The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Bob Smietana, was published Aug. 29, 2025 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for Banner style.Marcos Hernandez says he has spent most of his life running.Mostly trying to get away from God.“I’ve been r
Arek O’Connell, outreach and young adult pastor at Hillside Community Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., sees the monthly Worship Circle gatherings in Classis Grand Rapids South as a move of the Spirit that has slowly matured into the central piece of ministry of the classis for emerging generations.“Op
The Multiplication Network, started in 2000 by Christian Reformed missionary John Wagenveld, recently moved to a bigger Zeeland, Mich., office to accommodate expansion.The Multiplication Network has helped plant churches in 72 countries, including Spain, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Cambodia. Its vision i
The Christian Reformed Church’s Council of Delegates received a final report from its task force to reduce governance costs, fund synod, and use time wisely at an early fall virtual meeting. Scheduled to meet the deadline of having recommendations before churches with enough time to consider and off
Edwin de Jong was in Beijing, China, in 1989 when he came upon a large group of students protesting against that country’s Communist government in Tiananmen Square.De Jong, who was a photojournalist for what was then Christian Reformed World Missions (now Resonate Global Mission), was traveling with
Rev. Chung Choo Cho was a devoted servant of the Lord's church. His life served as an example of dedication and integrity, inspiring countless individuals through his passion for the gospel. Though soft-spoken, his resolute character left an indelible mark on all who knew him.In his almost 45 years
From the past five years of denominational survey data we can see a little fluctuation in how respondents answered “How would you say your spiritual life and faith has changed over the last 12 months?” The percentage of those reporting “a little” or “significant” growth (green) has gone up a bit and
On Aug. 1, 2025, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Lloyd Wicker, who most recently served with the U.S. Coast Guard, was honored with the Military Chaplains Association Distinguished Service Award during the association’s annual training event in Columbia, S.C., the very community where Wicker first at
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Kathryn Post was published Aug. 27, 2025, on religionnews.com. It has been edited for Banner style.When an impoverished neighborhood’s biggest obstacle is its murder rate, no amount of food donations and mi
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by David Mark and Adelle M. Banks was published August 21, 2025 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style.James C. Dobson, a psychologist who advocated “family values” Christian moral
Amy Toman, mother of four and wife to Jacob Toman, the pastor of Ada (Mich.) Christian Reformed Church, directs the Ada Homeschool Hub, a community resource she developed out of necessity when the family moved to Ada three years ago.The family, with children then ages 2 to 10, had been homeschooling
Owen Sound (Ont.) Hunger and Relief Effort, known as OSHaRE, was on track to have distributed its one millionth meal this week—on or about Aug. 14—a milestone that is both troubling and comforting for the Georgian Bay community. Designed around the slogan “What we have, we will share,” the fully com
“A Bible that’s falling apart often belongs to someone who isn’t.” That’s a piece of wisdom Chad Werkhoven, now pastor of Worthington (Minn.) Christian Reformed Church, remembers hearing from an elderly Christian woman in Boumont, Texas, when he traveled there from Sunnyslope, Wash., with the youth
First Reformed Church in South Holland, Ill.—a congregation with 177 years of history in the Reformed Church in America—now has dual affiliation with the RCA and the Christian Reformed Church. Members of the classis interim committee of the CRC’s Classis Chicago South signed the formal covenant of p
Larry Meyer “loved sharing the Word of God, whether through casual conversations, thoughtful advice, or the way he treated others with compassion and humility,” said a granddaughter. Larry, 80, died July 4 in hospice care in Kirkland, Wash., with end-stage Parkinson’s disease. To the end he spoke, e
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Jack Jenkins, was published July 28, 2025 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style. The Banner added the last three paragraphs to provide context for the Christian Reformed Church
Avery DeWitt, 13, and Grace VanZandwijk, 15, from Stratford (Ont.) Christian Reformed Church, earned silver and bronze medals with Team Canada at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, July 16-20.The silver medal was for the under-16 200-meter women's race;
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Adelle M. Banks, was published July 28, 2025 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style. The Banner added the 13th paragraph to provide context for the Christian Reformed Church.In
Dirk Evans was known for his ability to listen. “While he was adept at talking,” said one of his sons, “I think his superpower was listening—with intent, seeking to understand—and not interrupting.” In his professional life Dirk served as a church pastor, hospital chaplain, certified supervisor of C
“Experiment” is a good word, said Corey Van Huizen, pastor of Redeemer Online Church, in a July 18 interview with The Banner. It “affords you a kind of latitude for making mistakes, being on the frontier, the edges.” There’s a messiness inherent in experimenting that Van Huizen compared to the early