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
South of Somewhere: A NovelBy T.I. LoweReviewed by Ann ByleJuniper (Junie) Wilder retreats to her beloved grandmother’s beach-front home on Sullivan’s Island, S.C., after time in jail and rehab. Grief at losing her husband and then her grandmother spiraled into a drunk driving charge and the hardest
The Christian Reformed churches in southern California gathered for a joint service of worship and thanksgiving Sunday, April 19, marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the CRCNA’s oldest institution, Calvin Theological Seminary.Inspired by plans to celebrate the sesquicentennial in wester
Former pastor at Madison Square Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., and campus minister at Grand Valley State University in, Allendale, Mich., Rev. Darrell Delaney has been appointed new director of the Christian Reformed Church’s media outreach, ReFrame Ministries.Delaney will start work May 11, as part
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.Tanisi.In Cre
Young Midori is excited as she tugs at Jichan—her grandfather—and pulls him toward the peach orchard, asking, “Is it ready yet?” Jichan hands Midori a peach and asks her what she hears when she bites into it. Crunch! The peach is hard and inedible.Midori is impatient, wondering when the peaches will
Christian author Mitali Perkins is renowned for her middle school and young adult novels, such as Bamboo People and You Bring the Distant Near, as well as her children’s picture books—Holy Night and Little Star: A Story for Christmas, Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week, and more.In thi
The Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church in North America approved Rev. Lora Copley as its candidate to present to Synod 2026 for the long-term editor-in-chief appointment.Copley is currently The Banner’s interim editor, serving since December 2025. The Banner’s most recent editor-i
If you loved The Devil Wears Prada, you will probably relish the sequel, if only to be reunited with the Fab Four from the first movie: Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel—Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.It’s great fun to catch up with their characters 20 years after we left
ThereforeGo Ministries recently appointed Amanda Roozeboom as executive director of the organization that has long been the main resource partner for youth ministry in the Christian Reformed Church.Roozeboom comes to the position after 10 years serving other roles at ThereforeGo, most recently as di