In Praise of Obscurity
03/27/2026

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.Jesus says to

Membership More Than Confessional Commitment, Task Force Concludes
03/27/2026

A report reflecting on the practice and purpose of membership in the Christian Reformed Church is ready to be presented to Synod 2026, as requested by Synod 2024. The Defining Membership Task Force report, 15 pages and a two-page appendix, recommends that synod “remind consistories of the privilege

Evidence of ‘Faith Restored?’
03/27/2026

A report released March 5 by Cardus, in partnership with the Canadian Bible Society, is challenging widely held assumptions about the steady decline of religion in Canada, particularly among younger generations.Drawing on three years of polling data from the Angus Reid Institute, the report, “Faith

The Great Waking Up: The Story of Easter
03/27/2026

Author Sarah Shin, a Korean American theologian, and her husband, illustrator Shin Maeng, creators of the children’s picture book, The Deliverer Has Come: A Christmas Story, join forces once again to share the good news of Jesus’ redemptive work for the nations and the cosmos.Young Anastasia and her

Project Hail Mary
03/27/2026

Are we still brave even if we are pushed or forced to do something incredibly hard? That’s a question reverberating through Project Hail Mary, a movie meant to be seen in theaters if there ever was one.Another way to pose the question is this: How do we show up for ourselves and others when in the m

God's Colorful Easter: The Good News Is for Everyone
03/27/2026

Based on author Esau McCaulley’s recently published God’s Colorful Kingdom Storybook Bible, this picture book relates the story of the first Easter from the perspective of Simon of Cyrene.In his introduction to Simon and Jesus, McCaulley invites children to think about their perceptions of heroes: “

2026 Young Adults Writing Contest
03/26/2026

The Banner is pleased to present a writing contest on the topic of sustaining faith. What does sustaining faith look like? What does it mean to be sustained in faith in today’s world? How does God build a faith that lasts? Please use a personal story to illustrate the theme of your article.We’ll pub

Service-equipping Agency ‘VIS’ Turns 40
03/26/2026

Volunteers in Service, a connecting agency in Kent County, Mich., to mobilize congregational volunteers into community service where it’s needed, celebrates 40 years in 2026.“It is very exciting to be celebrating God's faithfulness over the past 40 years as Volunteers In Service has continued to “em

Serving the Evolving Needs of Seminary Students and the Church
03/25/2026

Have you ever thought about how odd it is that you can spend years in school getting graded on everything with a scale of 1 to 100, or an “A” through “E,” yet the “real world” has yet to grade you the same way? Imagine being graded on your daily job. That IV you administered to a patient: B+. The pa

Sacred Assembly at 30: A Moment That Still Calls the Church to Listen
03/24/2026

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.January 2025

Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love
03/24/2026

Author and poet Kathleen Norris, well known for The Cloister Walk, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, and many other books, invites readers into an intensely personal narrative about her life with her younger sister, Rebecca Sue.When Rebecca Sue—called Becky by her

Subscriptions and Subsidies: Numbers Spanning 160 Years
03/23/2026

The Christian Reformed Church’s first denominational endeavors after its establishment were to publish a denominational magazine and open a theological training school, and for many years their financial fates were intertwined. The Banner of Truth (a monthly magazine in English) and De Wachter (in D

7 Million Steps: The True Story of Dick Gregory’s Run for the Hungry
03/20/2026

This book inspires children and adults to do their part in serving others for the common good. Dick Gregory’s personal story, as told by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory, is a triumph motivated by a tragedy. The illustrations are wonderfully expressive; the text is thought-provoking and insightf

Oscar-nominated ‘Forevergreen’ reimagines story of Christian grace
03/20/2026

Note: The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This interview by Kathryn Post was published on March 12, 2026, on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style.(RNS) — The global smash hit “The Chosen,” the speculative biographical series abo

Consider the Birds
03/20/2026

In this first book of the Consider series—a series that celebrates God’s gift of nature and encourages gratitude—young children are invited to consider the birds.Author Jennifer Grant introduces one raucous, hungry blue jay swooping down on a bird feeder, sating his hunger, then flying away; two mou

A Christian Look at Artificial Intelligence
03/20/2026

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.Recently, I t

Church Visit Encourages Pastor, Opens Eyes of Visitor
03/20/2026

Catheryn Jo, who serves the Korean community within the Christian Reformed Church through the Office of General Secretary, had a recent trip to The Loving Church in Tucson, Ariz., and shared her experience on the CRCNA Korean Facebook page.The Banner covered The Loving Church and its pastor, Rebecca

Alberta Church Sets ‘Family Table’ for Discipleship Support
03/20/2026

Families at Bethel Community Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alta., are gathering around “The Family Table,” a ministry launched in September 2025, to encourage parents as they disciple their children in everyday life. The initiative includes five in-person events scheduled between fall 2025

Faithful Roots, Faithful Futures: A Shared Ministry of Renewal
03/18/2026

This year, Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary mark 150 years of shared mission and ministry. For a century and a half, God has been faithful—calling, shaping, and sending graduates into churches, classrooms, clinics, businesses, and communities around the world. That legacy is not onl

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall
03/17/2026

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall is a riveting, spine-tingling addition to author Jaime Jo Wright’s collection of split-time mystery novels, including The Premonition at Withers Farm, Specters in the Glass House, and more. Blending legend, history, scriptural truth, romance, complex plotting, and mult