We have been offering Sunday evening courses to members of our congregation and the community over the past two years, and we're about to begin a new fourteen-week Sunday evening course that I'm very excited about. So far, we've done an Old Testament survey course, a course on the attributes of God, and we're coming to the end of a course in the history of the early church. We'll pick up the church history course some time in the future, and at the rate we're going, we may reach the period of the Reformation by, oh, about 2015.

But on October 3rd, we're beginning a course called "How People Change," using group study material produced by the Christian Counselling and Education Foundation. How People Change is a book written by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp (which I highly recommend), and CCEF has also produced a DVD series and study guide to go along with it. If you're in Prince George (or if you're planning on moving here in the next couple of weeks!), you're welcome to join us for what promises to be an exciting exploration of the power of the gospel to bring real and lasting change!

Here's the text of the newspaper ads we've placed:

CHANGE


Either:
a) this word scares you, or
b) this word reminds you of something you want to change in your life, or
c) you don't really think about change, but the large bold letters above just caught your eye.

The fact is, we all need to change, in one area of our life or another. We struggle, we deal with the negative results of our behaviour and attitudes and actions, and we deal with the same things in those we relate to.

In this How People Change seminar, we will be guided in understanding how Christ's life, death, and resurrection bring lasting change. Through the introduction, twelve sessions, and conclusion, you will be challenged to experience the deep-down change that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings, and you will be given the tools to understand, and change!

We welcome you to join us, Sundays at 7 PM, beginning on October 3rd, on the corner of 15th Ave. and Ospika Blvd. Space is limited to to fifteen individuals or couples, and pre-registration is required. A registration fee of $15.00 per person or couple covers the cost of study guides and workbooks, and refreshments will be provided each night.

How People Change is a presentation of the Canadian Reformed Churches' Mission in Prince George (www.canrc.org). For more information and to register, contact Pastor Jim Witteveen:

(250) 562-9542
pastorjim@pgchurch.ca
www.pgchurch.ca

Last week I began another round of studies (it never ends), this time by Distance Education - I'm taking a course called "Dynamics of Biblical Change," an introductory counselling course from CCEF, the Christian Counselling and Educational Foundation.

So I thought I would take a blog post to highly recommend CCEF, their publications (by David Powlison, Paul Tripp, Ed Welch, and others), and the resources available on their website. According to CCEF's mission statement, their goal is to restore Christ to counselling, and to restore counselling to the church - an admirable goal, and they do a great job of it.

So check out their website:

www.ccef.org

Even though my contrarian nature makes me want to delay this report after the comments Calvin made on my last post ( ;-), of course), I do want to write about my "holiday," as another commenter so quaintly put it (again ;-), of course!)

It was a great trip, very enjoyable in every way, and very profitable and encouraging as well. On Thursday evening I arrived safe and sound in Neerlandia (which some of the Prince George folks have taken to calling "Neverland" and "Narnia"), where I brought the rain with me from B.C. The Neerlandi-ites were thankful for that, so if nothing else, that made my trip a success. On Friday, the pastor of the Neerlandia congregation, Rev. John Louwerse, took me on a tour of the hamlet of Neerlandia.

Thirty seconds later, we went exploring the countryside, which has a beauty that does grow on you! I got to see the very edge of civilization (a place called Vega, which is not pronounced like the car), and later that afternoon I had the opportunity to visit the least centrally-located bookstore in the history of Christian bookstores, Inheritance Publications. Of course I couldn't leave there without an armful of books!

Friday night I gave a presentation in the Neerlandia church. The number of people in attendance and the interest that was shown by those who came was very encouraging indeed. I got to meet some people I haven't seen since high school, and someone my Dad used to work for in Edmonton, who remembered the Dutch expression he would use when he would hit himself on the thumb with a hammer. I've forgotten what it was, but it was pretty good, I do know that.

Saturday afternoon and evening I met with the evangelism committees of Barrhead and Neerlandia. It was exciting to see the ideas that these committees have about working in a nearby community, and their enthusiasm for the evangelistic mission of the church. They peppered me with questions which I did my best to answer, and in the evening they plied me with barbecued burgers and more good conversation.

Sunday... I led the worship services in Barrhead in the morning and afternoon, which was another pleasure (enhanced by the excellent piano playing, which lifted the tune-keeping responsibilities from me, for which I remain thankful).

