For 14 years the Sewing Sisters of Lucas Christian Reformed Church in McBain, Mich., have been supplying Project Canefire and other ministries with upcycled dresses to distribute on mission trips.Sandy Pluger, one of the sewing women and an organizer of the group, was inspired to start the work afte
The Board of Governors of Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont., announced the second term appointment of currently serving president David Zietsma on Sept. 25.“Serving as provost and vice president, academic, and interim president before his official appointment as fifth president in March 2022, Zi
Thanksgiving in Canada comes about six weeks before the same holiday in the U.S., and Thanksgiving at Tapestry Church in Richmond, B.C., comes even earlier as the congregation’s pastoral care ministry welcomes about 100 people to its family-style meal in early October.Unable to host the full congreg
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Tonny Onyulo, published Sept. 23, 2026 on religionnews.com, has been edited for length. The Banner added the final paragraph, with context for the Christian Reformed Church.(RNS) — As killings and mass kidn
Starting a church in Tucson, Ariz.—a city identified as the 12th-most “post-Christian” in the U.S. on Barna research group’s 2017 scale—was daunting. Even the neighbors didn’t want it. Asked for letters of support in 2017, local entities in the Arroyo Chico neighborhood instead responded to Mission
Synod 2026, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, made several consequential decisions for the future of the CRCNA, including adopting a 10-year strategic plan for discipleship, church planting, and renewal. It also requested a study of Christian nationalism,
On a visit to Elmhurst (Ill.) Christian Reformed Church on a summer or fall Wednesday morning, you’re likely to hear peals of laughter, smell baked goods from 10 different vendors, see busloads of community members, and possibly come into contact with one or more of Elmhurst’s Farmer’s Market’s 2,50
As Christian Reformed churches focus on multiplication through discipleship in conjunction with the denomination’s 10-year commitment, more are turning to one-on-one mentoring to prepare young people for profession of faith rather than relying primarily on a classroom-setting approach.Rick Zomer, a
A fire late in the evening of Aug. 26 destroyed a historic building on the property of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., but not the congregation’s primary worship space.The fire destroyed a vacant structure that had once served a Seventh-Day Adventist congregation, wh
The annual denominational survey asks respondents to select from 28 phrases in response to the prompt “To me, the term ‘Christian Reformed’ means … .”In 2026, 13 phrases were selected by at least 30% of respondents.Those top terms, with the ones chosen by the highest percentage of respondents most p
In Munster, Ind., and St. Catharines, Ont., Christian Reformed congregations host chainsaw sharpening and a community BBQ in support of neighbors affected by August storms and flooding.“Maybe this is where the church shines the brightest,” suggested pastor Jim Hollendoner of Munster (Ind.) Church in
Elzo Tenyenhuis will be remembered for his hospitality, willingness to help, ability to listen and connect, humor, curiosity, and integrity. He held a strong faith in Jesus and shared his zeal for the gospel whenever he had the opportunity. Through life's hardships Elzo chose hope and remained open
Roger Kramer was a peaceful, easy-going, humble man of quiet strength who enjoyed creating joy around him with his wit and playful pranks. One of his daughters described Roger’s life as a living embodiment of Philippians 2:3-4, which says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather,
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Bob Smietana was published Aug. 18, 2026 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style. The Banner added a sentence to the 14th paragraph and added the final paragraph, to provide cont
A summertime hockey tournament that’s been bringing together church teams in Abbotsford, B.C. for three years saw Gateway Community Christian Reformed Church join this August for the first time.“Battle of the Churches” brings together Christians from different denominations for a weekend of hockey,
As Connect Church in Pella, Iowa, (called “First Christian Reformed Church” until 2019) celebrated 160 years since its founding, the first Christian Reformed congregation to be established west of the Mississippi River also wanted to celebrate The Banner’s 160 years.“Our (church) council thought it
Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church in Mason City, Iowa, hosted its second “Dog Days of Summer” outdoor worship service July 19, celebrating the good gift of pets.The congregation hosts outdoor services once a month from June to October, rotating between the church property and a local park, sai
Harderwyk Ministries, a Christian Reformed congregation of about 800 members in Holland, Mich., which has been producing gospel-centered Vacation Bible School curriculum for a decade, is making its database of programs available to smaller churches as an alternative to “boxed” curriculum to better f
Rev. Young Ook Kim, who died July 16 at the age of 87, joined the Christian Reformed Church in 1987 and dedicated himself to laying the foundation of the denomination’s Korean Council (now Korean Ministry Association).Kim graduated from Chongshin Theological University in Seoul, Korea, and went on t
The year 1951 was a big church-planting year for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Seventeen different congregations begun in that year are celebrating their 75th anniversaries in 2026, including Wallaceburg (Ont.) CRC.Image:Pastor Tim Leferink (right) receives a certificate on behalf