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.You are what
Seven volunteer fabricators from Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center, Iowa, are helping to increase production of Hope Haven International’s tiltable wheelchair, a tool developed in 2020 by engineering students at Dordt University.“Each wheelchair is carefully selected and tailored to m
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Tonny Onyulo, was published May 5, 2026 on religionnews.com. It has been lightly edited for Banner style.GOMA, Congo (RNS) — As gunfire and explosions echo across eastern Congo’s hills amid the ongoing viol
It’s three characters that have made Martin Short my all-time favorite comic actor: SNL’s Ed Grimley, the zany, triangle-playing man-child with gelled hair and pants pulled up to his thorax; Franck Eggelhoffer, the fussy, weirdly accented wedding planner in the Father of the Bride series of movies;
In 40 devotions, author Donna Barber vulnerably and honestly relates anecdotes about her walk with God and describes some of the wilderness happenings she and her family navigated with the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance. Recalling the biblical wilderness experiences of the Israelites, Jesus, and o
In this poignant, wistful children’s picture book based on her childhood experiences, author Julie Leung relates the story of a young girl and her dad who deliver take-out meals prepared in their Chinese restaurant. As the dad drives, the girl navigates, a foldout map and a notebook of addresses to
Gerard “Jerry” Lee Dykstra, a retired minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church of North America who served the denomination as executive director from 2006 to 2011, died April 27. He was 76.Before becoming executive director, Dykstra served one year (2005-2006) as director of denominati
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.We live in a
A few weeks ago, I attended a writer’s conference in which the stakes were high. Or at least, that was my focus as I thought about what I hoped to accomplish while I was there. On several levels, I was pitching myself and my work in the hopes of getting a new book published and hopefully finding a n
It was May in Arizona, and the only slightly appealing place to eat in the tiny highway town was a fast-food restaurant. I was on a cross-country road trip taking my daughter back to her college town. Sighing at the limitations of our choices, we stopped to grab some lunch. After placing our order,
The Christian Reformed congregations in Pembroke and in Renfrew, Ont., both born in the flux of Netherlandic emigration after World War II, have diminished in numbers to the point that neither congregation employs a full-time pastor nor has plans to call one. Yet both congregations continue to worsh
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.My friend bur
Author Barbara Schultze’s debut novel is remarkably authentic, peppered with surprises, and interspersed with subtle biblical signposts.It gently portrays how personal adversity, often initially negatively perceived and received, might just be an individual’s pathway to spiritual and emotional growt
Singer-songwriter Meredith Andrews offers a powerful recording, Live from Liberty University (with Liberty Worship Collective), that contains seven anthems centered on the cross. The Liberty alum sings cover songs, such as “What He’s Done” and Charity Gayle’s “Thank You for the Blood.” She adds two
Author Kristen Lee invites readers into her painful, yet eventually healing, spiritual journey by drawing on the metaphor of the Japanese art of kintsugi. She writes, “Kintsugi holds deep theological truths for us. It is an image through which we can bring Asian American theology to the greater chur
As the Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church met May 6 to 8 in Grand Rapids, Mich., the 60-member ecclesiastical board processed several items for the denomination’s upcoming synod (annual general assembly), heard about new pledges towards ministry shares, met and approved three cand
“Synod 2025 said we cannot stay where we are,” Resonate Global Mission director of church planting Rev. Tim Sheridan reminded the Council of Delegates as he presented the 10-year Strategic Plan for Church Planting for the Council’s endorsement at its May meeting. Synod asked for a plan, within a yea
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.“Keep your he
The Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church, the 60-member ecclesiastical board that works on behalf of synod in between meetings of synod, approved Lee Carter, a member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Lansing, Ill., as the next director of the congregational support ministry Th
To send letters to the editor, please see our guidelines at thebanner.org/letters.ThanksOver the years I've developed a real appreciation for the writings and wisdom of Rod Hugen. However, in this last piece (“Thanks for What You Do,” January/February 2026) Hugen hit a new high. Thanks for what you