My wife of 49 years died about a year ago. I am often sad. But I am not going to come apart.Why?Because the story of my marriage is a subplot of the main plot of God’s story.My subplot’s chapter is closed. I am no longer married to Melanie. Yet I am still in a marriage. The grand story we’re in is a
During the past five years the CRC has invested tremendous energy in drawing clear boundary lines concerning human sexuality. We might call this “phase one” of working through the 175-page 2021 Human Sexuality Report. The report calls for much more than clarifying boundaries. Now it’s time for phase
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.Our denominat
Based on author Rachel Joy Welcher’s experiences, this gentle, compassionate picture book assures children (and adults) that God never leaves them so they don’t need to be anxious. As a child, Welcher was afraid of the dark and, when she woke up in the night, her fears overwhelmed her. When her pare
Note: The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This interview by Kathryn Post was published on March 27, 2026, on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style.(RNS) — Seven years after first airing, the mega-hit biographical Jesus drama The
Shooting Up isn’t, as I first assumed, a memoir of a drug addict. This is author Jonathan Tepper’s wild, loving, and harrowing story of growing up as a missionary kid among heroin addicts. Billed as a mix of Angela’s Ashes and The Cross and the Switchblade, this memoir lives up to both titles. It’s
Douglas Warners was a man who loved people and truly cared deeply for others. “When you spoke to him,” said his daughter, “you knew that you had his full attention, that he was listening and would be praying for you.” A man of integrity, Pastor Doug, as he was called by the many church members he se
In a recent Banner story about ongoing pastor training and support in Sierra Leone, a Resonate Global Mission leader was quoted: “Effective ministry … requires reliable transportation.” That’s also the understanding of a Worthington, Minn., aviation company whose purpose is “supplying people and res
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.“So what’s th
Author Jaime C. Finn is the founder and president of Foster the Family, a U.S.-based national nonprofit that serves vulnerable children and the foster families with whom they find shelter, and other initiatives to assist foster families. God Loves Kids is based on her experiences as a foster parent
Terhi Miikki-Broersma, a former full-time church musician with the Lutheran Langinkoski (Finland) Church, who now lives in Lynden, Wash., and is the executive director of the annual Lynden Music Festival, dreamed up a hymn singing marathon April 6-10 in Lynden. Six organists played through the Psalt
Did you know the Christian Reformed Church synod has approved eight specific Bible translations for use in worship by Christian Reformed congregations and one additional translation that can be used only in Bible study?The King James Version was the original accepted version. Other versions were app
Over the past five years, I received an unexpected gift that came at an unlikely time. I had stepped away from my role as a worship director to be home with my growing family. When the opportunity to study theology arose, I said yes—one of the costliest “yeses” of my life. Completing the master of d
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.“Sorry, I don
Rev. Kurt Selles plans to retire in July after 14 years as director of ReFrame Ministries, the media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church.Under Selles’ leadership, ReFrame has gone through many changes. It relocated from Palos Heights, Ill., its longtime home, to Grand Rapids, Mich. It changed
As Rev. Lesli van Milligen retires as director of Thrive, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church, she looks back on more than 30 years in ministry.Van Milligen completed a Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary in 1988. In 1995, she was one of the first women to be ordained to an off
A young girl knows that Jesus was once a child like she is now. She imagines what it would be like if Jesus came to her school for a day. How would Jesus act? What would he say? What would she show Jesus?Author April Graney’s playful, rhyming text and illustrator Yana Kozak’s cheerful, bright pictur
It’s been 14 years since the trio Point of Grace offered a new full-length album, but the wait is over. The 10-track recording Lady Wisdom features the beautiful harmony and God-centered focus that helped the group capture 27 No. 1 songs and 13 Dove Awards.“The older we get, the more we see pain and
For those who want to go deeper into the spiritual practice of hospitality, this loving book holds a gentle invitation to go beyond entertaining to cultivating a posture of welcome, at home and out and about.Spiritual director Laura Baghdassarian Murray draws on the hospitality of her Armenian cultu
The CRC has a long history of working together and pooling resources in order to further God’s kingdom work around the world. This year features a special column in each issue of The Banner that includes an interview with leaders of these shared ministries: Thrive, Resonate Global Mission, ReFrame M