THIS WEEK'S BULLETIn

HANCOCK CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH

January 22, 2023

Welcome to worship at Hancock CRC! Today is a day in which we worship the Lord, hear from His Word, and fellowship with His saints. After the service, please join us downstairs for refreshments and fellowship!

GREETING:

Dan and Ericka Bolluyt

Next Sunday:

Janet Evink

REFRESHMENTS:

Dan and Ericka Bolluyt

Next Sunday:

Mike and Janet Evink

USHER:

Randy Luthi

Next Sunday:

Gary Joos

NURSERY:

Rachel Dick

Next Sunday:

Bernice Christie

LIBRARIAN FOR JANUARY:

Lori Bolluyt

LIBRARIAN FOR FEBRUARY:

Rita Bolluyt

CHURCH CALENDAR:

Today, January 22, 10 A.M.:

Before the start of the service, Ericka Bolluyt will give a presentation for National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Pastor David will lead our service. The special offering will be for Options for Women.

11:00 A.M.: Sunday School (Preschool – Grade 5)

11:15 A.M.: Catechism (Grades 6-8; 9-12)

12:00 P.M.:

Potluck for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Please bring filled buns and/or salad. Circle #1 will serve. Drinks and cake will be provided. In celebration of this special day, please bring a baby gift or a monetary gift for Options for Women in Morris.

3:00 P.M.:

Sunday Evening Bible Study. We will be looking at Lesson 43: The Cross.

Wednesday, January 25, 6:30-7:00 A.M.:

Weekly prayer meeting at church.

3:00 P.M.: Kid Connection will meet.

Our lesson will be Yes, Hannah from 1 Samuel 1. Carol Boon has signed up for snack.

6:30 P.M.:

Men’s Fellowship Night. We will be bowling at Crystal Lanes in Morris. If you would like to ride together, please be at church at 6:15, and we can carpool.

7:00 P.M.:

Youth Group will meet at church.

Thursday, January 26, 6:30 P.M.:

Women’s Fellowship Night. Janelle Daberkow will be teaching and guiding us in making our own flower arrangement to take home. Please bring a quart-sized wide mouth jar and $25 to cover the cost of the flowers.

Next Sunday, January 29, 10 A.M.:

Pastor David will lead our service. The special offering will be for The Broken Ministries. The Broken is a ministry that meets on Sunday evenings at Rock of Life CRC in Willmar, where the gospel is preached to the broken of the world—those with no church background, often dealing with addictions or other troubles.

11:00 A.M.: Sunday School (Preschool – Grade 5)

11:15 A.M.: Catechism (Grades 6-8; 9-12)

3:00 P.M.:

Sunday Evening Bible Study. We will be looking at Lesson 44: The Resurrection.

REQUESTED ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Kids, there are sermon notes available in the narthex for you to follow along with Pastor David each week. Please take one, and worship God with us as we listen to His Word!

There is a sign-up sheet for Kid Connection snacks for the spring semester in the narthex. Please sign up if you are able to help in this way. Thank you!

Pastor Jeff and Tammy Vanderhooft have received a call to Cutlerville, MI and they accepted the call. His farewell service is next Sunday, January 29 and we invite you to join us at Rock of Life CRC in Willmar. The service starts at 10:00 am and we will be serving a BBQ lunch following the service. They will be missed in our community and church. We pray for God's blessing on their new ministry.

If God has given you the gift of using technology, or if you are willing to learn, please consider helping with the church sound and recording services. This is not an every week commitment; we are simply in need of more volunteers to help lighten the load. Please let Pastor David know if you are able to serve in this way.

Men, you are invited to attend the No Regrets Men's Conference. Rock of Life CRC will be hosting the conference via live stream on February 4, 2023. Plan to bring friends and family members who would benefit from being challenged to give our very best as we work at becoming the men of God we are called to be. This year we will be Live streaming from 8:00 am-1:15 pm. The doors open at 7:30 am for coffee, donuts and check-in. Please register soon to reserve your spot. The cost of this half day conference is $25, and $10 for each of your sons ages 13-21. The registration fee includes lunch. Registration and payment are available on line at rockoflifecrc.org, or you may call Renae Kleinhuizen at 320-235-3060 if you would like to register over the phone, or email willmarcrc@gmail.com. Register by January 27 to reserve your spot.

 OUR CHURCH FAMILY:

Carla Lonneman had successful surgery for a displaced retina this week. Please pray that the Lord would provide healing and bless her recovery.

Jeanine Benson had a house fire earlier this week. Praise the Lord that no one was injured in the fire, and ask his blessing on them in the future.

Continue to pray for Dave Evink, Linda Shank, Marla Miller, the elderly, those with ongoing health issues, and those grieving the loss of loved ones.

BIRTHDAYS:

January 25:

Joyce Van Eps;

January 26:

Bethany Vasek;

January 27:

John Luke Boon;

January 29:

John Ver Steeg



Upcoming Special Offerings

February 5 – Church Education

February 12 – Ministry Shares

Schedule for January/February 2023

Monday, January 30, 7:00 P.M.:

Congregational Meeting. We will be voting on whether to proceed with two projects: Air Conditioning in the church building, and siding for the parsonage. The estimated cost for AC is $10,517.00. The estimated cost for siding for the parsonage is either $18,597.36 for steel siding or $20,138.87 for smart siding.

Rules for proxy (absentee ballots): If you cannot make it to the congregational meeting, you can vote by proxy.

a. Proxy ballots will only be counted on the first vote.

b. Proxy ballots must be sealed in separate envelopes and marked for each project (one for siding, one for AC).

c. These envelopes must be put in another envelope, which must be sealed and signed and put in the Council mailbox.

d. Please ask a Council member if you have questions.

Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 P.M.:

Young Women’s Bible Study will meet in the parsonage basement.

Tuesday, February 7, 7:00 P.M.:

Worship Committee will meet.

Tuesday, February 14, 7:00 P.M.:

Council will meet. Roger Evink will serve refreshments.

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The classic text for the Greek word apologia is 1 Peter 3:15–16. Peter's first epistle was written to the "exiles" living in Asia Minor, located in modern-day Turkey. These exiled Christians were ostracized for their faith and suffered persecution. They were insulted and slandered. Some of them suffered at the hands of their own family members.

Peter commands these exiles not to live in fear or cower before opposition. Instead, he commands these exiled Christians—and us—to be always ready to make a defense. The main verb "to make a defense," from the Greek word apologia, is in the imperative mood. The imperative mood is used for commands. There's no procedure for deferment here. The command extends to all of us.

Further, Peter tells how to make our defense. He notes that we should "always be prepared." That's a tall order. Questions about our faith tend to come at unexpected times. In order to be always ready, we must know our faith, which means knowing our theology. We must also know our audience. We see this in Paul's example of being an apologist on Mars Hill in Athens (Acts 17:16–34). Peter also tells us that we need to make our defense "with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). That's an even taller order. The word translated "respect" could equally be translated "reverence." It's the same word used of how we should approach God. So we exiles are to treat our examiners with gentleness and reverence.

Then there's verse 16. Peter reminds us that who we are is every bit as crucial as what we say. May the testimony of our lives not put the testimony of our words to shame. Instead, "may our good behavior in Christ" also be our apologetic. ~Stephen Nichols