Hudsonville Church had a congregational meeting June 15 to decide on remodeling the auditorium and the basement. Apparently more seating space is needed in the church proper. Also they are considering the purchase of a new organ.
Speaking of organs, the Southeast Mr. and Mrs. Society recently sponsored the Male Chorus in a very fine program, with the intention of swelling their fund for a new organ for the future Southeast Church building. The program was held at First Church after the Sunday evening service and drew a record crowd.
Sometime ago Rev. H. Veldman lectured in South Holland on the subject: Preservation and Perseverance. Rev. Vanden Berg reports in his bulletin that copies of that lecture are available to all interested parties (for one dime). Just write the Reverend.
Regarding Convention Patrons for the 1959 Young People’s Convention, Rev. Vanden Berg has sent us the following final report:
Church Patrons Contributions
Hope 9% 25%
Holland 14% 43%
Creston 31% 100%
Grand Haven 33% 50%
First (Grand Rapids) 19% 52%
Southeast 10% 22%
Southwest 10% 30%
Oak Lawn 69% 331%
South Holland 23% 86%
Randolph 8% 50%
Hull 5% 11%
Doon 13% 22%
Pella 33% 167%
Edgerton 5% 11%
Loveland 89% 206%
Redlands 4% 19%
Hudsonville, Kalamazoo and Lynden 0%
All the above figures are based on the standard of $1.00 per family.
Total number of patrons-104.
Total amount of contributions-$307.00.
I have received very few bulletins these past weeks. This may be due to you ministers going on vacations or being away from your churches for Synod or classical appointments. It may be due to the fact that I did not write this column for the previous issue and you didn’t know where to send them. Or it may be because you felt your bulletins just didn’t have any news on them. I’d say, just send them anyway. Even if they aren’t so newsy, they are still interesting to a “recuperating” news editor.
The months of May and June mark the end of Society life in our churches. Each society banquets or picnics and therewith completes its activities until the new season in the fall. Some people have expressed a justifiable regret that this is so. If however, it gives us time to do the things for which we claim to have no time during the winter months – time to think, for instance – it may not be so bad.
May and June are also the months when students everywhere close their textbooks and tuck away their briefcases. Graduation at any level – 9th grade, high school, or college – is an important day in the student’s life.
This year Hope Prot. Ref. School graduated its smallest class in ten years, just 4 girls and 2 boys: Lenore Engelsma, Margo Harbin, Barbara Hossink, Phyliss Kempuis, Edward Langerak, and Clarence Kuiper. These graduates picked their text and motto from I Peter 5:7, “The Lord will take care of you.” Rev. H. Hanko delivered the address and brought out beautifully what it means to cast one’s burdens upon the Lord.
Adams Prot. Ref. School graduated 12 students this year: Ireene Buitenbos, Charles Bulet, Judith Bylsma, Albert Flokstra, Janeanne Heys, Judith Meulenberg, Marilyn Ondersma, Peter Passchier, Bette Pastoor, Kenneth Teitsma, Daniel Veldman, Gordon Vink, and Donald Kruisenga. “Seek ye the Lord,” was the theme they chose for their program. Rev. R. Veldman was their speaker. The program also included several numbers by the band.
These students will go from our own schools to a variety of high schools – Holland Chr., Muskegon Chr., Unity Chr., Grand Rapids Chr., and perhaps South Chr. Wherever they go they should let their influence be felt. They have been well trained and should be bold contenders for the faith.
The following students from our churches are ’59 graduates from G. R. Chr. High: Mary Beth Engelsma, Marie Engelsma, Elaine Bult, Louise Looienga, David Ondersma, Kaye Ondersma, Mary Pastoor, Kenneth Schipper, Gerard Teitsma, and Bruce Vriesinga.
From Unity Chr. High: John Kalsbeek, Kathryn Huizenga, Gerald Kuiper, Betty Kooienga, and Merle Veenstra.
From South Chr. High: Gerald Miedema and Elaine Holstege.
No doubt there are many other grade school and high school graduates from our churches in other areas and I would gladly report who they are if I only had the information. I’m wondering about our school in Edgerton. Maybe someone can give us an account of its graduation program for our next issue!
We hope that someday all our graduates in the Grand Rapids, Hudsonville and Hope areas will be graduating from one high school – our own! A steering committee has been organized to begin a society for this purpose. The committee, with Mr. J. Sward as president, has had several meetings and may have something definite to propose in the near future.
We also have a number of graduates in Calvin College’s Class of ’59: Agatha Lubbers, Ruth Dykstra, Audrey Klaver, and Jean Dykstra – all teachers.
And speaking of teachers – a few of them ought to be having conscience trouble right about now and all during the coming year. How can a Prot. Ref. teacher accept a position in a non-Prot. Ref. school knowing that our own schools are in NEED of teachers? Acknowledging that they have received their talents from God and confessing that they seek the Kingdom of God first, it seems that it would naturally follow that they would be filled with the desire to serve where they are most needed and where they can best promote that phase of kingdom work nearest at hand and closest to our hearts!
In Loveland a school society has been organized. Board members were chose. A constitution was adopted. A finance committee and program committee were organized. They are moving ahead in faith!
The Board of the Association for Protestant Reformed Education in the South Holland-Oaklawn area announces that a drive for funds will be conducted in June. The society’s decision to make this drive was taken with a view to getting a school in operation by September of 1960! They realize this can be done only by a thoroughly united effort.
We extend our congratulations:
To Mr. and Mrs. J. Schaap of First Church was celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary May 13.
To Rev. and Mrs. H. Hoeksema, who together with First Church congregation, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Congratulations were extended by each organization in the church from the Sunday School to the Radio Committee. The Male Chorus sang a new number composed especially for the occasion, by its director Roland Petersen.
We wish to remember Rev. C. Hanko who underwent a stomach operation at Blodgett Hospital this month. He will probably be spending much of the summer regaining his strength so that, if that is God’s will, he may again take up his work in First Church in the fall. Throughout his years in the ministry, Rev. Hanko has been in the hospital several times as a patient, and hundreds of times as a visitor. Think of the suffering and sorrow a minister must witness, of the words of comfort he must bestow. Rev. Hanko is rich in experience and understanding in dealing with the sick.

Regarding our Servicemen
Case Lubbers, who was inducted into the army in February and is stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., was home on furlough in May. He was able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with the Creston congregation the Sunday he was home.
John Bult, First Church, also had a short furlough this past month. He returned to Omaha, Neb., where he will probably be stationed for another year.
Mrs. John Huizinga Jr. has returned from Germany. Her husband expects to come home next month. She is nee Virginia Griffioen.

Recent Contributions Gratefully Acknowledged
Sinspiration – Creston Protestant Ref. Church $44.50
Hope Choral Society 49.61
Mr. Edward Ophoff 2.00
Mr. Homer G. Kuiper 2.00
South West Protestant Reformed Church 21.50
Randolph Protestant Reformed Church 5.91
Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church 39.45
Mr. Fred Aalpoel 2.00
Mr. Sieger Heys 1.00
Sinspiration – Hudsonville Protestant Ref. Church 42.51

Originally Published in:
Vol. 19 No. 5 June-July 1959