March 2023

East Side CRC in Cleveland, Ohio, marked 150 years of ministry last year. One of its last remaining programs ministers to girls in its community.

Washington-based Center for Public Justice has awarded its annual prize for social policy research, granting one of three prizes for research about returning citizens at Calvin University.

A third ‘Canadian Conversation’ met virtually Jan. 28. Attendees heard updates on Christian Reformed ministry in Canada and discussed God’s calling as congregations sort through implications of Synod 2022’s confessional decisions around human sexuality.

The choir’s example has helped convince Kenyan churches to embrace Deaf culture.

Classis Grand Rapids East of the Christian Reformed Church won’t discern ‘any further action’ about a congregation instructed to remove its deacon who is in a same-sex marriage until the adjudication of that congregation’s appeal.

A joyful and tenderhearted pastor who served in ministry for more than 40 years, Bert VanAntwerpen died Jan. 10. He was 85.

A humble but confident preacher who loved to sing hymns and continued to preach into his mid-80s, Les Van Essen died Jan. 15 at age 87.

A heavy equipment operator who retrained as a pastor and returned to truck driving in retirement, Ray Steigenga was sincere and hard-working. He died Jan. 7 at age 77.

Friends described retired pastor and professor Sidney DeWaal with words like ‘inspirational leader,’ ‘wise counselor,’ and ‘loving man.’ After living for several years with Alzheimer’s Disease, he died Jan. 1 at age 87.

A Christian Reformed Church worship survey in 2018 found that many more CRC congregations were celebrating specific liturgical seasons/days than they did in a previous worship survey 19 years earlier.

After working for four years to help women leaving domestic abuse, a Wyoming, Mich., charity started by members of the Calvary Christian Reformed Church is increasing its capacity to offer stable, safe housing.

A Christian Reformed Church member in Calgary, who serves on the board of the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, and an Edmonton CRC member known for his contributions to preserving Alberta history were recognized for community service.