Mental health is certainly not a new topic of interest here at Ministry Forum.

We often advocate for the mental well-being of ministry leaders—encouraging rhythms of rest, retreat, and inter-mission. We've shared resources on burnout, hosted conversations about clergy wellness, and supported events that remind us: you can't pour from an empty cup.

But there’s a deeper layer to this conversation that we want to explore more intentionally:
How does mental health shape your preaching?
Your pastoral care?
Your leadership?
Are you engaging these realities from the pulpit and in your ministry practices?

This week on the podcast Rev. John Borthwick chats with Rev. Dr. Kristine O'Brien, the Executive Director of Crieff Hills Retreat Centre. Kristine reflects on her shift from congregational ministry to leading Crieff Hills, stressing how vital Sabbath rest and breaks (or "intermissions") are for avoiding burnout and sparking creativity in ministry. She talks about how taking intentional time for rest can refresh ministry leaders, helping them serve more effectively. Kristine also shares how Crieff Hills has evolved, now welcoming a variety of groups—from nonprofits to different faith traditions. The centre focuses on hospitality, spiritual renewal, and even innovative projects like ecological farming. This discussion highlights the importance of rest, creativity, and adaptability for healthy and thriving ministry.

Your church has the unique opportunity to be a place of purpose, belonging, and hope for your community.

You can reach the lost, the broken, the hurting. And you can be the best expression of Jesus to them. But how do you reach a lost world in need without understanding who they are?

Join the Church Mental Health Summit to better understand the needs in your community. What if free access to this summit made all the difference in reaching the lost?

One of my favourite books, that I’ve mentioned before, is Flourishing in Ministry by Matt Bloom. I think everyone who serves as a minister should read it - and I think it should be required reading for congregational leaders too. I think many of the concepts also translate to other areas of ministry leadership.

Inspired by the webinar “Preventing Burnout and Promoting Flourishing Among Clergy” from Common Table Conversations, let’s have a conversation about Burnout as we approach the fall—a time when work new expectations, meetings, and initiatives begin to pile up, and your next season of rest seems to be a million miles away.

May is Mental Health Month and we are delighted to be one of the many sponsors of Ministry Mental Health Summit Canada coming up on May 22 - 23. The summit looks amazing and comprehensive covering topics of how to reach out and support those struggling with mental health issues through your ministry context and tending to your own mental wellbeing as a ministry leader.

In this post we’re offering you some searchable sites to find a practitioner that might be a helpful companion for you as you serve in ministry. I’ve always said that sometimes we need to pay someone to focus on listening to us when we spend so much of our time and energy listening to everyone else. It is an invaluable investment in ourselves.

One finding that fascinated me - and connects with how we may be feeling at the moment - was this: almost 100% of pastors acknowledge that it is somewhat true that their mental health is important while half use none of the identified services for personal, spiritual, or mental health support (like counsellors, spiritual directors, coaches, psychotherapists, etc)…

Resources for spiritual care providers and chaplains serving in LTC across Canada.

Being a leader in the Church today is hard. Join John and a Special Guest Host as they open up the room to listen and learn from one another. Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed. Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find: - support and encouragement - accountability and celebration - ideas and strategies and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.

A passionate proponent of regular sabbaticals, our Director, John shares his experience around the benefits of taking intentional breaks as a way of sustaining one for the life of ministry. If you’ve never heard of Inter-mission, then this webinar is definitely for you. The session will not be recorded since we want to ensure the safety and confidentiality of our attendees.