The Confessional Voice Isn't Coming Back
09/04/2026

For almost a decade as a youth pastor, one of my favorite games was six-way tug-of-war. Instead of one rope, you use three. The result is chaos. Everyone pulls as hard as they can, convinced they're moving in the right direction, but the whole group usually ends up spinning in circles.As I listened

Hafsa’s Way
09/04/2026

Hafsa Imtiaz is impatient to realize her dream of becoming a doctor when she’s an adult, so, without her parents’ knowledge, she applies to the Bukhari Summer Science Camp in Lahore, Pakistan, a distance away from the village in which she lives. When she’s accepted at the camp, Hafsa is afraid her p

Who is Like the Lord (Live Album)
09/04/2026

Madison Street Worship, the musical arm of Gateway Church in Shelbyville, Tenn., offers a stirring nine-song live set titled, Who Is Like the Lord.“Our prayer is that this project would be an invitation for people to experience the presence of God and respond to him in worship,” said Harley Rowell i

Dizzy: A Memoir
09/04/2026

In her captivating memoir, author Rachel Weaver describes what it’s like to live in “landlocked seasickness” as she did for most of her young-adult life. One part of her tried to maintain a relatively normal life; the other part of her was “crippled by fear in a world I couldn’t control.” Her brain

222Disciple and a Trend Toward One-on-one Discipleship
09/04/2026

As Christian Reformed churches focus on multiplication through discipleship in conjunction with the denomination’s 10-year commitment, more are turning to one-on-one mentoring to prepare young people for profession of faith rather than relying primarily on a classroom-setting approach.Rick Zomer, a

Fire Resets LaGrave Church’s Community Center Plan
09/02/2026

A fire late in the evening of Aug. 26 destroyed a historic building on the property of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., but not the congregation’s primary worship space.The fire destroyed a vacant structure that had once served a Seventh-Day Adventist congregation, wh

The Power of Mutuality
09/02/2026

If you read 1 Corinthians in a single setting, you might notice a pivotal shift right around the halfway mark. In chapter 7, verse 1, Paul writes: “Now, about the matters you wrote about.”From this point forward, Paul is systematically responding to a list of specific questions sent to him by the Co

God Gave Us You (Deluxe Edition)
09/01/2026

This charming picture book celebrating God’s good gift of children (and other creatures) was first published in 2000 and has sold more than 2 million copies. Now, it has been released in a deluxe format, which includes blank pages on which parents and children can add notes about the newest member o

I Am (in the Image of) God
09/01/2026

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.The first tim

At 70, Sandi Patty Sings ‘The Voice I Have Now,’ Plans New Album
09/01/2026

Note: The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This interview by Adelle M. Banks was published on Aug. 21, 2026, on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style.(RNS) — A decade after her farewell tour, multi-Grammy-winning Christian singer

By the Numbers: Christian Reformed Means…
08/31/2026

The annual denominational survey asks respondents to select from 28 phrases in response to the prompt “To me, the term ‘Christian Reformed’ means … .”In 2026, 13 phrases were selected by at least 30% of respondents.Those top terms, with the ones chosen by the highest percentage of respondents most p

Sustaining Faith
08/31/2026

Editor’s note: This essay came in second place by blind judging for the 2026 Young Adults Writing Contest on the topic of “Sustaining Faith.”Has there been a time in your life when your faith was tested, when your heart was left broken, and the suffering seemed pointless? Many of us have been there

Reflections from a New Church Planter
08/28/2026

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.About a year

We Are Home When We're Together: Trusting God Through Life's Changes
08/28/2026

Mother-daughter team Jean Stoffer and Grace Start, hosts of their TV show The Established House, join forces with illustrator Megan Lindsey in this tender children’s picture book, which develops the theme of Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his step” (NKJV).In introd

The Odyssey
08/28/2026

From the first drum beats of Bronze Age percussion in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, moviegoers know they have entered an ancient and otherworldly dimension. The score, by Ludwig Göransson, feels different than any other score; its instruments are replicas of those depicted in Greek and Roman art.

The Pastor as Gardener: A Renewed Vision for Ministry
08/28/2026

Author Matthew Erickson, senior pastor of Eastbrook Church in Milwaukee, Minn., asserts that a fresh metaphor for pastoral ministry is needed in North America today in a time when pastors continue to grapple with the confusion and after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent global events

Churches Support Storm-struck Neighbors
08/28/2026

In Munster, Ind., and St. Catharines, Ont., Christian Reformed congregations host chainsaw sharpening and a community BBQ in support of neighbors affected by August storms and flooding.“Maybe this is where the church shines the brightest,” suggested pastor Jim Hollendoner of Munster (Ind.) Church in

Faithful in the Fields: Cultivating Context in Every Soil
08/26/2026

Recognizing the need for deeper global impact, ReFrame’s leadership moved its major language programs from North America directly into the regional fields we serve. The goal was simple yet important: to shift ReFrame’s messaging away from a Western perspective and place it into the hands of local le

A Presbyterian Falls for the CRC
08/25/2026

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.I never thoug

Too Sick to Pray: A Theology of Outlaw Country
08/25/2026

In 1969, struggling country artist Kris Kristofferson piloted a helicopter across Louisiana while musing about a new song. According to C. M. Howell, as he looked at the landscape, the “narrative of adventure and sudden love, of finding meaning in wandering from one city to another, and the danger o