Author Chi Thai was 3 years old when she and her family escaped Vietnam in a dilapidated boat. Forced to flee political oppression and to face a perilous future, they put their wellbeing into the hands of strangers who demanded payment but offered no guarantee of safe arrival.The Endless Sea is a fi
Melanie Penn spent a number of years on (and off) Broadway singing other people’s songs thinking she had no songs of her own to sing. But when she realized that she had songs in her head that were not written by others she connected with a few people in Nashville who helped start her journey as a si
Set in several North Carolina communities and in Berlin, Germany, in the 1930s, when the memory of the horrors of WWI continued to haunt people and the rising threat of Hitler and the Nazis loomed, this riveting novel based on several real events relates the fictional story of gifted pianist Hedda S
Willemina Zwart's ministry with the South Coast Beach Project in Port Dover, Ont., gathers six to seven young adults for four months of communal living and mentorship each summer, but that's not stopping her from exploring the recreation opportunities of Lake Erie in the winter. She's signed up for
The Christian Reformed Church has a long history of working together and pooling resources to further God’s kingdom work around the world. This year we will feature a special column in each issue that includes an interview with one of the directors of these shared ministries. This month we spoke wit
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 Banner h
Brandon Heath finds a strong balance between festive, fun, and light, and sacred and serious in his Christmas record, “Long Expected.” The album catches your attention from the start to the end; it isn’t your typical Christmas music. Instead, Heath sings original songs such as “Delivery Man,” “Holid
In this 15th novel of the Mitford series—the previous three are Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, Come Rain or Come Shine, and To Be Where You Are—author Jan Karon offers readers an unforgettable Christmas experience. My Beloved is, by turns, delightfully hilarious or tear-inducing, comically muddl
The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. — 2 Timothy 4:3-4As a pa
If forgiving others is a heavy cross to bear for many, should forgiveness be preached sternly?Forgiveness can present a significant challenge in the life of a Christian. When we are hurt by others, our initial response is often to focus on the pain we are feeling or to express anger toward the perso
The Banner published hundreds of columns, reviews, and news stories and dozens of features, editorials, and opinion pieces in 2025. Here are the top 5 most-accessed articles online in each category between January and December.This mix shows heavy interest in the evolution of The Banner’s mandate an
In this engaging, unique children’s storybook Bible, renowned Christian theologian and author of children’s picture books and adult nonfiction Esau McCaulley helps children to understand God’s great redemptive story to develop his two-pronged theme of God’s intention to draw all the nations of the w
Novelist Jane Austen was born 250 years ago, on Dec. 16, 1775. Celebrate Austen’s incredible legacy of wit and wisdom with a new historical novel based on a real-life Austen book club, a 2025 miniseries about Austen’s sister Cassandra, and a 2014 miniseries that sets iconic characters Lizzie and Dar
In the second book in the God’s Big Picture Bible Stories—the first is God's Big Picture Bible Storybook: 140 Connecting Bible Stories of God's Faithful Promises—distinguished Bible scholar N.T. Wright relates the story of Jesus’ birth within the context of God’s promise to send a true king who woul
“I was at the Multiply Conference, and I cannot remember the last time when I was as energized over the future of the Christian Reformed Church as I am right now.”“It was so exciting to be a part of this event. To be at the beginning of what could be one of the most significant 10-year journeys for
Judy Kupsik, part of the leadership team at Faith Church Highland (Ind.), a multi-site Christian Reformed congregation in five Indiana cities, had an experience while ministering with Hope Mobility in Kijabe, Kenya, that bubbles out of her in the retelling to her church family and in a video testimo
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Michele Chabin, was published Dec. 16, 2025 on religionnews.com.JERUSALEM (RNS)—In 2023 and 2024, David Ha’ivri, an Israeli tour guide, didn’t offer his popular English-language Hanukkah or Christmas tours.
Thrive’s resource series, Ten Ways, has a new look—and is now available in Spanish and Korean. This expansion makes the series more accessible to congregations, communities, and leaders across the CRCNA.“The growth of Spanish- and Korean-speaking congregations in the CRCNA is something to be celebra
Renowned Ukrainian Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch has added another historical fiction novel to her already impressive collection. Her other titles, including Winterkill, Stolen Girl, and Don’t Tell the Enemy, show Forchuk Skrypuch’s courageous conviction to narrate in a fictional format th
Why, despite all we know of the negative effects of social media, do so many of us continue to use it and allow our children and grandkids to use it?I remember hearing the news years ago—around 2009, I think—that social media had eclipsed pornography in the number of online users. This was great new