January 2019
Download a full pdf of this issue below or find links to every feature, news, column, review, and Our Shared Ministry article included in this edition. Not the date you wanted? Find issues back to January 2016 here or use the search function at the top to find articles going back to 2005. To find something even older, The Banner archives are maintained at Calvin College's Hekman Library.
Features
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The hope of peace and security—of life—is ultimately rooted in the age-old biblical teaching that God created human beings in his own image.
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When I started to think about retiring it wasn’t my work as a therapist that felt burdensome; rather, it was the mundane aspects of my work—the need for better computer skills and the need to allow for expanded administrative time—that propelled me toward making the decision to retire.
News
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In the last 15 years, Christian Reformed congregations in Edmonton, Alta., have been springing up, supported by the roots of those who came before. On November 4 the community came together to be encouraged and give thanks.
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Colin Watson, director of ministries and administration for the CRC, recently attended the general assembly of the WCRC’s Caribbean and North American Area Council in Georgetown, Guyana. He was elected to the council’s steering committee.
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Philip Koning, a member of First Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alta., was one of 31 Albertans to receive the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers on Oct. 15.
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With support from a network of Christian Reformed churches in Denver, Col., Cascade of Hope Community Resource Center reaches out to build a multicultural, multigenerational body.
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Ena Welch and Dorothy Fischer team up to make bright, comforting blankets. A yarn club at First (Sarnia) Christian Reformed Church brought them together.
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Two or three times each year, Christian Reformed churches send representatives to their classis, a regional group of churches. Here are the highlights of classis meetings of the past few months.
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John Primus was remembered as a scholar, a dedicated teacher, and one who modeled Jesus Christ in humility and kindness. He died on November 5 at age 86.
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Twenty-five members of the Verhoog family, ages 8 to 87, gathered in Rolling Fork, Miss., to create a lasting legacy for Mississippi Christian Family Services in honor of Mary Verhoog.
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Rooted is a ministry for young adults to keep them connected to God’s Word and God’s people. Currently meeting in Allendale, Mich., it is focused on growth and equipping its own young leaders.
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Growth at 10-year-old RedArrow Ministries, a Christian Reformed congregation in Paw Paw, Mich., comes from members “reaching out by reaching one.” The church gives to its community through a parenting class, school volunteering, and first responder support.
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Indwell, a Christian charity that creates affordable housing in three Ontario cities, made good use of one of its community center kitchens in October, hosting its first-ever Soup Series on Wednesday afternoons.
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Recognizing church administrators as ministry partners with unique needs and gifts to share, two regional groups of Christian Reformed congregations in Ontario offered these church staff a time of equipping and encouragement.
Columns
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It sits prominently way up on the third shelf to the left of our fireplace. It’s a robin’s-egg-blue 1961 Chevy pickup truck and trailer with white trim made by Tonka at 1/18th scale. In the trailer is a plastic Black Angus steer with one horn slightly chipped.
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#MeToo movement has highlighted women who have experienced sexual harassment or assault. Aren’t Christians supposed to forgive rather than demand justice?
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Let’s recognize the Canons of Dort for what they are: not a summary of Reformed theology, or even a full account of election, but a crucial clarification of some key issues that matter as much now as they did 400 years ago.
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All I really remember about my first few years of lessons is that I wanted to play. My brother and sister both played, and it looked like fun. When I started, it was the pure joy of creating something beautiful and meaningful out of nothing.
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Invest in beauty—the beauty of a home that has Christ in the open kitchen plan or the tiny galley kitchen.
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Offering your pastor a sabbatical is an investment in ministry.
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Our churches are called to explore various ways to reach their communities through both evangelism and social justice.
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What would happen if we were to think of ourselves less as sitting on the truth and more as pointing to it? We’d invite nonbelievers to join us as learners of the way of Jesus, journeying deeper into God’s truth. This is a humble stance from which to share our faith with others.
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In her sequel to Raymie Nightingale, DiCamillo peels away the layers to reveal Louisiana’s story and presents readers with a heartbreakingly tender, wise, humorous, and resilient protagonist.
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Many activities that were once forbidden by the church (card playing, dancing, and movie attendance) are now considered fine. But the Bible does not change. Are these changes biblical?
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The temptation of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11 serves up important cautions to the church in how to imagine and fulfill God’s mission.
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It is very cold in many places in the winter. To stay warm, you wear lots of sweaters, mittens, scarves, and a warm winter coat. But there are two places where it is cold all the time—the North and South Poles.
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A Banner reader recommends Elevation Worship’s newest album, a musical offering of honest and raw praise.
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Today I received The Banner. It was filled with various articles about abuse, most of which were well done.
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La tentación de Cristo en Mateo 4:1-11 ofrece advertencias importantes a la iglesia de cómo percibir y cumplir con la misión de Dios.
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Our church leadership is talking about faith milestones. What are they, and why should we be interested?
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Based on true events, Women Talking is a powerful testament to the yearning for justice evident in those who are oppressed.
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마태복음 4장 1-11절에 나오는 그리스도의 시험은 하나님의 사명을 어떻게 구상하고 성취할지에 대해 교회에 주시는 중요한 경고입니다.
Our Shared Ministry
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Using donated apples, Pease (Minn.) Christian Reformed Church has baked and sold thousands of apple pies over the last nine years as a fundraiser for participation in the Global Partnership Program with World Renew.
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In August, Calvin College professors Judy Vander Woude, Peggy Goetz, and Jill Bates traveled with speech pathology students to China to work with children with special needs at the GIFT Parents’ Support Center.
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Resonate Global Mission campus ministers, church planters, missionaries, and other ministry leaders practice hospitality often—following a framework of table sitting, table setting, and table serving.
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"I thank you on behalf of my family for supporting the ministry here at Calvin Theological Seminary. God has used it to help me through one of the most difficult times of my life. And I believe he is giving me the skills and resources necessary to care for people and lead them to the hope of the gospel."
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I don’t actually know any people from the Amish tradition and faith, I do have a perception of them. I picture people wearing old-fashioned clothes and driving a horse and buggy. I think of them as being “set apart” and I also admire their resolve.
That perception makes me wonder how others perceive the Christian Reformed Church.
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At their worst, social media sites seclude us from face-to-face interactions. But they also offer unique opportunities to connect with others
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Somos llamados a vivir nuestra fe y ser luz de las naciones.
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우리는 믿음으로 살고 모든 민족에게 빛이 되라고 부름받았습니다.