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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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.One of the mo
This new edition of the Bible exists to make Bible reading more accessible to readers of all ages and abilities. It is ideal for people who are easily distracted, lose focus, or become frustrated during their devotional times. This Bible is designed to be specifically helpful for those who have dysl
When my husband and I were students, we ran a lawn-mowing business. Joel mowed in super straight lines. Mine were wavy, with missed grass. Ugh. I’d stare down at my feet, concentrating on getting that mower wheel right on the edge of the last pass. But at the row’s end, I’d turn, and again another c
The report of a Task Force to Study Multisite Churches, to be presented to Synod 2026 of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is now available online. The 18-page report with a three-page appendix will be included in the synod agenda. Requested by Synod 2024, in response to an overture fr
Just days before Matthew Le’s death, his physician asked him, “What do you do?” Matthew answered, “I am a servant.” The physician looked questioningly at Matthew’s wife, who explained that Matthew was a minister who served Jesus and a congregation. Matthew Le, 68, died Jan. 27, 2025.Born in Vietnam,
Jim Kok, who served in chaplaincy ministry for 50 years, was the first supervisor of clinical pastoral education in the Christian Reformed Church. “He stands 6′6″ but his personality is even bigger,” said a 2018 article written in the CRCNA’s The Network. “Jim was a giant of a man in both stature an
“Senpai” is what Japanese students call those who are ahead of them in their school year (how a freshman would refer to a sophomore, etc.), or what a company employee calls a colleague who started working in the company before them. A less formal word is also used, “Aniki,” which is what one calls a
In this fact-packed, visually exciting exploration of languages throughout history up to the present, author Rachel Lancashire and illustrator Jenny Zemanek join forces to answer questions such as: What are language family trees? How many languages are there? What are worldwide European languages? W