Date - Jun 11/6

Date - July/95

Contributor - Jeff Kingswood

Title - An Executive Shepherd (Secretary) For The Regional Synod Of Canada - Rev. James Peter Moerman

Topic - Reformed Church In Canada

The fourth son of an eight-child family, James Peter Moerman (Jim) was born January 25, 1960 to Rev. John and Corrie Moerman in Cambridge, Ontario where Jim's father pastored the congregation of the Galt Reformed Church. After a brief introduction to Ontario living, Jim moved west and spent his early childhood in Edmonton, Alberta where his family served Emmanuel Community Reformed Church for nine years until 1970. As a ten year old, he moved with his family to the prairie land of Monarch, Alberta, home of the Canadian Synod's oldest RCA congregation, the Monarch Reformed Church. It was after an evening service there in 1971 that Jim received Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

In 1978, the family moved still further west to British Columbia, where Rev. John Moerman pastored Grace Community Church in Surrey and Jim obtained a B.A. from Simon Fraser University, a teacher's certificate from the B.C. Ministry of Education, and a Master's of Divinity Degree from Regent College in Vancouver which led to ordination for pastoral ministry in the RCA in 1985.

It was during these years of further education that Jim met his wife Babette. At a junior high youth retreat in 1980, Jim was serving as a counsellor and took special notice of one of the young students in attendance. They exchanged Christmas cards for two years and then in April of 1982, Babette was one of the guest speakers at a Classis wide youth service on the subject of Christian dating. Jim was so impressed with the 16 year old's standards, that he just had to investigate! The next Saturday afternoon they went on their first date (after Jim received approval from Babette's father), and well, to make a wonderful story exceedingly short, they were married on June 28, 1986 after a four-year courtship.

Babette graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Simon Fraser University in 1987, just three days before the birth of their first child, a daughter, Rachel Lynn. A happy stay-at-home mom, Babette also gave birth to David James in 1989, Sarah Noelle in 1990, and Benjamin Josiah in 1993.

The summer Babette and Jim were married (1986), they bought a house, discovered the joyful news that a baby was on the way, and began pastoring their home church - Grace Community Church - on a full-time basis after serving there as an associate pastor for twelve months. In short, Jim and Babette entered the adult world rather suddenly, but made the necessary adjustments.

Babette has been very active in women's ministry during the ten years at Grace Community Church, beginning a small support group for new mothers which steadily grew and branched off into various other ministries for women. The current women's ministry encompasses ministry for stay-at-home moms and working moms, seasoned believers and new believers. There's also a strong outreach component for unbelievers who attend special evening events.

The story of being called to the ministry of "Executive Shepherd" for the Regional Synod of Canada is a marvellous record of divine providence. As vice-president of the Synod in 1994, part of Jim's portfolio was to chair the committee responsible to find a replacement for Dr. Jonathan Gerstner. For six months this work proceeded - but without apparent success. Then early in January of 1995, it began to dawn on both Babette and Jim that perhaps -just perhaps! - the position was not being filled because the Lord was calling them to this new ministry. After waiting until the position's closing date Oust in case the Lord had someone else in mind) Jim faxed-in a "letter of intent" to its new chairman with great fear and trembling, following it up with a complete resume and vision statement. To make another wonderful story very short, the Synod officially extended a call to Rev. Jim Moerman on April 29, 1995 to serve as in the ministry of Executive Secretary (shepherd).

It is with genuine excitement along with great fear and trembling that Jim, Babette and family have accepted this call from the Lord and now make the life-changing journey across this great nation to continue the ministry of "drawing near to God's along with the entire Regional Synod of Canada. Do pray for them.

2

Contributor - Rev. Henry E. Franken

Title - The Holy Spirit Is Sent

Topic - Pentecost

Once each year the Christian church puts a great deal of emphasis on the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. There has been too little interest in the Holy Spirit in the past. That is undoubtedly the reason the Pentecostal churches have sprung up in the present century. The name reemphasizes a truth and has made others more aware of it.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He has taken on greater importance in the minds and lives of Christians since the day he was sent forth, which was seven weeks after the resurrection of Jesus, on that great Sunday. The Bible says that in the latter days He would play a greater role in the church.

The Old Testament in the book of Joel predicted and in the New Testament in the book of Acts says that it was then being fulfilled, that the Spirit would come to His own. What a demonstration that was on Pentecost, sitting like divided tongues of fire on those representatives of the church. And what power they received to set forth the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit came to apply the merits of Christ to men.

Speaking of salvation - we may repeat what one has said before - "The Father thought it (salvation); the Son wrought it; the Holy Spirit brought it; the devil fought it; have you got it?"

The Holy Spirit "brought it". John 15:26 "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father he shall testify of me." These are Jesus' words.

He was sent forth from the Father through Jesus Christ 10 days after Jesus ascended to the Father. Jesus' going to heaven released, in a sense, the Spirit for the particular task of applying salvation to the hearts of men. Not that He did not do this before, but this was an open demonstration of an eternal truth.

God is desirous that men may be partakers of the Spirit. "If you who are evil know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" Luke 11:13. The Spirit when He comes into our hearts upon our request will start a revolution there. He will tell us frankly that we are sinners who need God's mercy. The comfort the Comforter gives is that all our sins are forgiven us upon the basis of Christ's crucifixion. Was it not said "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9.

If our spirit and the Spirit of God have fellowship we have the assurance that we are God's children. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God." Romans 8:14. This takes away any doubt. Faith has come in and with it assurance. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for."

We are living in the day of grace, which is also the day of the Holy Spirit. These are the "last days" the scripture speaks of. We may therefore expect great demonstrations of the Spirit of Truth. The father of lies, Satan, will also do and is doing his utmost against God's kingdom. When Jesus was to enter His public ministry He was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. We may therefore expect that before His coming again, the Spirit of Truth will demonstrate His supremacy over the spirit of error.

The spirit of error is raising his head and showing his fangs by the vehement denials made in high place, that Jesus is the Christ. He does not want men to believe in Christ as the Saviour of men. And this is the spirit of error. Read I John 4.

May the Spirit of God inspire our hearts to proclaim more boldly that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The gates of hell will not prevail against that. If Pentecost makes us more bold to preach Christ and Him crucified, then it is well. A blessed Pentecost to one and all.