“With my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
” Psalm 89:1b JULY 2023
GIG HARBOR, WA
Rev. Caleb & McKenzie Janson
Greetings from Gig Harbor, WA!
Church planting is often slow and discouraging
work. People move; regular attending visitors can
vanish in a moment; Sunday worship is held in
less-than-ideal rental facilities. These are just
a few of the ordinary things that go on in the
life of a church plant seeking to gain stability
and permanence in a local community. We have
not been immune to many of these challenges.
Nevertheless, we trust “that the Son of God
through his Spirit and Word....gathers, protects,
and preserves for himself” a chosen community in
the unity of true faith (HC 54). I would like to share
some of the ways in which we see the Lord doing this work in our
community as He continues to build his church in Gig Harbor.
In June of 2022, we ordained and installed two local elders. These
men have been a tremendous blessing to me and our congregation.
Additionally, I am currently doing leadership training with three
other men who show an aptitude for holding an office within the
church. Finding competent and willing men to serve as elders and
deacons is difficult for small church plants; however, the Lord
has blessed us with several men who demonstrate the virtue and
competency necessary to serve in Christ’s church.
In March of 2022, we held our first Catechism Service. We are
now almost finished going through the Heidelberg Catechism for
the first time. The vast majority of our people have never heard
teaching or preaching on many of the topics that our catechism
faithfully covers, and thus, they have grown to appreciate the
wisdom of catechetical preaching. Furthermore, before I begin my
sermon in this service, I ask the children review questions from
the Heidelberg Catechism, such as the following: what is true
JULY 2023 • PAGE 1
faith, what is the content
of faith, what is the benefit
of faith, where does faith
come from, what are the
Keys of the Kingdom, what
is a good work, what are the
Ten Commandments. It is
a great encouragement to
everyone in attendance to
hear children of all ages
confessing the faith once
delivered to the saints.
Last fall we started a bi-weekly Wednesday night catechism
program. We consistently have nine youths who attend these
events. This year we have been studying the Heidelberg Catechism.
The youth have also been memorizing key questions and answers
from the catechism. It has been a joy to witness the word of Christ
richly dwelling in our covenant children.
Last but not least, at the spring classis meeting of Classis PNW, our
overseeing consistory (Lynden URC) received concurring advice
from classis for our organization as a church in the URCNA. Praise
God! We plan on organizing at some point in the fall of 2023.
Please pray that the Lord would raise up men to serve as officers
from the current leadership training course I am teaching. Please
pray that the Lord would provide a facility that would better
accommodate our needs as a growing church. Please pray that the
regular attending visitors of our church plant would desire formal
church membership. Please pray for the Lord’s blessing upon us in
our plans to organize this fall.
In Christ,
Rev. Caleb Janson
 NIAGARA FALLS, ON
Pastor Rich & Yukyung Bultje

We have just entered our We have also been

blessed with having a
10th year as a church plant in summer-long student
Niagara Fall. Over these years. we have join us in the summer
seen a lot of ups and downs in our ministry of 2022 from Mid
in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  There have been America Reformed
many delightful moments as we have watched Seminary.  Eric Heida
a number of people begin as people with an was a great help and a
interest in the gospel then become committed blessing while he and
Christians seeking for others to hear the hope his family served with
they have in Christ.  us.  This past summer
we had a student from
We feel greatly blessed that, in starting with the Canadian Reformed
just a hand full of people in a store front, we Theological College
now have our own building with over 70 members and 2 elders also serve with me for a few weeks.  Josh Peters also was a great
and a deacon to serve our community with the gospel.  It is great blessing for us as a church plant while he and his family served in
that new people can come into our building now and worship with our midst.  
us and feel there is enough room for them.  There have been a
number of people from different backgrounds and walks of life Some outreach events go better than others. Yet, our open houses
come through our doors in the last year.  Not all see this is a place on Wednesdays, our once-a-month community dinners, the Hoop
where they want to be, but thanks be to God, a number have Fest outreach basketball tournaments, and the chapel services in
said they are blessed by coming in and hearing the good news the city are a few of the ways that we continue to reach out.
of Jesus Christ. There have been great moments seeing people
come to a living faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour through Pastor Richard
the power of the Word and Spirit.  There have also been times
when after spending years with people, helping them understand
Biblical truths, that they turn away, showing they have no interest
in following Christ.  There have been some who joined us and
continue to serve sacrificially for Christ and His Kingdom. 

JULY 2023 • PAGE 2