Being With is a ten-session course that explores Christian faith and life through small-group conversation and storytelling. Designed for those who are curious about faith, returning to Christianity, or on the edges of church life, it requires no previous biblical knowledge. Each session combines personal reflection, attentive listening, a short presentation, and open conversation around themes including meaning, Jesus, church, suffering, prayer, and the cross.

Our partner in the Book Walk project is Storytime Trail, a non-profit who are coordinating the sale of these kits at cost. Ministry Forum doesn't make a cent on it either. This isn't a product we're selling you. It's simply something we believe in: that a meaningful, outdoor, intergenerational experience can do real good in the life of a congregation, and open a creative, welcoming door to the wider community. We'd love to see as many congregations as possible have that experience.

While many ministry leaders initially embraced livestreaming as a necessity during the pandemic, questions linger about its role in a post-pandemic church. Does online worship weaken in-person attendance? Who benefits most from online church? And how does it align with the theological vision of “church”? Drawing from the latest research and cultural reflections, this post explores the complexities of online church and offers guidance for ministry leaders.

Here’s something we Presbyterians don’t talk about much… NEW congregations… apparently they are taking root across Canada. And Dr. James Watson has been on a mission to figure out what it takes to help them grow?

The Unthinkable Resource Hub is a curated collection of books, articles, videos, podcasts, guides, courses, and organizations focused on climate change and mental health. Covering topics such as climate anxiety, ecological grief, emotional resilience, climate justice, and community support, it provides evidence-informed resources for individuals, educators, mental health professionals, and faith leaders seeking to better understand and respond to climate-related emotional wellbeing.

Church Training Center provides consulting, coaching, governance training, and financial leadership support for churches. Its resources help pastors, church councils, treasurers, and lay leaders strengthen governance structures, financial practices, strategic planning, and leadership processes so congregations can steward their mission with clarity and accountability.

The nice thing about video is that it lets people get to know your church before they visit. Instead of just reading about your community, they’re greeted by a real person and can see what a Sunday morning is like.

This doesn’t have to be complicated (actually, it’s better if it isn’t).

It is never a bad time to invest in learning more about YOU… if you haven't taken the time before, maybe this summer is a good time to start.

Enter the Bible is a free online resource from Luther Seminary that helps readers engage Scripture with greater confidence, depth, and understanding.

Back in May, our team spent a day at Camp Cairn with staff from the three Ontario Presbyterian camps - Cairn, Gracefield and Kintail. The camps brought their year-round and seasonal staff together before summer began. They did some training and planning, connected with each other, and just enjoyed being together before the busy season started.

Our team was invited to come up for the day and spend some time with the staff and hear about what it’s like to serve in this area of ministry today.

Summer is often a time of transitions. Sometimes we are saying goodbye and other times we are saying hello. Doing this well can allow people who have served faithfully to leave feeling valued and loved. Welcoming new ministry leaders with intention and care can set them up for flourishing.

There’s a stereotype about rural churches — that folks who worship there aren’t open to new perspectives, that they won’t engage diverse theologies or biblical scholarship. Anyone who’s lived and worked in those communities knows this simply isn’t true. 

Earlier this month, Ministry Forum Director, The Rev. John Borthwick had the opportunity to preach as part of Knox College’s annual Soccer Sunday service - a celebration that brought together faith, community, and the rich history of the beautiful game.

One of the churches we’re working with through our Virtual Front Porch Initiative shared something in their application that caught our attention. They talked about becoming a church with an intentionally strong culture of inviting.

It’s a phrase not often heard in mainline church circles, but it was intriguing!

We're offering one ministry pair the opportunity to attend The Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship 2026 together.

If you've missed an episode, or just want to revisit a conversation that resonated with you, now is a great time to catch up. We would be honoured if the Ministry Forum Podcast became part of your summer listening rhythm.

In April, we held kick-off meetings to gather all those interested in participating in the first cohort of Listening Partners, and we have collected application forms.

In collaboration with other Ontario-based peer support organizations, we have begun building a comprehensive training program for our first cohort of listening partners to ensure they feel well-equipped to engage in listening conversations. 

To ensure that all Listening Partners have time to complete their training - and to respect the need for rest and time away during the summer months - we are postponing training for our first cohort to begin in September of this year. 

No agenda. No expectation that everyone will agree. Just a space to listen well, speak honestly, and reflect together on the updates, reports, conversations, and chatterings from General Assembly 2026.

As we continue through Pride Month, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering inclusive, welcoming spaces within our faith communities. The Ministry Forum Resource Hub offers a curated selection of resources designed to support churches in their journey toward greater LGBTQI2S+ inclusion. These resources aim to equip ministry leaders with the tools and insights necessary to create environments where all individuals feel seen, valued, and loved.

This week on the Ministry Forum Podcast, we’re joined by Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim for a conversation about climate justice, theology, water, suffering, connection, and the ways creation care touches every part of ministry.

After a recent conversation on the Ministry Forum Podcast with Rev. Julielee Stitt about rural ministry in Eastern Ontario, we spent some time reflecting on the themes that surfaced throughout the discussion. Alongside insights from pastors, ministry leaders, articles, and books focused on rural church life, this piece explores what rural congregations might still teach the wider church about community, participation, hospitality, pastoral care, and faithful presence. While rural churches face very real challenges, they also continue to embody forms of shared life and belonging that feel increasingly important in today’s fragmented culture.

So, a while ago, we shared the news that Revival is happening although it is Quiet. This came from reports out of the UK and the US that data was showing that young people were expressing interest in Christianity, the Bible, and the Church. Now, the data points were relatively small… but the report from The Bible Society of the UK was meant to be encouraging.

A year on… and they have a confession to make. The data that they used was flawed…