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.
Thank You Stuart! A tribute to a career of service and insights.
We, at Ministry Forum, are paying tribute to the upcoming retirement of The Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald, Professor of Church and Society, with a few tidbits we expect would be right up his alley—no, not about witches—DATA about faith and religion in North America.
If You Weren’t in Ministry Tomorrow… What Would Be Left of Your Faith?
“If I wasn’t in ministry tomorrow, what would be left of my faith?”
Carey Nieuwhof (church leader, author and coach) has asked this questions many times through his platform. It names a truth that too many of us are afraid to admit: ministry can become a substitute for relationship. When that happens, our souls grow dry. Our calling becomes a job. Our prayers lose their power. Jesus never called you to produce for Him. He called you to abide in Him.
Spotlight: Greater Ontario House of Prayer
this week, we want to highlight a place—and a movement—that reminds us all of the power and necessity of prayer: the Greater Ontario House of Prayer (GOHOP).
Resources for Prayer
This week, we want to speak not just to your ministry role, but to you. Because prayer isn’t just something we do for our congregations. It’s the very place where God meets us, renews us, and roots us in the work of the gospel.
For the Work of Chaplaincy: Resources to Support You
As conversations about the role of chaplains grow—particularly in light of recent reflections on the evolving landscape of spiritual care—we want to offer something practical: a growing list of resources to sustain and inspire you.
Ministry and Mental Health: Preaching, Presence, and People
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?
Something’s Stirring: A Call for Canadian Voices in Chaplaincy
In recent years, chaplaincy and spiritual care have undergone significant changes. With fewer people identifying with traditional religion and institutions placing more limits on overtly religious expression, chaplains are being asked to adapt. At the same time, there’s growing recognition of the value chaplains bring—whether faith-based or not. This tension raises vital questions for Christian leaders: How do we offer spiritual care in pluralistic or even secular settings? What distinguishes our ministry when others are also doing this work with compassion, but without faith? These shifts invite us to reflect deeply on our calling and how we serve in today’s complex, spiritually diverse world.
5 Resources to Help You Imagine Church Differently
Whether your congregation is starting to ask questions about building use, community presence, or mission renewal, these resources offer real-world stories and practical tools from diverse ministry contexts. They can help spark conversation and inspire action as you discern your next faithful step.
Resurrecting Leisure: Our Conversation with Rev. Dr. Jeff Crittenden
Reflecting on our May We Need to Listen gathering with Rev. Dr. Jeff Crittenden, who shared insights from his book Leisure Resurrected. Drawing on early Christian practices, Jeff explored how the Church’s understanding of leisure—as sacred, communal, and generative time—can offer a meaningful framework for ministry today. The post highlights key themes from the conversation and invites readers to consider how worship, rest, and community engagement might be reimagined in their own context.