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Mission Agencies, Churches Agree to Investigation of Past Abuse at Nigerian Missionary School
12/11/2024

The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Bob Smietana was published Dec. 4, 2024 on religionnews.com. It included details from Resonate Global Mission. The Banner added additional details, providing more context for the Christian Reformed Church,

Mission at a Chess Club
12/11/2024

It’s Friday night at Casa Adobe, a ministry house in Costa Rica, and the loudest chess club ever is meeting.Resonate Global Mission missionary Micah Schuurman and his friend, José Mario, just explained how to checkmate with two bishops. As the kids start their games, birds chirp in the garden, a Ger

A New Heaven and a New Earth
12/10/2024

Various artists, such as Jason Gray and Phil Joel, highlight the Christian need to practice creation care with the unique project. “If you look back at the beginning of Genesis, every time God would create—the light, the stars, the moon, the oceans—he would say that it was good,” said contributor Mi

We Are One
12/10/2024

With the complexity and diversity of human experiences, we share the same desire for oneness. This deep-seated longing transcends cultural and geographical boundaries. In the first two scenes of this picture book, we see two young girls from vastly different environments.Their experiences are noneth

God and the Unknown
12/09/2024

By trade, I am a science teacher. As a human, I am constantly curious. It’s one of the reasons I do what I do. Telling me something simply isn’t enough; I need to understand. I think that’s true for many of us, and I think this drive to understand could be one of the attributes of being created in t

How Can These Horrible Stories Be in the Bible?
12/09/2024

The Bible contains many stories that are downright disturbing. Perhaps you have read the stories of Lot and his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38), the Levite and his concubine (Judges 19), Amnon and Tamar (2 Sam. 13), or Jephthah and his daughter (Judges 11), to name a few. The first time you encountered th

Our 25 Most-read Online Articles in 2024
12/06/2024

Online Banner readers gravitated to news, analysis, and reflection about the Christian Reformed Church’s annual general assembly, synod, in 2024, with continued interest in Cross Examination, Big Questions, and Faith Matters columns and past features on zionism, trees, hypocrisy, and the rapture.Thi

Church Renewal Lab Adapted for Native American Churches
12/06/2024

In March, the Center for Church Renewal’s New Horizons project received a $1.2 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to tailor church renewal labs for Latino and Navajo congregations over the next five years. Larry Doornbos, a retired Christian Reformed pastor and director of New Horizons, and Kri

Jasper Fires Alter University Trip Itinerary, Calgary Church Steps In
12/06/2024

Each fall The King’s University’s second-year physical geography class takes a field trip to Jasper National Park to learn about Alberta ecosystems and practice fieldwork techniques. “Over the summer we were deeply saddened to learn that the Jasper wildfires had destroyed the class's usual lodging a

Tulsa King (Season 2)
12/06/2024

It’s hard to keep a good man down, or a smooth talker like Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone). The last we saw of Dwight, he was headed back to prison for allegedly bribing a federal agent. He successfully argues that it was a gift, in the Shakespearian, “It blesseth him that gives,

The Deliverer Has Come: A Christmas Story
12/06/2024

Since Anika was very young, her great-auntie Anna told her stories about God: how God created the beautiful world, how God chose the people of Israel as his own, and how the people failed to trust God and yet God kept calling them back to himself. Anika was filled with hope because her people were w

Christ the King and the Apocalypse
12/06/2024

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

Calvin Theological Seminary Launches New Digital Resource
12/04/2024

As Calvin Theological Seminary looks forward to its 150th anniversary celebration, it asked alumni and supporters, “What is important to your continued development and growth?”The response, said President Jul Medenblik, was an overwhelming desire for easier access to Reformed teaching and content th

Every Kind of Uh-Oh
12/03/2024

Charlie Peacock has been making music for half a century. Although he has spent the bulk of his time behind the soundboard supporting and producing a number of artists over the years (Amy Grant, The Civil Wars, Switchfoot), he has also had an on-again-off-again career as a singer and songwriter. Lat

God's Little Astronomer
12/03/2024

In this instructive, worshipful picture book, author Tina Cho welcomes young children—little astronomers—to enter a rocket ship and “take a trip into outer space, high above the mountains, clouds, and sky. Out the window, you will see the wonders God has made.”Cho combines scientific facts about gal

Mixed Media Roundup: December 2024
12/02/2024

White BirdReviewed by Lorilee CrakerWhite Bird, based on the graphic novel by Wonder author R.J. Palacio, picks up the story of Julien, Augie’s bully in Wonder. Now in high school, Julien encounters his glamorous grand-mère, Sara, who tells her troubled grandson how she and her friends used to exclu

Receiving the Blessing
12/02/2024

“May the love of God, and the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”I remember as a child hearing those words of blessing roll out over the congregation in Rev. Van’s full-throated bass voice. Even as a kid, I had a deep sense of awe and peace when I

Searching for Christmas
12/02/2024

The 1965 animated special A Charlie Brown Christmas, developed by Charles M. Schulz, was predicted to be a flop.The sponsor of the special, The Coca-Cola Company, was nervous. Reasons for a potential ratings disaster included bare-bones storytelling, a slow pace, no laugh track, religious references

Should I Require Employees to Use Specific Apps?
12/02/2024

In the small office I manage, I want employees to settle on certain computer apps to do their work (in this case, the messaging app Slack), but some are resisting. Should I require it?I hear you. This can be a problem in businesses, in our personal lives, and even in the church office.According to a

Nonprofit Grocery Supported by B.C. Churches
11/29/2024

The Gathering Markit, a nonprofit grocery initiative in Abbotsford, B.C., is transforming how food insecurity is addressed while promoting dignity and choice for families in need. The market serves referred families with affordable fresh produce, pantry staples, and ready-made meal kits sourced from