November 2016
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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Earlier this year, Fuller Theological Seminary’s Brehm Center made a short film featuring internationally acclaimed rock star Bono
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I would like to tell you about some friends of mine.
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I don’t believe in original sin. In fact, I think sin is just about the most unoriginal thing in the world.
News
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Since its kickoff in April 2015, the Canadian Youth Ministry Pilot Project has been so successful that staff has been increased and the Christian Reformed Church’s Board of Trustees decided to expand it to U.S. churches.
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Five years after the death of 15-year-old Connor Vanderveen, CASA Connor will officially open next month in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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It’s been several months since Synod 2016 made decisions about the reports from the Committee to Provide Pastoral Guidance Regarding Same-Sex Marriage.
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The transition from a 30-member Board of Trustees to a 52-member Council of Delegates (COD) will happen earlier than planned.
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At the behest of Synod 2016 (the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church), staff is exploring options for providing distinctively Reformed curricula for children and teens.
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“With deep sadness for recent violent events in the United States and Canada, we join others in grieving the deaths of Terence Crutcher, Colten Boushie, and many others across the world."
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Songs have a way of connecting people to others and to their past.
In Memoriam: Rev. Clarence John Vos
1920-2016READ MOREPatient and kind as well as intellectually and spiritually curious, Clarence Vos was a gifted teacher who enjoyed sharing what he knew
In Memoriam: Rev. Simon Wolfert
1935 - 2016READ MORESimon Wolfert “loved life, loved people, and loved his family. He was funny and made us laugh,” said his family.
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At its recent meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Christian Reformed Church approved integrating the role of Race Relations director with Office of Social Justice’s (OSJ) coordinator role.
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Whoever said age is just a number may have had Jim Polet in mind.
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When the Board of Trustees of the Christian Reformed Church met at the end of September, it was informed of the membership of the Committee to Articulate a Foundation-Laying Biblical Theology of Human Sexuality.
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Delegates of Synod 2016 declined to increase the amount of money churches are asked to remit to support the shared ministries of the Christian Reformed Church.
Columns
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I believe that synod had the right to rule that homosexual marriage is morally impermissible,
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Although I am not fluent in Chinese, I do know the Chinese meaning of my name.
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The new game from the art director of Journey and Flower had a lot to live up to; ABZÛdoes not disappoint.
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After 30 years of youth ministry, I see so many young people leaving the church and even the faith.
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Last year Sandra McCracken used the words of the Psalms to work through a difficult season in her life.
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Think about some of your favorite fall activities. Maybe you enjoy hayrides on a farm and munching crunchy apples.
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Henri J.M. Nouwen was a beloved priest, writer, and theologian.
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Children raised in Christian settings usually hear the Lord’s Prayer from an early age, internalizing its language and cadence without necessarily understanding its meaning.
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Q What are some conversation starters that might lead to deeper spiritual discussions with my friends?
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If James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were ever your favorite stories, Oxford University Press has a gift for you.
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It is a mistake to believe that your past no longer affects you.
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Shauna Niequist was burned out—by life, motherhood, and the demands of a bustling writing career.
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Gina Ochsner’s second novel is a captivating, tragicomic story about family and community relationships in a contemporary Latvian town.
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Science geeks, business people, attorneys, and historical fiction buffs—red alert!
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How does a quiet young German theologian, a pacifist who came of age between the world wars, find himself involved in a plan to assassinate Hitler?
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Mrs. Laetitia Rodd is a 52-year-old widow with a sharp mind and a subtle manner.
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From where I live, I can see the Ohio River from my daughter’s third-floor bedroom. Tucked below the hill overlooking the river a train track runs, but I can’t see it.
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Grammy-winning hip-hop and rap artist Lecrae offers readers a blunt portrayal of his mistakes and victories in his autobiography, Unashamed.
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The way society and the church lift up stories of love and marriage is beautiful . . . but it is also dangerous.
Our Shared Ministry
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Jaewoo Jeong did not have the opportunity to experience the love and faithfulness of an earthly father.
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Aisha (not her real name) was just 15 years old when her parents came to her with the news that they had arranged for her to be married.
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"I've probably had more opportunities to engage in missional ministry here in three months than in 11 years prior,”
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Steve Timmermans, executive director of the CRC, is inviting all of those who are involved in ministry in their local churches to consider attending Inspire 2017
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As the youth coordinator for more than 60 churches in the Christian Reformed Church of Sierra Leone, Rev. Alpha Kargbo faces the familiar challenge of engaging young people in the church.
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Lauren Newhuis was first inspired to pursue her profession by an unlikely character—King Nebuchadnezzar.
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There was a baptism in our church during a recent Sunday morning worship service.
