The 60-year Mirror: Covenant Love and the First Commandment
11/13/2026

When Joni and I stood before God and our community six decades ago to make our wedding vows, we brought all the eager confidence of youth. We could not have foreseen the road ahead: the repeated packing of boxes and cross-country moves, the joyful chaos of raising our two children, or the quiet wond

Doing Something New: A Prayer for Beginnings
11/13/2026

In this children’s picture book that is rooted in Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 5:3-10, known as the Beatitudes, renowned Christian author Mitali Perkins invites children (and adults) to discover comfort in the truth that Jesus understands what they are going through as they encounter new situ

Sense and Sensibility
11/13/2026

Although many purists and lovers of Jane Austen’s work objected to the newest adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, I was not one of them.True, the 1995 version, starring my beloved Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman, is ensconced in my top two movies (No. 1 is You’ve Got Mail, which—this ju

3 Books to Read for Native American Heritage Month
11/13/2026

The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga, Book 1)By David A. RobertsonWhen I visited my hometown of Winnipeg, Man., this summer, I visited my favorite indie bookstore there—McNally Robertson—and was delighted to see three full bookshelves devoted to Indigenous books. Overwhelmed by the choices, I asked t

In Memoriam: Rev. Ronald W. De Young
11/13/2026

Pastor and chaplain Ron De Young spent the formative years of his childhood in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he was nurtured in what he referred to as the “Jerusalem” of the Christian Reformed Church. He moved to Wisconsin with his family when he was 13, home to what would become his favorite vacation

An October Staple: Churches and Trunk-or-Treat
11/13/2026

On Oct. 24, Faith Community Church, a Christian Reformed congregation in Milford, N.S., hosted its seventh annual trunk-or-treat event, a church parking lot alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating. Almost 280 children and their parents visited Faith Community this year for hot chocolate, candy

The Intercultural Table
11/11/2026

During the West Intercultural Cohort’s first in-person retreat, one host church invited the cohort to help plan an intercultural worship service. The service opened with familiar and new songs expressed in a variety of languages. An Indigenous member offered a prayer, an Intercultural Ministry leade

Editor Lester DeKoster, 1970-1980
11/11/2026

Note: This online-only article is part of a series showcasing past Banner editors. You can read all the content celebrating The Banner’s 160th anniversary here.Lester DeKoster became editor of The Banner in 1970, the first non-ordained person to sit in the chair. In his first editorial, he wrote tha

Listening Hands: Eavesdropping on the Sound of Life
11/10/2026

Martin Schleske is one of the best violin makers in the world. He has studied both the art and the science of instrument making and blends those areas together to create impressive instruments played by top performers. He is also a person of great faith, someone who thinks deeply about his craft but

Suggestions for First-time Delegates
11/10/2026

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.You’ve just b

Is it Better to Get a Job or Focus on Having Meaningful Experiences?
11/09/2026

Is it better to get a job or focus on having meaningful experiences?As soon as we are old enough to get a job, how much we should work becomes a question. The answer shifts as we go through life, whether it’s when we graduate high school or college, if we have children, or as we approach the last th

A Christmas Classic Helps Us See Our Own ‘Wonderful’ Lives
11/09/2026

“A man on earth needs our help.”“Is he sick?”“No, worse, he’s discouraged.”It’s a Wonderful Life, the timeless film of the 1940s, touched the hearts of millions. Narrated by Clarence the angel, it follows the life of “small-town hero” George Bailey. The film speaks about life, love, and despair and

Mixed Media Roundup: November/December 2026
11/09/2026

The OdysseyReviewed by Lorilee CrakerPenelope (Anne Hathaway), queen of Ithaca, lives in a dark palace and pines for her lost love, Odysseus, the king who left 20 years ago and never returned. Odysseus and his crew, meanwhile, face one obstacle after another on their way home.There is a surprisingly

Editor Rev. John Vander Ploeg, 1956-1970
11/09/2026

Note: This online-only article is part of a series showcasing past Banner editors. You can read all the content celebrating The Banner’s 160th anniversary here.When Rev. John Vander Ploeg took his place in The Banner’s editor’s chair in 1956, his leadership rounded out the first century of the Chris

Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?
11/06/2026

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.*Editor’s Not

Deep Secrets
11/06/2026

In 1929 New York City, at the beginning of the Great Depression, 19-year-old Colette is a “prisoner in her own home” like “a porcelain doll, put on a shelf and left to collect dust.” To make matters worse, she’s haunted nightly by terrifying dreams of icy water, darkness, being suspended above the e

When I’m a Moshom
11/06/2026

Author David A. Robertson, a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, now residing in Winnipeg, Man., wrote this winsome children’s book as a companion to On the Trapline, written to honor his father and their relationship with each other and the land. As he was concluding work on that book, his fath

Churches Host Summer Interns to Encourage Exploring Pastoral Ministry
11/06/2026

For many professions, a career begins with an internship, the opportunity as a young person to explore a calling and be mentored by those with experience in the field. This summer four Chicago-area Christian Reformed churches sought to create that opportunity for hopeful future pastors with a Minist

New Kuyper College President Receives Legacy ‘In Trust’
11/06/2026

In an October inauguration ceremony installing him as Kuyper College’s seventh president, Daniel Churchwell gave an address recognizing the school’s history, calling, and continuing potential.“The potential I see at Kuyper exists precisely because generations of trustees, faculty, staff, presidents,

Illinois Church Develops Hispanic Ministry as ‘One Church, Two Cultures’
11/06/2026

Emmanuel Christian Reformed Church, which has been in the Chicago suburb of Sauk Village, Ill., since 1968, has recently developed a bilingual—English and Spanish—ministry with church planter Richard Garcia, creating what it envisions as “One Church, Two Cultures” in its demographically changing nei