The Gospel Coalition, a para-church organization founded between 2005 and 2007 to help renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel, announced eight new council members Feb. 23. Derek Buikema, pastor of Orland Park (Ill.) Christian Reformed Church and president of the CRC synod in 2
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.Being people
Chichi and Didi Love Their Names is based on Nigerian American sisters Peace Amadi’s and Ndidi Amadi’s lives. It relates a story common to newcomer, refugee, and immigrant children as they assimilate into unfamiliar communities.Chichi and Didi are looking forward to attending their first day at a ne
The novella Small Things Like These gave Irish author Claire Keegan international name recognition. So, a 2022 award-winning film, based on her short story “Foster,” is now getting noticed, too.It should. The Quiet Girl is a spellbinding, heart-aching tale of 9-year-old Cáit who is lifted out of neg
Many children’s picture books have been written about the enslavement of Africans in the context of the history of the United States. Numerous accounts speak of the brutality meted out on slaves by their owners, the escape of enslaved people to the North, and the role the Underground Railroad played
A group of African American Reformed pastors and allies published a letter Feb. 16 addressed to “pastors and leaders in the Christian Reformed and Reformed communities,” calling out “what appears to be an intentional diminishing—and in some cases erasing—of Black history in our national story.”The a
Don’t forget Ukraine.Four years ago today, on Feb. 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, causing an estimated 15,000 civilian deaths over that time and maiming and traumatizing untold other human beings.This invasion was and is more than abstract to me. My dad was born in Zagradovka, a Mennonite
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 recent de
If Jesus is ascended into heaven, how is he also “in my heart?”In Ephesians 3:16b-17a, Paul prays that “out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Here, we see him clearly speaking of Chr
The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while (Jesus) was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” —Matt. 27:62-63As the clock struck one minute, Harry Houdini struggled to free himself. Hidden behind a red curtain, he was
In the fall of 1944, 22-year-old Ada, her 18-year-old sister Lina, and their father struggle to survive in Holland under the occupation of the Nazis and the intensifying food crisis caused by nutritional resources being redirected away from the nation’s citizens and sent to Germany or used to sustai
“The Lord’s Prayer” documentary discusses this well-known prayer, with various scholars weighing in on the different sections of the prayer Jesus gave to the disciples and recorded for all believers.Part of the film’s synopsis states, “Through captivating visuals, exceptional scholarship, and powerf
Renowned illustrator E. B. Lewis has illustrated over 70 books for children and won numerous awards, including a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and five Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors. Sparrow is another stellar addition to his life’s work and an apt complement to author Mary Tebo’s spa
Maranatha Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich., has given the traditional Vacation Bible School model a twist with its own four-night summer program called Praise Days, running since 2013.Offered for children who are entering the first through sixth grades, Praise Days gives an opportunity to
Marv Vander Vliet “was a wise person with a deep understanding of God’s Word and a great trust in God,” said a colleague and friend who ministered with him for 15 years at West Michigan Youth for Christ. “He loved people well. In ministry leadership and in life, he had a way of understanding people
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.Revelation 19
Thrive, the Christian Reformed Church ministry focused on equipping and supporting congregations across the denomination, tracks and helps churches in their pastor search process. The number of churches with a pastoral vacancy—those actively searching to fill it—is about 18% of the total number of o
A unique quality of modern North American Christianity is that, outside of Pentecostal circles, believers rarely report visions and dreams as experiences connecting them to God. When we have dreams and visions, we attribute them to the jalapeňo nachos we ate before bed! Not so for the rest of the wo
Perhaps it sounds weird to say I was captivated by this grief memoir, but I am deeply appreciative of Amber Smith’s perspective. Smith does not sugarcoat things as she shares her journey with heartache; she shares her experiences with the reader: real and honest, devastating and raw. Her tender acco
To send letters to the editor, please see our guidelines at thebanner.org/letters.Being QuietYour thoughtful article in the November 2025 Banner resonated with me (“Being Quiet in a Culture of Volume”). Especially the phrase “consider ways a person can be encouraged to grow the gifts they already ha