November has our news editor thinking about birthdays (p. 7) so this month we celebrate church anniversaries in 2025. From Ajax, Ont., (25 years) to Grand Rapids, Mich. (100 years), Kelloggsville, Mich. (150 years), Lynden, Wash. (125 years), Norfolk, Va. (50 years), and Zeeland, Mich. (75 years), 4
When Dr. Nicolas Wolterstorff talks about grief, people listen. They should.Wolterstorff has voiced illuminating insights about grief since the 1983 climbing accident that claimed the life of his 25-year-old son Eric. Many have read his 1987 Lament for a Son, which Wolterstorff calls his articulatio
"She's a smart and good student; her problem is that she never speaks in class." This was the comment I dreaded hearing from teachers each year growing up. While these comments probably came from a good place, they led me to believe there was something wrong with the way I was. I've always been a na
The landscape of corporate worship has shifted dramatically with the surge of livestreaming. Shortly after our church launched livestream services, along with thousands of other churches following the pandemic, I heard a comment that has haunted me ever since: “I’m so glad our church started offerin
I just dropped my child off at college. I’m not coping very well, and I sense that my child is not either. What can I do?This is a big change for a family. As a college professor, I get a front-row seat to campus visits, move-in day, and the difficult goodbyes. What I also get to observe is how stud
Fresh from the imagination of Tyler Perry comes a sweet, modern retelling of the Book of Ruth in Ruth and Boaz.In this first faith-based film produced by Perry in partnership with Devon Franklin, we meet Ruth (Serayah McNeill) as a rising R&B singer who is uncomfortable with the sexualized costumes
The musical series A Week Away follows youth at a Christian summer camp called Camp Aweegaway. It’s based on the popular 2021 Netflix film of the same name. The camp offers its share of unique characters: Max (Antonio Cipriano), a foster kid who is a camp project; Lennie, a bubbly believer who devel
In this fascinating picture book filled with energetic illustrations, children are introduced to a fictional dog named Tucker, whose story is based on the lives and true adventures of two conservation dogs—Pepin and Wicket.In an author note, Carol Foote explains what conservation dogs do: “Conservat
By sharing preaching responsibilities, Sunday evening services have been reestablished for three Christian Reformed Church congregations in the northwest corner of Indiana. About 70 congregants attended the first evening service Oct. 5 at New Life Christian Reformed Church in Highland, Ind.New Life,
Peter Timmerman, a former Southern Africa team leader with World Renew who continued his international development work with World Vision and the global literacy organization CODE, started as World Renew’s director for Canada this week. The board announced his appointment at the end of September.Tim
When First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament was published in August 2021, it was welcomed beyond the expectations of the consulting editors by Indigenous Peoples of North America and some in the majority culture. In response to that positive feedback, the First N
“When I was looking for a seminary, I was looking for (one) that was pastorally relevant, academically rigorous, and community grounded,” said Sam Ha, a student at Calvin Theological Seminary. “When I was considering Calvin, a cloud of witnesses told me their experiences. And all their stories led t
A few months ago I was sitting in church on a Sunday morning when the testimony of a young man, who was professing his faith, enthralled me. A critical part of the story he told about why he was drawn to become a confessing member was the relationship he had with an older Christian man in his workpl
In Hosea, one of the prophetic books in the Old Testament, God does not just ask the prophet Hosea to preach, but he asks him to embark on a difficult life (“Marry a promiscuous woman”) in order to paint a picture of God’s relationship with his people Israel in the years before the Assyrian captivit
Note: The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This interview by Kathryn Post was published Oct. 16, 2025 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style.Pastor Philip Thornton strode onto the platform of his Legacy Faith Church in Susquehan
We’ve been talking about the spiritual disciplines at the church I serve. You know, those historic practices of the Christian faith that monks, nuns, and your great-grandma Jean are famous for?As part of that, we recently wrapped up a four-week sermon series on the historic Christian disciplines of
Twenty years ago I wrote an article called “The Church Behind Bars,” sharing what it looked like to find faith, hope, and community within the walls of a maximum-security prison. Ten years later, I followed up with another reflection, tracing the roots of transformation and the ways God was continui
ScattergoodBy H. M. BouwmanReviewed by Sonya VanderVeen FeddemaIt’s 1941, Iowa, and young teen Peggy grapples with the fact that the doctor has given her cousin Delia six months to live, so she sets out to try to fix what seems to be an unsolvable problem. At the same time she meets 16-year-old Gunt
In this aesthetically-pleasing, 30-day morning and evening devotional targeting a female readership, author Kara Stout highlights God’s power to calm his children’s fears in all circumstances.Stout relates how friends and family often told her she was so strong as she faced adverse circumstances—rec
When a double-decker Scottish bus rolled past wearing an ad for The Thursday Murder Club, I knew it was a sign. Netflix’s two-hour crime comedy had gotten an incredible buzz, and I needed to see it. If I was a bit disappointed, the movie was still worth it. Who’d miss a cast, after all, that include