The Banner

If I had been there among the crowds that first Holy Week, would I have been part of that Holy Week mob calling for Jesus to be crucified?

A thoughtful, positive and encouraging pastor, Peter Breedveld’s life was defined by his faith in Christ. He died Feb. 2, just two weeks short of his 95th birthday.

Being people of integrity can be hard. The apostle Paul calls this virtue painful.

This empowering and joyous picture book shows kids the importance of loving your name, having pride in your culture, and standing up for yourself.

The Quiet Girl offers a deceptively simple reminder that the smallest stories can leave a large emotional impact.

Here is the story of Henrietta Wood, who was enslaved twice—but who demanded justice and was awarded the largest reparations ever granted for enslavement. This nonfiction book for ages 9–12 puts a human face on the current issue of reparations.

Compelled by faith to call the attention of siblings in Christ, a couple of groups published letters in February concerned that “dignity and truth are diminished” and there’s a “moral and spiritual collapse” in the United States.

Derek Buikema, pastor of Orland Park (Ill.) Christian Reformed Church, is one of eight new pastors named to the now 52-member council of The Gospel Coalition.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, an evangelical seminary lost everything—except its commitment to serving God. Winner of the Christianity Today Book Awards Missions and the Global Church Award of Merit.

Violence—especially when carried out under the authority of the state—demands moral scrutiny.

How can Christ be truly in our hearts and at the right hand of the Father?

Houdini’s escapes were nothing more than clever illusions, but Jesus’ was something else.

In the fall of 1944, the Nazis were occupying the Netherlands. Sisters Ada, 22, and Lina, 18, discover their father’s documentation of Nazi war crimes and work to preserve the evidence until the war ends.

Explore the Lord’s Prayer across the landscapes where Jesus first spoke it. Hosted by Brad Gray and featuring insights from N. T. Wright and others, learn about the prayer’s cultural, historical, and spiritual depth.

In this School Library Journal Best Book, a small bird—nestled in a dusty crack in the Western Wall—feels a deep shift within, setting her on a path to overcoming her fear of change.

Incorporating workshops offered by its own congregants, Maranatha Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich., forgoes a traditional Vacation Bible School with an annual summer Praise Days program.

Marv Vander Vliet, a pastor and mission leader in the Michigan juvenile justice system, “was a wise person with a deep understanding of God’s Word” who “loved people well.” He died May 20, 2025, at age 80.

Revelation 19 offers one of Scripture’s most striking political images.

As of the beginning of February, the number of Christian Reformed churches with a pastoral vacancy—those actively searching to fill it—is about 18% of the total number of organized congregations.

For me, these Gather stories were a vision of how the Holy Spirit is directing the future of our congregations.

Amber Smith, wife of former country music artist Granger Smith, invites you into the most vulnerable spaces of her life, where she wrestled with the traumatic death of their 3-year-old son.

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