Don’t miss these suggested articles:Seven Swans a-Swimming: Gifts of the Holy SpiritSynod Task Force: ‘Major assemblies do have the authority to ensure accountability’Music Review: Table Songs, by The Porter’s GateRead entire current print issue »
As summer turns to fall and fall to winter, some of us have spring on our minds. In particular, what kinds of flowers would we like to see next April or May? There are two approaches to that question. The first is to scatter wildflower seeds. Another is to intentionally plant seeds or bulbs such as
In this brief video, Lora Copley, the new interim editor for The Banner, shares a Christmas greeting and reflects on the impact The Banner has had over the last 160 years of serving the Christian Reformed Church.Thank you for reading, for praying, and for sharing both your stories and ours within yo
In December 1862, Walt Whitman left his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., and went in search of his injured brother, a Union soldier fighting in the South in the Civil War. Nothing could have prepared Whitman for the devastation of human life and property he witnessed by the time he found his brother in a hos
Ever since my harrowing, whirlwind birth experience four and a half years ago, involving an emergency C-section that had me asleep on the table, my husband in another room, as a doctor I didn’t know pulled my firstborn son from my womb, I have felt a strange kinship with Mary.In the following hours
In John 7:37-39, it says:On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who
When he retired in 1996, the Christian Reformed Church’s media ministry, then called The Back to God Hour, noted that the name Joel Nederhood “has been synonymous with The Back to God Hour.” At that time he’d served as a radio minister, host of the daily Faith 20 television program, and director of
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story combines two articles by Claire Giangravé, published Nov. 26 and Nov. 28, 2025 on religionnews.com. The combined article was edited for length and Banner style.U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV on his first international
In this second installment of the Treasures of Halstead Manor series—the first was The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton, and the third, The Hidden Key of Brooke Summer, is yet to be released—the strange adventures and budding friendships of Natalie, Everleigh, and Brooke continue to evolve, despite h
For eight years, the Porter’s Gate, a collection of artists writing worship songs for the church, has been creating themed albums with songs that feature thoughtful lyrics and singable melodies designed for use in churches. This music is unlike much of the very popular modern worship music, that oft
It’s 1858. In three years, America’s Civil War will begin. But now? Neighbor measures neighbor. And here in the Kansas Territory, passions are high. The Missouri Compromise has been repealed, allowing Kansas’s residents to decide the slave issue. So, for four years, violence has plagued the area, ea
A Christian Reformed Church task force working to “develop Church Order procedures to discipline officebearers, including disaffiliation of a council or classis initiated by a major assembly” completed its report at the end of October. “What is especially crucial at this time is that synod make expl
Founded by Dutch immigrants from the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church in North America has long welcomed immigrant and ethnic communities. That legacy continues today in places such as Chin Christian Church of Kentwood, Mich.The seed of Chin Church was planted when three Burmese refugee fa
Based on what authors Bruce Hindmarsh and Carolyn Hindmarsh learned and experienced as they led various prayer and discernment retreats through the years, this short book is suitable for large group retreats, small group study, or as a personal devotional study.Focusing primarily on the three Script
Author Olivia Armstrong, a professional storyteller of folktales, folklore, myths, and legends, draws on her expertise in these genres and her imagination to narrate The Birds of Christmas, a tale about the night of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem in which various birds bring their gifts and abilities to
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for FreedomBy Erin Entrada KellyReviewed by Sonya VanderVeen FeddemaBorn into a devout Catholic community in 1917 in the Philippines, Joey grew up with a longing to be like Joan of Arc, a fighter.When she was diagnosed with Hansen’s di
I'm usually the type of person who likes to stay busy. In college I put effort into making new friends, joining on-campus activities, and taking classes outside my main field of study. I was usually able to balance all those things pretty well, but the extra logistics of graduation and a senior thes
For the past several years, my job has been related to child care (my own and others). As my children grow, I'm wondering how I can earn income in a different way and still be available for my children. Where do I start figuring out what's next?As you enter a new phase of life, it can be exciting an
Finding Freedom Ranch, a biblically based eating disorder clinic, founded to provide residential treatment not currently available in Michigan, seeks to help young women "find peace with God, peace with themselves, and peace with food." It's one of only a few Christian focused eating disorder clinic
Set against the headlands of England’s South West Coast Path, middle-aged Moth and Ray Winn might look like day hikers without a care. But a closer look shows the cracks, yes, the pain etched into their faces—physical pain and otherwise. What we might be slow to realize is that this couple is beginn