Please
remember our church family in your daily prayers, at mealtimes and during your
personal devotions. Continue to remember those young and old with ongoing
physical, spiritual, and emotional struggles.
Congratulations
to Polly Mooy and Nelly Keitel as they celebrate their birthdays on Wednesday
and Friday. To both of you, we wish you
a blessed day filled with love and laughter with family and friends J
Do remember
those who are unable to worship regularly with us: please keep Jenny Bajema, Klaas Boskers, Lea
Dykstra and Ernie Stebner in your prayers.
Pray for our
missionaries around the world.
Bethel News
TRIPLE BRIDAL SHOWER:
Ladies, come join us on Wednesday, August 9th
at 7:30 p.m. to bless 3 new brides-to-be - Erin Vandenborn (Jacob Binnema),
Heidi Prins (Dereck Carruthers), and Brooke Schamber (Travis Ebens). To help encourage these ladies in this new
step in their lives, we thought it would be nice to have you share a favourite
recipe with each of them. It is a
miscellaneous shower, although gift cards or cash donations are an appreciated
option since the brides are either established in their homes or are as in
Erin's case, moving to Ontario to a small apartment. Hope to see you August 9th as we
honour the brides.
Pastor Search Committee:
We
are moving along nicely. We have explored the Pastor Profiles on the
Search Committee Portal, whittling them down from 1300 to 100 to 25. It
is an exciting process! Now we hope a number of them will be open to a
call then we will go from there.
If any of
you have a suggestion for a pastor you would like us to consider, please fill
out a form on the back table and place it in Cora Hoekstra’s mailbox. Also if anyone would like to view our church profile, there is a link on our
website. If you would like a hard copy, we have a few available, also on
the back table.
DENOMINATIONAL
NEWS
Wildfire Crisis in British Columbia
Join
World Renew in praying for the wildfire crisis in British Columbia where a
state of emergency has been issued. There are over 230 active fires and more
than 14,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. World Renew is
assessing the situation to determine our response and more details will be
available as the fire response progresses.
Praying for Williams Lake:
Please continue to pray for the congregation
of Cariboo Community CRC, the people of Williams Lake, British Columbia and all
those in the interior of B.C. who have been affected by raging wildfires. This update recently came from Pastor Paul
Lomavatu of Cariboo Community CRC: Just
brief update on the situation in Williams Lake Evacuation order: Close to 6 p.m.
this afternoon [July 16th] an evacuation order was issued for the
city of Williams Lake and surrounding areas. Although the order was anticipated,
it is still surreal to witness the emptying out of an entire community and to
be part of an endless stream of cars heading south towards 100 Mile House. It
is evident as we drive. Today, we ensured that the 15 families remaining in our
congregation each had a place to go to. We ask for your continuous prayers as
we navigate through these uncharted waters experience-wise. Please pray for
peace to comfort many anxious and unsettled souls. Pray for safety for many who are travelling. Please
pray as the Lord leads regarding the situation in Williams Lake.
Blessings, Pastor Paul Lomavat, Cariboo Community CRC, Williams
Lake, B.C.
Sea to Sea Bike Tour 2017:
More than 150 Sea to Sea Bike Tour
riders pedaled through the Rocky Mountains in western Canada in July in the
first three sections of a cross-country trip from the Pacific to the Atlantic
oceans. The purpose of the tour is to raise funds for poverty alleviation
worldwide – including World Renew. As
many of you know, retired Pastor Gary
Bomhof from Red Deer is participating in the tour. There is a Sea to Sea Bike Tour schedule on
our bulletin board in the foyer if you would like to see where the tour is
heading each week.
PERSECUTED
CHURCH
India (village of Jalalabad, Uttar Pradesh)
Twelve Christians were beaten with sticks, and
accused of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. The mob tried to force
the believers to drink 'holy' water from the Ganges River; the victims refused
to participate or deny Christ. The militants are now refusing to sell water
from their boreholes to these Christian families, while temperatures can soar
to 40 degrees Celsius. Water is required to irrigate the fields and the
believers' crops are dying in the sweltering heat. Local police and the village
chief have not intervened to restore the water supply, despite the Christians'
appeals for help. May the Lord's presence be with these Christians as they come
under pressure to recant their faith. Pray that He will strengthen their
resolve to stand strong in the midst of hostility, while granting them the
grace to reflect His loving character before those opposing them. Ask that the need
for water be supplied so they can nurture their crops, livestock and families.
Also, intercede for the salvation of the other villagers of Jalalabad.