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Editor's Picks
10/21/2020

Department: Author: Don’t miss this week’s must-read articles:Fires on West Coast Affect Christian Reformed CongregationsBanner News Editor RetiresBehind The Banner: Why Care About Our Shared Ministry4 Reasons Why Chadwick Boseman’s Death Hit the Black Community So HardRead entire current print issu

A Faith Under Fire
10/21/2020

Department: Author: Brian ClarkIrene Navis ate several meals from a different table this summer. A giant map of 1967 Vietnam spread across her dining room table didn’t leave much room for food. Navis has been spending countless hours retracing the year that her husband, John, who died in September

Council of Delegates Discusses Racism and Restructure
10/20/2020

Department: Author: Gayla R. PostmaWhen the Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church met Oct. 14-16, how to navigate restructuring and fight racism were topics of much discussion. The Council also spent time discussing how to respond to the decision by Neland Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids

2020s Foresight: Three Vital Practices for Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change
10/20/2020

Department: Author: Sonya VanderVeen FeddemaIn the months prior to the release of 2020s Foresight, the global community was alerted to the existence of a novel coronavirus, later named COVID-19, an irony not lost on authors Tom Sine and Dwight J. Friesen, who were writing a book to help Christian l

4 Reasons Why Chadwick Boseman’s Death Hit the Black Community So Hard
10/20/2020

Department: Author: Darrell L. DelaneyWhen Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died of cancer at the age of 43 in August 2020, his death hit the Black community especially hard. It’s an understatement to say that Black Panther merely inspired Black people. But it might be difficult for those who ar

Cobra Kai
10/20/2020

Department: Author: Trevor DenningLet’s be honest: bad guys are way cooler and more interesting than good guys. Luke Skywalker is blandly wholesome. But Darth Vader? Cool. The Joker? Interesting. And now you can add Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) to the bad guy list. Have you forgotten him? Johnny

Council Approves Anti-Racism Action
10/19/2020

Department: Author: Gayla R. PostmaWhen the Council of Delegates met Oct. 14-16, 2020, it had anti-racism efforts on several parts of its agenda. The 60-member Council carries out the governance of Christian Reformed Church denominational ministries between the annual meeting of the CRC’s synod.Whe

Fires on West Coast Affect Christian Reformed Congregations
10/19/2020

Department: Author: Jenny deGrootLate-summer wildfires are not unexpected in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, but the intensity and proximity to communities was more severe this year. Rob Toornstra is pastor of Sunnyslope Christian Reformed Church in Salem, Ore. The fire system nam

Giving the Gift of Regret
10/19/2020

Department: Author: Alan Bandstra“What did I do?” “Why are you always punishing me?”Parents and teachers lament two troubling trends among today’s youth: greater disregard for others and a weakened sense of remorse when confronted about wrongdoing. How should we discipline when these tendencies app

The Apostles’ Creed: A Liturgical Gem
10/19/2020

Department: Author: Rev. Calvin VanderMeydenLet’s look at several reasons why the Apostles’ Creed is a liturgical gem. First, the Apostles’ Creed is biblical. The authors carefully read the whole of Scripture and summarized it in a brief, easy-to-understand format. The creed clearly points us to th

Is Abortion a Non-Negotiable Factor in a Christian's Voting?
10/19/2020

Department: Author: Adam BarkmanIs abortion a non-negotiable factor in a Christian's voting?When faced with important decisions, it’s good practice to think of all the relevant factors involved and then decide if there are any non-negotiable factors. The list of what constitutes a non-negotiable co

팬데믹의 상황 속에서 연합하려는 노력
10/17/2020

Department: Author: Colin P. Watson Sr.미리암 웹스터 사전은 “교회”를 일반인을 위한 건물 특히 기독교 예배를 위한 건물로 정의하고 있습니다. 그러나 우리는 그 정의가 현실을 반영하기에 미흡하다는 것을 알고 있습니다. 우리의 지역교회는 하나님으로부터 소명을 받은 사람들이 함께 신자들의 하나된 공동체로서 예배하고 섬기며 하나님의 뜻을 행하는 곳입니다.목회자에 관해서도 마찬가지입니다. 우리는 하나님께서 우리 중 몇몇을 부르셔서 설교자이자 교사로 섬기게 하셨다는 것을 믿습니다. 우리 모두가 우리의 위대한

Council of Delegates Discuss Neland Avenue CRC
10/17/2020

Department: Author: Alissa VernonThe Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church, meeting this week by video conference, narrowly decided to communicate with Neland Avenue CRC, grieving Neland's decision to ordain a deacon who is actively involved in a same-sex relationship.Neland Avenue,

Letters from Cuba
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Sonya VanderVeen FeddemaAt the dawn of World War II, life in Poland is becoming more dangerous for Jews. Eleven-year-old Esther and her family have already experienced hardship since Papa fled to Cuba three years ago to earn sufficient funds to bring his family to freedom. Now P

White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Kristyn DeNooyerThe question of “How did we get here?” seems to be reverberating in white Christian circles in recent months. “So polarized, so divided—and why is there still so much tension around race?”In his new book, White Too Long, Robert P. Jones argues that the practice o

At Home
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Micah Van DijkThe human voice holds incredible power. It has the power to soothe a crying child. It has the power to insult and tear down another, causing incredible pain. And it has the power to connect millions of people feeling lonely and isolated. One of the most successful

Harvest Party Welcomes Neighbors, Shares Gospel
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Kimberly SimpsonIn McBain, Mich., Vogel Center Christian Reformed Church plans to host its third annual harvest party this weekend. For the past two years, the church has welcomed neighbors to enjoy harvest-themed events suited to the community’s rural roots.“We are a farming co

Michigan Church Members ‘Adopt A Teacher’
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Greg ChandlerAs educators are facing challenging circumstances in the COVID-19 pandemic, members of River Rock Community Church, a Christian Reformed congregation in Rockford, Mich., are supporting teachers at two nearby elementary schools through an Adopt-A-Teacher initiative.R

Banner News Editor Retires
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Alissa VernonGayla R. Postma, The Banner’s longtime news editor, is retiring effective Oct. 30. Postma has served in the role (shared for the past three years) since 2002. Her writing career with the Christian Reformed Church’s magazine began in 1983, when the periodical launche

What Is a Pastor?
10/16/2020

Department: Author: Margaret Mwenda“Calvin Theological Seminary prepared me well. It gave me a solid biblical, theological, and historical foundation that continues to ground me as I live, learn, and minister in diverse and constantly changing settings,” said Erika Dekker, a chaplain at Blodgett Ho