Two or three times each year, Christian Reformed churches send representatives to their classes (regional assemblies of churches).Many of the actions taken by classes are governed by the CRC’s Church Order, the rules that govern denominational life. Here are some of the actions by classes in the pas
A couple of days before Arnold Rumph’s death, when it appeared he could no longer communicate, a loved one was reading him Psalm 23. When it came to the last verse, Arnold raised his arms and said, “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” He continued to repeat that throughout the day. A
In a city where summer temperatures often soar into the 100s (high 30s and into the 40s Celsius), residents of Merced, Calif., have long sought ways to stay cool. Mark Humphreys, pastor of Gateway Community Church, a Christian Reformed congregation in that city, understands this all too well. “Havin
Taking a cue from Korean-language groups in the Christian Reformed Church that had success hosting conferences open to families, Global Coffee Break hosted an all-ages English conference at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., in July. A ministry of the CRC through Resonate Global Mission, it offered Bi
Described as hard working, disciplined, and a meticulous record keeper, John Boonstra also had a dry sense of humor. He loved teaching and preaching and had a reputation for being a fast talker. He was known and appreciated for visiting people in the hospital or at other vulnerable times in their li
Reuben DeBoer, a graduate of Smithville Christian High School and member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Dunnville, Ont., is a 2024 recipient of the Schulich Leader Scholarship, a nationally awarded prize.Given to 100 Canadian students each year in the science, technology, engineering, and ma
Sandra Pronteau, a Cree-Metis woman with deep roots in the communities she serves including at Nelson Avenue Community Church, a Christian Reformed congregation in Burnaby, B.C., has been honored with the DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada's National Hummingbird Award. This award recognizes her
After close to 70 years of serving as a home base for the Christian Reformed Church in North America and almost all of its ministries, the denominational building at the corner of 28th Street and Kalamazoo Avenue in Grand Rapids, Mich., is closed. Staff hosted an open house and farewell service atte
In a unique and engaging approach to sermon delivery, Terrace (B.C.) Christian Reformed Church used art to illustrate a series of spring sermons, showcasing the talents and creativity of its congregation. This initiative, spearheaded by the church's visuals committee, involved the creation of nine d
The town and community of Rock Valley, Iowa, is among several along the Little Sioux, Big Sioux, and Rock rivers in northwest Iowa in recovery and restoration after record-breaking rain that led to flooding June 21-23. Those affected included three Christian Reformed churches—First Christian Reforme
Pablo Kim Sun, the first senior leader for intercultural ministry for the Canadian ministry board of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is stepping down and transitioning to a new role with the Presbyterian Church in Canada.Kim Sun’s last day with the CRCNA is July 31, and he will begin
A collection of pennies for a pregnancy center. A Thanksgiving basket for a refugee family that included lamb instead of turkey. Being a friendly face to a mother thousands of miles from home. Building a community refrigerator and food pantry.These are all examples of the work deacons at congregatio
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Kathryn Post was published on religionnews.com June 13, 2024. It has been edited for length and Banner style.Joseph Josselyn remembers being fascinated by the 1977 drama Jesus of Nazareth but as a Deaf chil
The Bridge Church provides a community for people living in poverty and often experiencing homelessness in Niagara Falls, Ont. They began partnering with a local convention center to recover meals that otherwise might have gone to waste. Since starting this project, they have connected with La Tablé
Calvin University’s Board of Trustees and its former president Wiebe Boer and his wife, Joanna Boer, issued a very brief joint statement June 13 announcing they have settled the legal matter between them. According to the joint statement, “The parties are grateful for God’s grace and wish each other
Reflections from The Banner news editor on Synod 2024.Suspension. Discipline. Disaffiliation. Restoration. Wrestling. Doubt. Heartily believe. Settled conviction. Be gentle. Hold that line. These are some of the words reverberating the morning after the close of Synod 2024. Those that echo the loude
Synod 2024 voted to mandate a task force to “develop Church Order procedures to discipline officebearers, including disaffiliation initiated by a major assembly,” which will report to Synod 2026. It also tasked “a small group” with assessing previous synodical pronouncements, to clarify the distinct
Over its six days of meeting (with a day off on Sunday, June 15), Synod 2024 acted on recommendations from 38 different reports, some of them with minority and majority opinions. The Banner reported on most of the actions as they happened June 14-20, but some items passed with little to no discussio
Synod 2024 appointed a task force to study multisite churches with a mandate to research current iterations of these churches and report back to Synod 2026. Synod is the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It met June 14-20 in Grand Rapids, Mich.The task force
June’s infographic showed greater numbers of requests and communications to synod. Not only are there more, they’re also getting longer. A Christian Reformed blogger in Grand Rapids. Mich., also noticed this trend. Kent Hendricks used digitized agendas from the Hekman Library website to find the ave