November 2025
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 Worry Box became our lighthearted way of dealing with my husband’s tendency to fret.
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Two decades ago, I wrote about the church behind bars. Ten years later, I wrote again. Now, with another decade passed, I offer not just a reflection—but a call to action for the church outside the gates.
News
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The Council of Delegates of the CRCNA named six people to the inaugural Diaspora and Ethnic Ministry committee, expected to meet at least twice in the 2025-26 ministry year.
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Classis Chicago South received for information a report detailing the committee’s history, attempts to fulfill its mandate, and frustrations with lack of engagement.
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Training and growing leaders in more than 70 countries, the Multiplication Network planted over 14,000 churches in 2024 and recently expanded its Michigan office to support the growth.
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A Grand Rapids South church experimented for two years with young adult-led monthly worship nights; then its classis supported their development into multi-generational sharing and worship.
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Moved by news reports of ongoing home repair needs months after hurricane damage in North Carolina, a Michigan woman organized a work crew from her Christian Reformed congregation.
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Roberta Vriesema is the new director of partnership administration for the CRCNA, with responsibilities in governance and compliance, joint ministry plans, and budgets.
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East Leonard Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., celebrates 100 years in October with the theme “We Praise God for His Faithfulness.”
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41 congregations of the Christian Reformed Church celebrated significant milestones this year.
In Memoriam: Rev. Cho, Chung Choo
1936-2025READ MOREA devoted servant of the Lord who ministered as long in retirement as in employed pastoral ministry, Rev. Cho’s unwavering passion for the gospel was an inspiration to many.
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Established in 1925 as a breakoff group from the Christian Reformed Church, what became known as Grace CRC celebrated its past and continuing ministry Sept. 4.
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Jeanine Mozie becomes acting college president as former president Aaron Kuecker moves to Hope Chicago as new CEO.
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Peter Timmerman brings 30 years of international development experience back to World Renew as executive director for Canada.
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With concern for young adults navigating in a post-Christian culture, a Bowmanville, Ont., Christian Reformed Church member helped launch a conference “designed to help young adults in their pursuit of God and God's pursuit of them.”
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Rev. Philip Vinod Peacock, the WCRC’s executive secretary for justice and witness, will be inaugurated as general secretary in February 2026.
Columns
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It’s a daunting task to determine the fate of someone you’ve never met and of whom you know nothing.
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Christians sometimes vigorously debate what is appropriate to do on Sundays. Is it permissible to go shopping or eat at a restaurant? To play sports? To do homework?
Being Fully Known: The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding, Becoming, and Belonging
By Saundra Dalton-SmithREAD MOREA weaving of biblical insight, behavioral science, and personal reflection prompts, Being Fully Known tackles the negative self-talk and limiting beliefs that leave women stuck in lives that are not their own.
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Instead of thinking about ways people can be changed and molded to fit a particular spiritual gift, consider ways a person can be encouraged to grow the gifts they already have.
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God opened my eyes to his glory by drawing my attention to people I met on walks in my city.
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Immerse yourself in reading, from a novel about an Albertan homesteader to a memoir that asks whether you can ever go home again.
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I just dropped my child off at college. I’m not coping very well, and I sense that my child is not either. What can I do?
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When prayers are not answered the way we want, how do I help my child understand?
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The landscape of corporate worship has shifted dramatically with the surge of livestreaming.
Living with Grief
By Nicholas WolterstorffREAD MOREDr. Nicolas Wolterstorff offers thoughtful lessons about grief
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Taking my turn for a guest editorial in November has me thinking about birthdays.
One Body, One Spirit: Disability and Community in the Church
By Paul Pettit and B. Jason EppsREAD MOREThis award-winning book focuses primarily on social barriers disabled people face while striving for meaningful connections.
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See how readers responded to recent Banner issues, articles, and columns.
Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in the Christian Community
By Andrew J. BaumanREAD MOREA new book explores how to keep women safe at church.
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A medida que escribo el ditorial de noviembre como invitada, me he puesto a pensar en los cumpleaños.
The Blossoming Summer
By Anna Rose JohnsonREAD MOREWhen English 13-year-old Rosemary is evacuated to her grandmother in America at the start of World War II, she uncovers the family secret—they are Anishinaabe and passing as white.
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Solitude and silence help us experience an intentional encounter with God.
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Time is more complex than it appears. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, time can actually change depending on speed and gravity.
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11월 객원 사설을 쓰게 되면서 생일에 대해 더 깊이 생각하게 되었습니다.
Our Shared Ministry
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Across congregations, campuses, and mission fields, youth and young adults are reimagining what it means to be the church in today’s world.
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What would have happened if Barnabas didn’t respond to God’s nudge to befriend and disciple Saul, the infamous Pharisee and enemy of the church?
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In Guatemala, about 46% of all children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition.
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A pre-med student finds Calvin University’s liberal arts education surprisingly helpful for his scientific field of study.
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Calvin Seminary students feel called to ministry in some form, and their time at CTS is helping them figure out what that might look like.
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¿Qué habría pasado si Bernabé no hubiese respondido al impulso de Dios de hacerse amigo y discípulo de Saulo, el infame fariseo y enemigo de la iglesia?
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Kids Corner program starts a mobile app with real kids voicing the tutorials.
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만일 바나바가 교회의 원수로 악명 높던 바리새인 사울과 친구가 되어 그를 제자 삼으라는 하나님의 부르심에 순종하지 않았다면, 과연 어떻게 되었을까요?
