Christian Reformed Church

What does it mean for people with disabilities to truly belong in the church? This question was at the heart of the January Series in July presentation on July 22 by Dr. Erik Carter, the Luther Sweet Endowed Chair in Disabilities in the School of Education and Human Development at Baylor University, where he directs the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities. An internationally recognized researcher and advocate, Carter has spent more than two decades studying how schools, churches, workplaces, and communities can foster belonging for people with disabilities. His research has focused especially on the experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, helping organizations move beyond inclusion toward genuine relationships and community. Drawing on years of...

Every child longs to know they are seen, valued, and loved. For children navigating foster care, family separation, or other difficult circumstances, the message of belonging can be especially powerful. Through Scripture and caring relationships, children are discovering the hope found in knowing God as their loving protector and shepherd. Rev. Emily Vanden Heuvel of ReFrame Ministries, the CRCNA’s media outreach ministry, reflects on how her service as a chaplain shaped her understanding of God’s faithfulness and care for children experiencing trauma and uncertainty: “Before I started working at ReFrame Ministries, I served as a chaplain at a residential facility for kids. Many of the children were wards of the state, meaning that they were in government care because—for one...

Reggie Smith, an African American from the West Side of Chicago, came to Grand Rapids, Mich., in the early 1990s to become the pastor of Roosevelt Park Christian Reformed Church, a congregation with a rich, generations-long Dutch-American heritage on the southwest side of town. We learn about this experience from his fascinating new book, Roosevelt Park Rising . When Smith arrived in West Michigan, the book recalls, there were some who looked askance as they first set eyes on him. He was a young man with a baseball cap on his head, a hiphop-like cadence in his voice, and a deft, if somewhat tentative, urban manner about his walk. But naysayers soon turned into supporters when it became clear that...

In a major move welcomed by many faith communities and medical professionals across Canada, a parliamentary committee has officially recommended an indefinite pause on expanding Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws to include individuals suffering solely from mental illnesses. The recommendation from the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, detailed in a comprehensive 88-page report released on June 17, 2026, suggests that Canada is not ready for this expansion, citing widespread concerns over safeguards and medical uncertainty. This development has turned what many feared would be a stressful countdown into a moment of profound gratitude for those who have been praying and advocating for protection. Under current federal law, individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a...

This summer, Calvin University’s January Series is reaching back into its archives to bring some memorable voices from years past to today’s audiences. The January Series in July offers rebroadcasts of selected presentations from the university’s long-running January Series. On July 15, the series featured Dr. John M. Perkins’s 2014 presentation, “Love Is the Final Fight: The Life and Legacy of John M. Perkins.” The rebroadcast came just months after Perkins, a pastor, author, civil-rights leader, and longtime advocate for Christian community development and racial reconciliation, died on March 13, 2026, at the age of 95. For Perkins, the work of justice and reconciliation became inseparable from his Christian faith. From Mississippi Poverty to Christian Faith Born in 1930 in...

The profound power of a simple invitation is something both Affie Duifhuis and Anneke Wikkerink know well. Affie and Anneke have been friends and Global Coffee Break leaders in British Columbia for decades, and their group has been meeting for 41 years. Affie says word of mouth and simply asking women to join keeps their group thriving, with over 40 participants at present. Sometimes an invitation changes a life, as it did for Annette, they said. When Annette joined Duncan (B.C.) CRC, it wasn’t long before Affie and Anneke invited her to join their Global Coffee Break (GCB) group. GCB is Resonate Global Mission’s small-group Bible study program, originally developed in the Christian Reformed Church and using Discover Your Bible...

For decades, Resonate Global Mission missionaries Abe and Elaine Lee have seen God transform lives through the “God’s Image” seminars they have led throughout Mexico and South America. Now they’re requesting prayers as they partner with church planter Pablo Lee to bring the seminars to a church plant in Hudsonville, Michigan. Iglesia Todas Las Naciones (All Nations Church) in Hudsonville is hosting a “God’s Image” seminar July 17-18 for members of the congregation and the surrounding Latino population. Through biblical teaching, guided reflection, small-group discussion, and prayer, participants explore God’s design for identity, relationships, and healing. “This seminar is a very good tool for Latin American Christians,” said Pablo, who experienced the impact of the ministry firsthand when he attended...

When the eight-month Hearts Exchanged learning journey comes to an end, a common, weighty question often arises for participants: What’s next? Reconciliation is a lifelong posture. Recognizing this, the Hearts Exchanged team is offering continued support to churches through Communities of Practice (CoPs) in partnership with Thriving Practices through Thrive and their grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. These groups are designed to extend the learning journey by an additional one to two years, providing coaching, peer connection, and grant funding to help local congregations turn head-knowledge into long-term, transformative action, equipping them to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous neighbors. Liz Tolkamp, a regional connector for Thrive, will be a participant in a British Columbia-based CoP starting this summer. Looking at...

After a four-day, three-state 50th-anniversary tour, members of the gospel group The Singing Hims filed off the tour bus late in the day at Faith Community Christian Reformed Church in Wyoming, Mich. They were tired but pleased to have performed time-honored praise music to audiences in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin as a way to celebrate five decades of singing their hearts out for God. While several chorus members have been part of the group for many years, two trace their participation to its beginning. One of them is Jack Ponstine, the group’s founder and director. He, in fact, organized the tour as a way to mark the span in which The Singing Hims have been performing in predominantly CRC congregations...