“The Bible presents God as the one who pushed back the darkness with this first light.”—Today devotional, Dec. 2, 2024Although much of the world is shadowed by fear, division, and uncertainty, the light of Jesus Christ offers a beacon of hope. During Advent, the Today devotionals offered by ReFrame
In Proverbs 4:13, Solomon pleads with his son to hold instruction firmly in his grip and not let go because “it is your life.” World Renew understands that learning can transform one’s life. In communities where World Renew works, limited or no access to opportunities to learn simple life skills or
Jodi Koeman recently had an opportunity to visit The Table, an organization in Denver, Colo., that is part of the food justice and community growing project Koeman oversees in her work as Church With Community mobilizer for World Renew.The food justice and community growing project is a grant progra
I’m both captivated and confused by Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field” (Matt. 13:31). Really, Jesus? Are you telling us that the sovereign rule of eternal God—spanning from before the creation of time to the e
Over nine days in July, a group of 14 volunteers from Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, Calif., caravanned 900 miles to the Navajo reservation in New Mexico to help a fellow CRC in need. The group blessed Crownpoint CRC by fixing windows, renovating a bathroom, and restoring water to
Food security means knowing where meals are coming from today and into the future. For families around the world who experience hunger, food security is a challenge. World Renew works to end hunger globally by offering opportunities to farmers and families to grow healthy food. Through training in c
Thrive, the CRCNA’s congregational support ministry, recently compiled a guide to help those in pastoral ministry think about and prepare for retirement. What follows is an adapted excerpt from “Retirement from Pastoral Ministry: Guidance for a Healthy Transition,” which can be found at crcna.org/Pa
Only 3% of Cambodia’s population identifies as Christian. Resonate Global Mission missionaries Ly Chhay and Navy Chann-Chhay are working with local pastors, churches, and ministries to grow that percentage to at least 10% by 2033—2,000 years from the year in which many Bible scholars put Christ’s re
Most of us learn best by doing. Sometimes a thing we’ve learned doesn’t seem real until we’ve done it in practice. The work of World Renew can seem distant and unclear to those of us who haven’t spent time in the midst of it, but opportunities abound to literally get our hands dirty. And you’re invi
I am a city boy, but I love green and growing things. At one time, my wife and I had more than 150 potted and garden plants. We had many delicate orchids, several types of colorful hibiscus, palm trees, a wide variety of cacti, massive creeping pothos plants with plate-sized leaves, lilies, variegat
Both the denomination and the Christian Reformed Church Loan Fund are at a difficult transition point. After almost 40 years of operation, the Loan Fund experienced a sharp decline in loan requests in 2021 due in part to COVID, and it remained without a director for two years after the sudden retire
The Christian Reformed Church in North America has four agencies, two educational institutions, and three uniquely Canadian ministries that were all started over the past 160 years as a way to extend your ministry, support your congregation, and encourage you individually as a member of the CRC. Her
Have you ever experienced a long wait at a doctor’s office? Now imagine waiting more than a year for your treatment.As one of millions of internally displaced persons in Burkina Faso, that’s exactly what Omar* faced. Because of violence from extremist terrorist groups in his home village, Omar fled
“Participating with God in God’s mission in the local church or supporting renewal throughout the denomination requires discernment,” said Elaine May, ministry consultant with Thrive, the Christian Reformed Church’s congregational support agency. “The capacity to see God’s redemptive activity in the
As Christians, our journey of faith always happens within a specific place and context. In Canada, this journey involves recognizing the painful legacy of Indigenous relations and embracing the call to reconciliation. This call is not about assigning blame, but rather about acknowledging our shared
In Guatemala, 25 languages are spoken—and 22 of them are Indigenous Mayan languages. But while nearly 44% of the population of Guatemala is Indigenous, the voices of these people groups are not often heard.“Mayans make up almost half of the population,” said Francisco Enriquez, the country director
“The leaders God is bringing into the CRC are drawn to some of our core values,” said Susan LaClear, director of Candidacy for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. ”They rave about our abuse-of-power training and our code of conduct. It makes them feel safe to hear us addressing abuse in
“I came to the Middle East having experienced quite a lot of loss. … I had a lot of healing to do—spiritually, emotionally, physically,” said Elena,* a Resonate Global Mission volunteer. “God answered my prayers.”Elena had been discerning a call to ministry for years, but as she was finishing her un
In 2013, Calvin Theological Seminary recognized a significant need for accredited, graduate-level, Reformed education for Spanish-speaking students. For the next 10 years, CTS professor of New Testament Mariano Avila, Ph.D., worked with more than 130 students across five cohorts. These men and women
In a display of young and growing faith, 9-year-old Chandler brought a song from one of his favorite podcasts, Liz and Friends, to his church service at Island Wesleyan Church in Hampton, Prince Edward Island.A dedicated listener to Liz and Friends podcast for about a year, Chandler surprised the wo