Then after the second worship service I drove to Edmonton, where I had dinner with the Aasman extended family (Rev. Aasman is the pastor of one of the Edmonton congregations), after which I gave another presentation in the church that he pastors (Immanuel or Providence - I get them confused). Given the short notice they had for my presentation, and the fact that I was following another missionary who had spoken there a couple of days before, the attendance in interest was also very good! More good questions and discussion followed, after which I followed Rev. Slomp, the pastor of the other congregation (Providence or Immanuel) on a circuitous tour to his home (several times during that little excursion I was wondering whether I was actually following the right car), where I slept, and from which I departed yesterday.

The support and encouragement that I received was like a shot in the arm for me. It's great to see the interest that people have in the Prince George congregation, to experience the support of these congregations, and their enthusiasm for spreading the gospel, and just experiencing the communion of saints with the people in the Edmonton area was a true pleasure. Thanks to those who did the organizing, to those who put me up, fed me, and gave me a place to stay, and thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and practical support! It was a real blessing, to say the least.

And to top it all off, on the way home I got to see a whole bunch of elk, deer, mountain sheep (a herd of which snuck up on me while I was setting up my tripod on the side of the road), and a couple of black bear families, too. The drive through Jasper National Park is a beautiful one.

Now it's good to be home. Nallely is leaving for Mexico tomorrow to visit her grandmother, so I'll be enjoying something rather euphemistically known as a "vacation" for the next week.

Starting this coming Sunday evening at 7 PM, we'll be beginning a new study series - this time not so much a "Bible Study," but a study of Church History. At the rate my notes are going in preparation for this course, it may take us a few years to get through all the material, but over the next however-many weeks, I'm sure we'll see how the Lord's guiding hand has led His people over the past two millennia, how His grace continues to shine through despite so much human sinfulness and weakness - we can be sure that the "gates of hell will not prevail" over His church, and history has proven that time and time again.

I'm really looking forward to this study, so if you're in Prince George, you're welcome to join us this coming Sunday, March 14th, at 7 PM, on the corner of 15th and Ospika.

If you want more info, give me a call - (250) 562-9542, or send me an email - pastorjim(at)pgchurch.ca

Last Friday I was invited to speak to the students and parents of Tyndale Christian School in Calgary about the mission work in Prince George. During their "Mission Month" this year, the students focused on the Prince George Mission - you can see the fruit of their labours in the pictures below. They did some very nice work - kudos to the principal, the teachers, and the students involved for the work they put in and their enthusiasm for the mission work!

And on behalf of the congregation and everyone involved in the mission, a hearty thank you to the students and the student council for their fundraising efforts, and to everyone who made donations - over $600.00 was raised altogether, including a large cheque from the student council (and I mean physically large - it was at least three feet long - I felt like I had won the lottery when they presented it to me)!

I spent an enjoyable couple of days in Calgary (actually only one full day - I flew in on Thursday night and flew out on Saturday afternoon), and thanks to the fine folks at Tyndale for their warm welcome!








_______

Apparently there's some kind of sports tournament going on down south right now, but what we're really excited about is this:

On Thursday, March 4th, we will be welcoming the Credo Christian High School Band from Langley to our fair city. They will be performing for us at 7:30 PM, in our building on the corner of 15th Ave. and Ospika Blvd. We're looking forward to an enjoyable evening and we hope to have a full house, and not just because there's 49 students in the band!

If you're in Prince George and want more info, give me a call - 250-562-9542.

I thought this was worth sharing. In February, we hope to have a congregational meeting. I sent out an email asking people if they have anything of importance for the agenda. So far I've received one response, and here's what's weighing heavy on someone's mind:

Allowable hair length for the pastor.
Segregated seating for men and women.
Reduction of church's carbon footprint.
Church mascot.
Preferred parking for parents of children aged 2 to 4.
Abandon north American handshake and restore biblical holy kiss.

The respondent will remain nameless, for his/her own protection.

Welcome to our newest members!

Josh and Jessica, Malakai, and Shandelle:


Jean and Louise, Jessica and Jonathan:


As it says on the cake,

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
- Psalm 133:1

And last but not least, a rare sight: men doing the dishes after a church luncheon!

On Sunday, January 17th, the Lord willing, the Prince George mission will be celebrating the entrance of two new families into the Church of Christ. Jean and Louise Deveault will publicly profess their faith and will be received into membership together with their two baptized children, Jessica and Jonathan. Josh and Jessica Bergen will publicly profess their faith, and their two young children, Malakai and Shandelle, will receive the covenant sign and seal of baptism. We would love to have you join us for this joyous occasion, which will take place at 10:30 A.M., 4110 15th Avenue (on the corner of 15th Ave. and Ospika Blvd.) in Prince George.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!
- 1 Chronicles 16:34