Reformed Church. He is current employed as a painting contractor. He wishes to continue the work of the Fed Board by giving sound advice to the officers.
Justin Koole is 28 and currently attends Faith Protestant Reformed Church. He works as a CPA. His goal for the Fed Board is to get the young people of our denomination (not just the members serving on the committee) more involved in church-related activities.
The final office is the office of Spiritual Advisor. Rev. William Langerak and Rev. Garry Eriks are the nominations for this office. Rev. Langerak is minister of the Word at Southeast Protestant Reformed Church. He is 40 years old, and his goals are to give biblical advice regarding the various decisions the Fed Board must make in order to promote energetic and measurable spiritual growth in Protestant Reformed young people, to the glory of God’s name in Christ Jesus.
Rev. Eriks is 32 and labors as the pastor of Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church. He hopes that the Federation Board will continue to be a spiritual blessing to the young people of our churches in the way of uniting them at conventions and other events so that the communion of the saints continues among our young people.
The purpose of this article is to inform our young people of who they will be voting for in the upcoming convention to carry on the work of the Fed Board. The Fed Board asks that our young people prayerfully consider each nominee and the wonderful qualities these brothers and sisters in Christ have for the work of His Kingdom.