The Banner

It can be very helpful for everyone in a newly blended family if both the marriage partners and their respective children understand that the roles of spouse and parent should not be assumed to automatically go together. 

A worship album based on King Jehoshaphat’s leading the people of Judah in victory by praising the Lord.

The adventures of a deaf and mute girl and her blind rescue dog is based on a true story.

In Fruitport, Mich., when a school system sought adult mentors to encourage struggling students, the local Christian Reformed congregation joined three other churches to make a difference.

Teacher Nicky DeBoer lives in Byron Center, Mich.; the band is located in Sunnyside, Wash. The high school’s principal, looking for qualified teachers dedicated to Christ-centered learning, didn’t see that as a barrier.

Marinus Harberts, who had ministered for 35 years with the Navajo people in New Mexico, died on March 19.

Although I cannot yet see the fruition, beneath the surface seeds are already germinating, preparing to poke their heads out of the soil when the time is right, bursting forth into new plants. Within weeks, buds and leaves will appear on the same trees that now look so dim. Rain will fall, the puddles becoming homes for small frogs. By the middle of June, flowers will abound.

Begun as a three-year pilot project in 12 classes (U.S. Upper Midwest, California, and Southern Ontario), the goal of Connections is to bring denominational resources to Christian Reformed churches in ways that are responsive and easily accessed. 

Much of the conversation between Gibson and Jennings centered around the topic of theological education and how many scholars today are wrestling with one big question for themselves. As for Jennings, he pursues “the question of God and race.”

One of the five desired futures expressed in our denominational ministry plan, Our Journey 2020, focuses on collaboration.

Two best friends anticipate graduation and divergent paths in this YA novel for teens and adults alike. 

Twenty-five years after the Rwandan genocide, a Netflix series explores its painful legacy. 

Our church has a lot of programs for children and teens but nothing for those of us who are retirement age. I feel as if I don’t count. Shouldn’t the church have things for us too?

Thank you so much for making Joanne De Jonge’s kids’ pages available for printing (“Just for Kids: A Baker’s Dozen,” free PDF download available at thebanner.org). I have been meaning to request permission to copy some of the children’s pages from The Banner to share with the girls in our GEMS Club. The ones you made available are some of my favorites.

Nobody imagined what would happen as the result of Ruth gleaning in Boaz’s field.

A hospital chaplain described as thoughtful and a man without pretense, Steven Van Heest passed away on March 10. He was 66.

Allen Bultman was a humble, hardworking, and compassionate pastor who served Christian Reformed congregations since 1959. He passed away on March 8 at the age of 89.

World War II veteran, military policeman, minister, chaplain, pastoral counselor, and missionary Ben Ypma lived a full and joyful life. He died on March 7, a month after his hundredth birthday.

The Banner has received Awards of Merit for a denominational magazine in both digital and print categories, and seven higher goals awards in design, individual articles, blogs, and poetry published in 2018.

Two or three times each year, Christian Reformed churches send representatives to their classis, a regional group of churches. Here is the report of classis meetings of the past few months.

For the third year, groups in Medicine Hat, Alta., concerned for the state of the family, held an annual conference. Medicine Hat Christian Reformed Church was the 2019 host.

Seven classes (regional groups of churches) have registered their objection to three of the 32 recommendations coming from the Synod Review Task Force to Synod 2019, the annual leadership meeting of the Christian Reformed Church.