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Jul 24, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Brian Clark |Victoria Veenstra |Shiao Chong |Susie Vander Vaart
Angelina was beginning to dread the calls. What used to be a highlight in her otherwise horrible days had become a regular reminder of just how much the war in Ukraine had already changed her beloved husband. “His psychological condition isn’t good,” Angelina said.
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Jul 17, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Victoria Veenstra
Hearts Exchanged is all about going beyond the headlines into deep work that wrestles with how churches can become places of belonging and embrace God’s call to reconciliation with Indigenous neighbors in Canada. Participants can sign up with their church or in a mixed cohort of Christians in their region. Typically cohorts start in the fall, so now is a great time to express interest.
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Jul 17, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Victoria Veenstra
When people start talking about justice, it can get complicated right away. How can we best address long-term systems of injustice while also being responsive to immediate needs in our communities? Many Christians have questions about how to deal with this complexity. The Centre for Public Dialogue’s latest workshop helps people explore how the Bible talks about communities of peace, justice, and faithful action.
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Jun 10, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Dan Veeneman |Dean R. Heetderks |Victoria Veenstra |Brian Clark
With those four words, my son sent me on a journey of self-reflection. It was a typical Sunday afternoon on the West Coast of Canada. The unrelenting pitter-patter of rain on the windows had me feeling a little Noah-esque. My family and I had just finished our bowls of Sunday soup when my son broke the silence. “Dad, I have a question about church.”I took a sip of my coffee and braced myself for what was coming.
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Jun 10, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Dean R. Heetderks |Dan Veeneman |Victoria Veenstra |Brian Clark
Should I be scared of artificial intelligence? My default position on any new technology is doubt and skepticism. Blame my Calvinist underpinnings for that but has the latest-greatest ever really lived up to the hype? Even the experts aren’t sure (or aren’t sharing) exactly how AI works. Could this possibly take off? It’s been more than a year since artificial intelligence—especially generative artificial intelligence—took over technology news.
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Jun 6, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Victoria Veenstra |Brian Clark |Clayton Lubbers |Loren Haarsma
Have you ever met someone for a meal and afterwards walked away feeling closer and more connected to that other person? Has a friend ever introduced you to a new food? These moments can take on particular significance when they happen in intercultural relationships. In the early 1600s, the Haudenosaunee, an Indigenous group in North America, invited Dutch settlers in their area to live together under the Two-Row Wampum Treaty.
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Mar 20, 2024 | 
thebanner.org | Victoria Veenstra
“I loved the Christian Reformed church we were attending,” said Peter Carrión, “but I missed worshiping in Spanish.”This simple story is how La Roca Spanish ministry was started. Carrión started gathering with his family in his home and leading a service. Word started to spread, and more families arrived. Finally, there was no more space in Carrión’s home, so La Roca partnered with Immanuel CRC in Brampton, Ont.
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Nov 21, 2023 | 
christiancourier.ca | Victoria Veenstra
Reconciliation – it’s a big word and an even bigger idea to put into practice. It’s made even more difficult because there is no one size fits all recipe – a good next step for reconciliation can depend on where you’re located, where you feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and the gifts that God has given you. At the Canadian National Gathering in May of 2023 delegates from across Canada sat together in talking circles to discern these various ingredients.
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Sep 11, 2023 | 
christiancourier.ca | Justin Cooper |Victoria Veenstra |Brent van Staalduinen |Sam Boldenow
In the past forty years of Christian education in Canada, leaders and supporters have focused on increasing the Demand side of the Supply-Demand balance. Our driving question was “How do we increase Demand?” In other words, “How do we interest more families and students in a Christian education experience?”After all, there is no other institution or organization better suited to nurture and shape the faith of young people to the degree possible through a Christian education.
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Aug 14, 2023 | 
christiancourier.ca | Becky Jones |Kenny Warkentin |Naomi Bula |Victoria Veenstra
I have spent years visiting art galleries and, for a portion of my career, I even had the opportunity to work in one. I am that person who stands and reads each label, curious to understand what the artist wants to express through their work. Because of this interest, one of my next steps in reconciliation is to support Indigenous artists.
