September/October 2026
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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Her parents, a young Dutch couple, sought to leave Europe for America in pursuit of a new start around the turn of the 20th century.
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"What does sustaining faith look like? It looks like trusting that God is working behind the scenes for our good and his glory, even in the midst of suffering."
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When I started ninth grade, I expected to fit in with my peers immediately. Instead, I struggled to adjust and find my place.
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Like me, many young adult believers are steeped in an environment of anxiety as new graduates desperately try to get their foot in the door of their industry.
News
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“Dog Days of Summer” usually refers to hot, muggy, long summer days. To Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church it’s a fun outdoor service with canine friends.
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In the 2026 denominational survey, terms selected by at least 30% of survey respondents included Christ-centered, Scripture-centered, Conservative, and Faith formation for all ages.
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Actions of classes (regional groups of churches) this spring include one candidate examined and approved for ministry, six retiring ministers, and six disbanded congregations.
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Religion and public life think tank Cardus and the Canadian Bible Society published a study on the evolving relationship between religion and young Canadians.
In Memoriam: Rev. John Bylsma
1929-2026READ MOREKnown for his strong, biblical sermons he preached up to age 95, John Bylsma had a deep desire to emulate Jesus’ love for others. He died June 8 at age 96.
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Pastor and chaplain Bill Stroo is remembered as an encouraging and kind listener. He died June 22 at age 83.
In Memoriam: Rev. Young Ook Kim
1939-2026READ MOREA pastor and theologian with a deep commitment to mission work, Rev. Young Ook Kim died July 16, aged 87.
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Connect Church in Pella, Iowa, celebrated 160 years of ministry Aug. 2, welcoming Banner editor Lora Copley to honor the magazine’s own 160th anniversary.
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Teens in Classis Columbia have counted on Camp Calvin’s volunteer teachers and other professionals for opportunities in spiritual growth, friendship, and leadership since 1975.
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Clinton (Ont.) Christian Reformed Church is taking a community lens to each of its ministries to strengthen relationships with local families and its wider community.
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Pastors from five Christian Reformed congregations in rural western Michigan took part in a service July 27 to pray for rain.
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“There are a lot of people in this world who have such a better quality of life because they were given a wheelchair”—volunteer Roger Feekes, Bethel CRC in Sioux Center, Iowa.
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A year-old women’s evangelistic training ministry developed out of the Multiplication Network is equipping Global Coffee Break participants to reach unchurched friends, neighbors, and family members.
Columns
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You don’t realize how much you love breathing until you become conscious of the effort a single inhale can take.
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Este plan multiplicador de 10 años nos invita a reconocer la necesidad de hacernos pequeños a través de la oración y de honrar a Dios con grandes peticiones.
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I am growing resentful of my spouse because I feel like I am doing everything alone, and it’s not getting better. What do I do?
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I kept my distance—watching and praying, knowing that I shouldn’t, couldn’t close my eyes to what was unfolding in front of me.
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It feels wrong that the shortest path from Chicago to Japan goes through Alaska, or that Greenland appears so enormous.
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Ministry to the stray sheep of a congregation is slow and difficult. But there are things the church staff/members can do.
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Reformed denominations are buzzing with controversy about Christian nationalism.
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It’s hard to imagine now that a spoof of The Banner would cause threats of university expulsion, even excommunication, for its authors.
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When you are young, it is thrilling to be handed a dollar by your father.
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This 10-year multiplying plan calls us to recognize the need to get small through prayer and to honor God with big requests.
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What are some parenting practices for various stages of my child’s development to help them maintain an interest in faith?
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이 10개년 제자 양성 계획은 기도를 통해 우리의 한계를 인정하고, 하나님께는 큰 것을 구하라고 말합니다.
Mixed Media
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Singer, songwriter, and American Idol alum (season 14) Clark Beckham puts his spin on six modern worship tunes with his project, “Acoustic Worship Sessions.”
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A Romanian author writes a novel based loosely on her childhood in communist Romania, circa 1989.
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Laura, Mary, Ma, and Pa head for a new life on the prairie in this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic book.
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See our list of movies, books, and podcasts to check out this month.
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Follow overlooked Mary Bennet as she journeys from Meryton to Regency London and beyond in this top-rated spinoff of Pride and Prejudice.
Our Shared Ministry
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Increased loan volume means that fixed costs will be spread over more loans, allowing us to decrease loan rates overall.
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El poder de la reciprocidad
Un agricultor conoce su campo.READ MOREPablo no se limitaba a ofrecer consejos genéricos. Se dirigía directamente a sus realidades específicas para apoyar la salud a largo plazo de la iglesia.
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The Soroti Pastors’ Book Club is providing resources and accountability for a community of 43 pastors.
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ReFrame’s leadership moved its major language programs from North America directly into the regional fields they serve.
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“I was crying out to God, asking him to literally show me the way.”
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Paul wasn’t just offering generic advice. He was speaking directly into their unique realities to support the long-term health of the church.
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Jericho’s faith grew with every field he prepared, every seed he planted, and every decision he made with hope for the future.
서로를 신뢰하는 관계의 힘
농부는 자신의 밭을 잘 압니다.READ MORE바울은 단순히 일반적인 조언을 건넨 것이
아니라, 고린도 교회가 처한 구체적인
현실을 깊이 이해하고, 그 교회가
오랫동안 건강하고 활력 있는 공동체로
세워지기 위해 꼭 필요한 말을
전했습니다.
