A Map to Paradise

01/06/2026

Susan Meissner, a Christian who writes for the mainstream adult fiction market, adds another timely, compelling novel to her collection, which includes The Nature of Fragile Things, Only the Beautiful, and As Bright as Heaven.In an author's note, Meissner shares the process by which she discovered h

My Spouse Runs to Her Parents When We Have Problems. Is This Best?

01/05/2026

My spouse runs to her parents when we have problems. Does she think their opinion is more important than mine? It’s causing trouble.“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” —Genesis 2:24I remember the first time we got into a big argument

A Postscript to Pastor Appreciation Month

01/05/2026

I admit to being a Scrooge when it comes to special days. Those who know me will attest to the fact that I chafe at the idea of celebrating at certain times when it is expected of me. You might find me on Valentine’s Day proclaiming that “every day is Valentine’s Day at my house.” This is my way of

Annihilationism is Not the Better Option

01/02/2026

As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.Outspoken Chr

Collaborative Art Marks Anniversary, Celebrates Community

01/02/2026

A unique 49-panel mural hangs on the west wall of the fellowship hall in Dresden (Ont.) Christian Reformed Church, still representing the themes of worship and community 25 years after it was created.Made by a collective of artists—both skilled and untrained—in 2001, “the goal was to create a single

Slow Tech Proponent to Give ‘World and Our Calling’ Lecture

01/02/2026

Katie Day Good, associate professor of communication at Calvin University, is delivering a lecture at Redeemer University’s Albert M. Wolters Centre for Christian Scholarship for the university’s ongoing The World and Our Calling series next month (Feb. 2). Redeemer announced Good as the 2025 Emergi

Declutter Your Heart and Your Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy

01/02/2026

Author Julia Ubbenga was raised in a middle-class family with upper-class grandparents. Ubbenga’s grandmother showered her with gifts and often took her shopping, even from a very early age. Ubbenga writes that, though her grandmother exemplified many virtues, throughout the numerous shopping forays

Ella McCay

01/02/2026

I must admit I liked this film anyway. Despite its oddness and feeling of being overstuffed and underbaked, I fell for Ella McCay and her quirky sidekicks and offbeat villains. Call me sentimental—you wouldn’t be wrong. As the movie unspools, everything felt so familiar and comforting to me. Maybe i

Scattergood

01/02/2026

In 1941, Peggy and her cousin Delia, farm girls in Iowa, often misunderstood each other because of their differing interests. Peggy, a math whiz, thinks every problem life throws at a person can be solved like a math equation. Delia is passionate about poetry and literature. She views the world meta

7 of My Favorite Faith-based Books of 2025

12/30/2025

It’s a privilege to read a wide array of faith-based, nonfiction books for possible review in The Banner. I love sharing these books with readers! Here are a few of my favorites of 2025 that fit our Christian Reformed worldview.Journey With a GiantBy Lori MeltonFew Christian living books have a prem

Reply All: January/February 2026

12/29/2025

HospitalityAfter pondering General Secretary Rev. Zachary King's Banner article “Fostering Hearts of Hospitality,” I concluded that what he describes is not transformational hospitality. The example he offers from his own life—the meal provided to him and his family after he preached at a church—cou

We Owe Love: The Gospel Debt of Grace and Mercy

12/29/2025

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” —1 John 4:11The apostle John’s words in 1 John 4:7–12 are among the most cherished in the New Testament: “God is love,” and that love is not just declared but demonstrated. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent hi

Englishman to Construct Monument to Answered Prayer

12/29/2025

The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Yonat Shimron, was published on religionnews.com on Nov. 14, 2025 with the title “A monument to answered prayer begins to rise in a secularizing England.” It has been edited for length and Banner style.COLE

Endless Sea

12/26/2025

Author Chi Thai was 3 years old when she and her family escaped Vietnam in a dilapidated boat. Forced to flee political oppression and to face a perilous future, they put their wellbeing into the hands of strangers who demanded payment but offered no guarantee of safe arrival.The Endless Sea is a fi

The Rising

12/26/2025

Melanie Penn spent a number of years on (and off) Broadway singing other people’s songs thinking she had no songs of her own to sing. But when she realized that she had songs in her head that were not written by others she connected with a few people in Nashville who helped start her journey as a si

These Blue Mountains

12/26/2025

Set in several North Carolina communities and in Berlin, Germany, in the 1930s, when the memory of the horrors of WWI continued to haunt people and the rising threat of Hitler and the Nazis loomed, this riveting novel based on several real events relates the fictional story of gifted pianist Hedda S

Getting Creative to Raise Funds for Mission

12/26/2025

Willemina Zwart's ministry with the South Coast Beach Project in Port Dover, Ont., gathers six to seven young adults for four months of communal living and mentorship each summer, but that's not stopping her from exploring the recreation opportunities of Lake Erie in the winter. She's signed up for

Director’s Desk: Meet Lesli van Milligen from Thrive

12/24/2025

The Christian Reformed Church has a long history of working together and pooling resources to further God’s kingdom work around the world. This year we will feature a special column in each issue that includes an interview with one of the directors of these shared ministries. This month we spoke wit

Born Out of National Division, 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' is a Balm for Christmas

12/24/2025

As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner. The Banner h

Long Expected

12/23/2025

Brandon Heath finds a strong balance between festive, fun, and light, and sacred and serious in his Christmas record, “Long Expected.” The album catches your attention from the start to the end; it isn’t your typical Christmas music. Instead, Heath sings original songs such as “Delivery Man,” “Holid