Two of the more exciting missions of the URCs are on two ends of the USA.

Christ Reformed Church in Washington DC is pastored by the Rev Dr Brian J Lee. Brian earned his masters at WSC and his PhD (under Richard Muller, writing on Johannes Cocceius’ commentary on Hebrews—it’s very good) at Calvin Theological Seminary. Christ Reformed podcasts its sermons (he’s just begun a series in Romans). They post regular updates.  You can support Christ Reformed DC by going here. This is a creative mission. One of the more creative things they’re doing is holding a “pub night.” This a vital mission. There’s a lot of loose talk about “taking back” America by religious and social conservatives but how many of them are actually doing what the apostles did? How many of them planting Christ-centered, gospel-preaching, God-honoring confessional Reformed congregations in strategic cities across the globe? That’s what the folks at Christ Reformed are doing. The mission is to know Christ and to make him known, to preach the gospel and to disciple those whom God the Spirit brings to faith through the foolishness of what is preached. Sola gratia, sola fide that’s what they’re doing in DC at Christ Reformed.
Regular readers of the HB will know that the Rev Mr Derrick Vander Meulen was recently installed as pastor of the Kauai Reformation Church (Derrick and family just landed on Kauai so the website hasn’t been updated yet to reflect that fact). Glenda Mathes has covered this story here. Kauai is probably the exact opposite of DC in several ways. It would be difficult to be much farther away from DC and remain in the USA geographically and culturally. Where DC is a “high-powered” town with lots of suits and influential folk, Kauai is essentially a small town on an island (in a chain of islands) where suits are rare. Indeed the formal dress for Sunday is a nice white (expensive!) Hawaiian shirt. Power ties are right out. Kauai isn’t at the center of American culture or politics but it is a place where there is, apart from KRC, virtually no witness to the gospel as confessed by the Reformed churches. If DC is all about power and influence, Kauai is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. There are a surprising number of churches on Kauai but the KRC developed because folk hungered for the gospel of acceptance with God by undeserved favor alone, through trust in Christ alone. Derrick is an experienced and gifted pastor. You can keep up with developments in the KRC at their congregational blog.

Remember these these two congregations in your prayers. Pray for their pastors. Pray that the Spirit would make great use of the preaching of the gospel and the administration of the holy sacraments as these two men, together with these new congregations, seek to glorify Christ by pointing needy sinners to the only Savior Jesus.