Bethlen Naptár, 1984 (Ligonier)
Kálvin Egyházkerület
134 BETHLEN NAPTÁR followed. It was an event full of warm remembrances of the outstanding work of the Ladies Aid Society. Both membership and pastor are looking forward with prayerful hearts to 1984, hoping that the year will bring the new sanctuary closer to reality. WHITING, IN. Lelkipásztor: Ludwig K. Kálmán Chief Elder: Carol Scheibel; Treasurer: Louis Gyure; Secretary: Deanna Taylor; Organists: Cathy Rozek, Janellen Peterson. During the past two years our congregation lost several members, but also gained several as new adult members joined our fellowship. This year we have again started a Sunday School as a new generation of youngsters, fourth generation Hungarian-Americans, become part of our fellowship. The membership has been active in many areas; we continue to work on improving our church building, and every year we invest large sums to rehabilitate a building which went many years without the necessary investment. Our congregation continues to be active in local mission, preparing Christmas baskets for the less fortunate in our area, supporting through our mission dollars not only Calvin Synod missions hut also local missions, such as work with the handicapped and assisting some of our own members who find themselves in difficult financial circumstances. We had the opportunity to travel to Kalamazoo for a Western Classis conference, to Lynwood for a similar meeting, and joined with Faith United Church of Christ in Hammond for the installation of their pastor, the Rev. Dr. Donald Capp. We also participated, with joy, in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the building of the Indiana Harbor church, our sister church in East Chicago. Both the ladies and men of the congregation are active in social-fundraising projects. The ladies with their baking projects, their dinners throughout the year, their annual Christmas bazaar; the men with making Hungarian sausage, preparing and serving theAnnual Mother’s Day Dinner, working on various renovation projects in the church. And together, the men and women participating in the local Whiting “Pioneer Days,” an open-air fair-like celebration. Also, for the past several years we have hosted a weekly bingo which one of the local community centers asked us to host, as they were unable to continue providing this service to the fifty or so ladies from the community who depended on this program for their evening social gathering. What started out as a community service has developed into a supplemental source of income, and we enjoy the community involvement. We hope to continue being privileged to serve God in our community, offering the strength of our Reformed heritage to the community.
