Trauma-Informed Practice: Fundamental Concepts for Complex Workplaces
Thanks to some additional funds from the Lilly Grant Foundation, we’re hosting monthly webinars are several important topics between now and November.
How to Practice A Flourishing Ministry | Duke Clergy & Religion Research Collaborative
What does it actually mean to be well in ministry? The team at Duke’s Clergy & Religion Research Collaborative explores this question in their Fully Alive resource—a guide to cultivating deep, sustainable well-being in ministry.
Trauma-Informed Preaching
In our churches today, we preach to congregations where people are carrying untold burdens — personal pain, communal grief, generational wounds, every type of trauma. The pulpit is not immune to these realities either. Preachers bring their own scars, questions, and unresolved tensions into the sacred task of proclamation.
Knowing this, how do we preach in a way that acknowledges trauma without re-opening wounds?
How can our sermons participate in healing without bypassing the brokenness?
Reading in Community: ICS’s Summer Read, On Tyranny
If you’re like our team at Ministry Forum then summer is a time to slowing oyur pace, catch up on good books, and reconnect with the deeper questions that shape our faith and practice. That’s why we want to highlight an offering from our neighbours at the Institute for Christian Studies (ICS): their 2025 Summer Read, featuring Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.
Just do ONE thing.
Years ago, when I was on an Inter-mission (if you don’t know what that is… check it out here!) I discovered that I would be OFF for 100 Days. So for those 100 Days I committed to doing just one thing. Each day I’d have one thing I wanted to accomplish - it could be visiting somewhere, fixing something around my home, completing a task from start to finish - but it was always just ONE THING and when it was done. The rest of the day was my own to simply be. It was an amazing way to approach this intentional time away from my ministry context. Just do the one thing!
Inter-mission: People are asking, so let’s talk about it!
More and more ministry leaders are talking about it —some are exploring the possibility, others are making plans, and many are asking: Could I take one too? At Ministry Forum, we’ve returned to this topic often—not just because it’s timely, but because we’re deeply passionate about it. We believe in ministry that is sustainable, grounded, and spiritually whole. And Inter-mission can be a powerful part of that journey.
Celebrating Sara Traficante: A Year of Listening, Leading, and Lifting Voices
Sara has been a deeply thoughtful and grounding presence in our community. She brings a combination of professionalism, warmth, and spiritual depth to everything she’s been a part of here at Ministry Forum. Sara really cares about people and working alongside her has been a constant reminder that faithful ministry is always relational at its core
Creative Ways: Insights from our Interns
As the academic year concludes, we’ve asked Sara and Rachel, our Ministry Forum interns to share their reflections and take aways from Creative Ways 2025.
Celebrating Rachel Kennedy-Proctor: Hope and Bold Leadership for the Future Church
Whether preaching, podcasting, or mentoring youth, Rachel models the kind of leadership that listens deeply and speaks prophetically—never shying away from the tough questions but always pointing us toward hope. We’ve been encouraged by her wisdom, challenged by her insights, and inspired by her heart for the Church’s future.
General Assembly 2025: Reflections and Take Aways
We celebrated the PCC’s 150th General Assembly with gratitude and hope. Key highlights included the “Narratives of Hope and Possibility,” new calls to prayer and action, and a renewed commitment to communication and change.
Recap: Creative Ways 2025
On Sunday, June 1st we hosted Creative Ways 2025 as a space for ministry leaders to explore how the Church can respond faithfully and creatively to today’s complex needs. This year’s gathering focused on justice, housing, reconciliation, and prayer—rooted in real stories and courageous leadership.
Interview with The Rev. Dr. Paul Scott
In November 2024, The Rev. John Borthwick, Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning and Curator of Ministry Forum took the opportunity while on retreat at Sumac Centre with some clergy colleagues to interview The Rev. Dr. Paul Scott, Sumac’s resident director. Paul recently celebrated his 60th anniversary of graduation from Knox College at the College’s 40+ Alumni Luncheon held last month. Unfortunately, the audio recording of this interview was corrupted (“Not surprisingly”, we imagine Paul would say!) and we weren’t able to turn it into an episode of The Ministry Forum Podcast. So instead, we’ve salvaged some of the nuggets of the conversation and we’re sharing them here with you!
What I learned at the Ministry Mental Health Summit
Heather Robinson, a recent MTS graduate, shares her reflections from attending the Ministry Mental Health Summit, sponsored in part by Ministry Forum. Drawing on Dr. Hillary McBride’s keynote on embodiment and sustainable care in ministry, Heather unpacks how spiritual trauma—what McBride calls "Holy Hurt"—can be addressed through a holistic understanding of the body and healing. Her insights are a heartfelt reminder that ministry leaders are not alone in their journey toward mental and spiritual restoration.
The Sanctuary Course: Bring Mental Health Ministry to Your Congregation
With endorsements from Ministry Forum members and a flexible, accessible design, The Sanctuary Course offers churches a meaningful way to support mental wellness through small groups, staff discussions, or formation programs.
Resources for LGBTQI+ Inclusion
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.
Resource Hub 2025
The Resource Hub has one simple goal: to equip ministry leaders with tools that are practical, diverse, and accessible. Whether your focus is pastoral care, youth work, administration, or preaching we want the Resource Hub to meet you where you are.
Why We Love Ministry Forum
As we mark this season of growth and look ahead with gratitude and anticipation, we wanted to pause and reflect on what this work has meant to us. The reflections that follow come from members of the Ministry Forum team - each offering a glimpse into why this work continues to matter and what they have seen take root through it.
A Year of Transformational Growth
Our comprehensive Year in Review has been presented to the Knox College Faculty, staff, and Board of Governors, showcasing how our little start-up has quickly taken shape into a thriving institutional cornerstone. This growth positions us to fully realize our mission: empowering ministry leaders to flourish in their callings knowing that they are not alone as they do so.
Losing Our Religion? Digging into Canada’s Spiritual Landscape
Exploring insights from Statistics Canada’s podcast episode “Losing Our Religion? It’s Not That Simple.” Despite rising religious disaffiliation, Canadians are still engaging with spirituality in diverse and personal ways. We reflect on how ministry leaders can respond to these shifting patterns—not with fear, but with imagination, compassion, and renewed hope in the gospel. The Church may be changing, but God is still at work.
What the Data Is Telling Us About Ministry in 2025
We’re reflecting on the growing sense of fatigue, isolation, and spiritual disconnection among pastoral leaders—confirmed by research from Barna, Pew, ATS, and others. We explore how shifting congregational motivation, declining spiritual practices, and gaps in theological education are shaping today’s ministry landscape. But we also offer a word of hope rooted in the gospel: God is still at work. With prayer, honest connection, and renewed practices, there is a path toward resilience. You are not alone.