The Church Helped Me When I Was A Refugee. It's Called To Do the Same Today.

04/25/2025

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

Synod 2025: What to Watch

04/25/2025

After a convening by video conference to elect the officers of synod May 28, Synod 2025 will meet June 13-19 on the campus of Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont., with First CRC in Chatham, Ont., as the convening church. Synod last met at Redeemer in 2012.Synodical Services will stream the plenary

Is the ‘Sin of Empathy’ a Biblical Teaching?

04/25/2025

I see Christians debating about the “sin of empathy.” Is that a biblical teaching?I think the phrasing might be deliberately provocative, verging on clickbait. But the point, I believe, is that any virtue, even empathy, can be twisted and weaponized. Although that is true, I worry that some people u

The Ballerina of Auschwitz

04/25/2025

In her introduction to the young adult edition of her memoir, The Choice, Dr. Edith Eva Eger writes, “I have been writing this book for nearly eighty years. When I was sixteen, enduring firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust; as I witnessed my children—and then my grandchildren and great-grandchildr

Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley

04/25/2025

On June 5, 1956, at NBC Studios, Elvis left his guitar backstage and created a sensation when he paused in the middle of “Hound Dog,” waved his arm for the band to slow down, and exaggerated his hip gyrations. Girls in the audience screamed and fainted. Community leaders were shocked and upset. Ed S

The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today

04/25/2025

As I read this bountiful and emboldening book about Mary Magdalene, my admiration for the first witness to the resurrection grew. What a brave, generous, unwavering disciple she was, and how much I had missed or been confused about her through many years of studying Scripture and even four years of

Intercessory Prayer: A Legacy of Mercy and Grace

04/23/2025

In Daniel 9:17-19, we see one of the many examples of intercessory prayer in Scripture.“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that b

Remembering Rev. Leonard John Hofman, General Secretary Emeritus

04/22/2025

Leonard Hofman has been described as a thoughtful, caring, encouraging, and approachable pastor and a respected pastoral administrator, with a gift for orderly governance, who always demonstrated a deep love for the church. He was also known for his quick wit and sharp dress. Hofman, 97, died April

How to Make a Memory

04/22/2025

When children reach a certain age, the excitement about each day will fade, and they begin to experience the grind of each day. As the author of How to Make a Memory puts it, “Life is a little like the world itself: always spinning along, always moving forward.” On this journey, there are new surpri

Sisters of Belfast

04/22/2025

In April 1941, the lives of 10-year-old twins Aelish and Isabel McGuire were forever altered during the Belfast Blitz when German bombs destroyed the city and countless lives were lost, including those of the girls’ parents.Taken into the care of the Sisters of Bethlehem, Aelish learns slowly and pa

The Remarkable Life and Art of Julia Jumbo

04/21/2025

If one spends 23 years living and working with Navajo people in western New Mexico, as I did, one will come across stories that need to be told. A cross-cultural setting highlights the uncommon—even remarkable—events of people and places that those of us reared in the prevailing culture find it diff

Finding Our Center in a Divided World

04/21/2025

Last Sunday our pastor preached about unity in Christ. As I sat in my familiar pew, his words struck deeper than usual. Just days earlier, I’d ended a 15-year friendship over political differences that had grown too painful to navigate.How did we as Christians arrive at this place? When did our poli

How Do I Know If I’m Making the Right Decision?

04/21/2025

I have to make a big decision regarding a job opportunity. I’ve been reading my Bible and praying, but I still don’t know what to do. How do I know if I’m making the right choice?It’s often only looking back that we know whether we’ve made the right decision. Looking forward, the best we can do is t

Program Closures and Russian-language Ministry Suspension at ReFrame Ministries

04/18/2025

ReFrame Ministries, the Christian Reformed Church in North America’s international media ministry, announced program changes April 14 discontinuing new production for three English-language websites and suspending the agency’s Russian-language ministry.Church Juice, a resource to help congregations

B.C. Churches Work Together for Accessibility and Belonging

04/18/2025

Three Christian Reformed churches in British Columbia are concluding a one-year learning cohort focused on accessibility and belonging in their congregations.In May 2024, Nelson Ave Community Church in Burnaby, Cornerstone CRC in Chilliwack, and Telkwa (B.C.) Community Church began meeting monthly t

Kelloggsville Church Marks 150 Years

04/18/2025

Kelloggsville Christian Reformed Church in Kentwood, Mich., is marking its 150th anniversary this year, with the theme “Footprints of Faith.”The church hosted an anniversary worship service in February that featured a video depicting its history, communion, a mosaic project, and the ringing of the c

Gathered at the Table: Celebrating Communion

04/18/2025

In this companion title to Baptized in the Water: Becoming a Member of God's Family, author Glenys Nellist and illustrator Anna Kazimi employ a similar combination of prose and poetry and the same artistic illustrative style as in their previous picture book.Simply and clearly, Nellist invites child

Paradise

04/18/2025

When LOST arrived on ABC in 2004, it changed TV forever. For all its faults, audiences became addicted to long-running, character-focused mysteries that move back and forth in time. Some have worked better than others, but shows like it are here to stay. The latest, Paradise (on Hulu and rated TV-MA

Gather’s Good News

04/18/2025

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.Like most gas

Supporting Students’ Learning in Honduras

04/16/2025

In many schools in our own neighborhoods, support for different abilities and learning styles is expected. But in other schools around the world, students with learning difficulties are overlooked, often because teachers have such full classrooms that resources and time are in short supply.Genesis G