What does it mean to be “confessional?” What are these documents we refer to as “confessions?”
Columns
Read our regular columns on Faith Matters, Big Questions, Christian apologetics, Editorials, the Discover page (especially for kids), the Vantage Point, the Other Six, and letters from Christian Reformed Church members and our readers. Our online-only columns are As I Was Saying and Behind the Banner.
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There was only one lane open, and there were a dozen carts in line ahead of me. Great.
Picking Tea with Baba
By Xu Bin. Illustrated by Yu YinREAD MOREThis day-in-the-life picture book for 5- to 9-year-olds engages the senses as it centers around family and working together while celebrating Chinese culture.
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Jeremy Allen White stars in a slow-burning vignette of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” era.
The Couch in the Yard
By Kate Hoefler. Illustrated by Dena SeiferlingREAD MOREA family takes a nighttime drive to the moon in this love letter to Appalachia, crackling with wonder and warmth.
A Map to Paradise
By Susan MeissnerREAD MOREIt’s 1956 Malibu, Calif.: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.
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Does she think their opinion is more important than mine? It’s causing trouble.
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Oh, now I should appreciate my pastor, you say?
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At 34 years old, Ella McCay becomes the governor of her state. However, navigating relationships with the men in her family might be her biggest challenge yet.
Scattergood
By H. M. BouwmanREAD MOREIn rural Iowa in 1941,12-year-old Peggy’s quiet life is turned upside down by refugee arrivals, first love, and a heartbreaking diagnosis.
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As attractively merciful as this belief might sound, it does not fit with the biblical testimony or the universal church or the basic doctrines of God.
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This book provides tips, tricks, and tools to rid yourself of the internal and external clutter weighing you down, as well as relatable stories and soul-nourishing truths from Scripture.
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The Banner’s Mixed Media editor highlights some of her favorite faith-based nonfiction books of 2025.
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See how readers responded to recent Banner issues, articles, and columns.
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In Scripture, debt can be a call to reflect God’s mercy.
Endless Sea
By Chi Thai. Illustrated by Linh DaoREAD MOREThis deeply personal story of a perilous crossing, movingly illustrated for a picture book audience, mirrors the plight of families around the world who endure global displacement.
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This collection of original songs depicts that period of time between Christ’s burial and his ascension.
These Blue Mountains
By Sarah Loudin ThomasREAD MOREGerman pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Now she must journey to the U.S. in search of answers.
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One Sunday morning, a pastor steps up to his pulpit and—amid the swirling chaos of a country divided and mourning
My Beloved: A Mitford Novel
By Jan KaronREAD MORENo. 1 New York Times-bestselling author Jan Karon gives her beloved fans what they want for Christmas: a new Mitford novel.
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Forgiveness can present a significant challenge in the life of a Christian.
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The Banner publishes hundreds of columns, reviews, and news stories and dozens of features, editorials, and opinion pieces in the course of a year. Here are the top 5 most-accessed articles online in each category from 2025.
God’s Colorful Kingdom Storybook Bible: The Story of God’s Big Diverse Family
By Esau McCaulley. Illustrated by Rogerio CoelhoREAD MORENoted biblical scholar, theologian, and author Esau McCaulley has written a beautiful storybook Bible honoring God’s diverse family.
- December 19, 2025| |READ MORE
Novelist Jane Austen was born 250 years ago, on Dec. 16, 1775. Celebrate Austen’s incredible legacy of wit and wisdom with these recommendations.