Ministry Forum Wrapped 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re celebrating a year of growth, connection, and faithful engagement across the Ministry Forum community. From a 200% increase in site traffic to deep conversations around spiritual care, creativity, and land stewardship, the data affirms what we’ve sensed all along—ministry is diverse, dynamic, and deeply needed. This year-end reflection offers a snapshot of what resonated, what surprised us (hello, Bible Study Printables!), and why we believe the strength of Ministry Forum lies in the web of connection we’re building together. Join us in looking back with gratitude—and ahead with hope.
Theology from the Margins: Laidlaw Lectureship 2026
Coming up in January 2026, the R. Laidlaw Memorial Lectureship will feature South African theologian and activist Dr. Stephan de Beer, along with the work of the Centre for Faith and Community at the University of Pretoria.
Merry Christmas from Ministry Forum 2025
Thanks for being a part of the Ministry Forum community! For reading and engaging and responding to what we’ve shared over this past year. I love hearing from our audience. For one, it helps me to feel our mission tangibly for myself - I’m not alone! For another deeper reason, it means that we are connecting with the realities of today’s ministry leaders and learning from you as to what is important, needed, and resonating.
New Bible Course Starting this January!
Starting in January, Ministry Forum will host Chaos and Cosmos: Creation Texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) — an 8-week online study led by Dr. Christine Mitchell, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Academic Dean at Knox College. This series will run from January 15 to March 5, 2026 and will offer participants an opportunity to explore the Bible’s creation stories through a variety of lenses, from ancient myth to ecological theology, gender, and beyond.
Christmas Book Wish List - 2025
This year’s Christmas Book Wish List is a wonderfully diverse mix: thoughtful fiction, timely non-fiction, spiritual reflections, page-turning mysteries, and picture books to share with the younger ones in your life.
Advent & Christmas Social Posts Based on The Lectionary
For this Advent and Christmas season, a different approach felt like it might be helpful. We’ve put together a simple collection of graphics (small “doodles,” really) created to accompany the Revised Common Lectionary readings for each week from now through December 27th. These images are intentionally simple: easy to share, easy to adapt, and meant especially for those who might be juggling many pieces of ministry planning during a busy season. Use one, use a few, use all of them - whatever works best for your context.
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We’re building something for the long haul, and we’re especially excited about what’s ahead in 2026. New offerings, new voices, new opportunities to gather and grow—it’s all in the works. And as we expand, we want to reach as many ministry leaders across Canada as possible.
Reflections from the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship
We invited the Rev. Katherine Burgess to share her thoughts and reflections after attending the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship in October. We were honoured to be one of the sponsors for the event.
Blue Christmas & Longest Night of the Year Resources
If you’re planning a Blue Christmas or Longest Night service, or if you’d like to offer some extra support to those who may be struggling, here are some resources that can help you create a meaningful experience.
Spaces of Encounter Conference
On Friday, November 14, we had the privilege of collaborating with the Toronto School of Theology to host its first-ever full-day conference, Spaces of Encounter: Interdisciplinary Conversations in Theological Research — and what a day it was!
Rediscovering The Art of Dynamic Bible Study
Sometimes, the best conversations aren't planned. This week on the podcast, we’re sharing an impromptu, off-camera moment that turned into something too good not to share. Dr. Derek Suderman, a Hebrew Bible scholar from Conrad Grebel University College, sat down with us to talk about Bible study—what it is, what it isn’t, and what it could be.
Returning to The Bible Again and Again | Resources We Love
We’re highlighting some of the Bible and Bible study resources currently available on our Resource Hub. These are tools that might support you as you step into the Advent season, prepare for a new year of ministry, or simply seek a deeper connection with God in your personal faith journey.
Grieving When You Are the Leader
When someone in your congregation passes away, it can be a deeply emotional time for everyone, including you. As a ministry leader, you’re there to offer comfort, guidance, and support—but that doesn’t mean you’re immune to the grief and loss. It’s okay to feel sad, to take a moment for yourself, and to acknowledge the weight of the moment. Taking care of yourself isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential.
Here are some simple ways to be gentle with yourself as you walk with others through this difficult time.
Reflecting on National Grief and Bereavement Day 2025
One of the great gifts of ministry is creating space for grief. There are times we do this very well, and other times we struggle to know what to do. I’ll share a few vignettes and resources that have inspired me to learn new ways to be present to grief.
Advent Resources for 2025
Wherever you find yourself in the planning process, we want to offer a few resources that we’ve found helpful in our own ministry work. Some are trusted favourites with refreshed content for 2025, while others are brand new this year. Whether you’re walking through Advent with a congregation, a small group, or your own household, we hope these offerings will encourage you, inspire you, and help create space for reflection and renewal in this sacred season.
Worship 101 with Anne Miller
We’ve had the privilege of working alongside Anne Miller over the past few months as she prepared to launch her newest resource for lay preachers and worship leaders: Worship 101: A Guide to Planning and Leading (out now!!).
The Preaching Collective: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis and Participants.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis and participants from Knox College’s Preaching Collective—a retreat and ongoing community designed to equip and encourage preachers across Canada. The group shares honest reflections on the joys and anxieties of preaching, the power of collaboration, and the growing role of lay leaders in worship leadership. Together, they explore what it means to preach faithfully in a changing church and how companionship in ministry can renew courage and creativity in the pulpit. This episode is a reminder that no one preaches alone—and that the Spirit works best in community.
Asking Better Questions | Highlighting St. Paul’s in Hamilton
This past June, as part of our Creative Ways 2025 conference in Hamilton, we had the privilege of welcoming The Rev. Dr. Mark Lewis, interim moderator of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, to reflect with us on just this kind of question. Many of you in the Presbyterian Church in Canada may already know Mark as the Moderator of the 128th General Assembly in 2002. Today, he continues to offer thoughtful, grounded leadership at St. Paul’s Hamilton. Today we wanted to share a bit of the congregation’s story with you because we believe it offers a compelling example of what it means to listen deeply to one’s context and respond with courage and care.
Canadian Church Research Gathering 2025 at Wycliffe College
If you’re someone who loves graphs, spreadsheets, and data that tells a story—you’ll want to go deeper into what the data is saying about the Christian Church in Canada… so mark your calendar for the upcoming Canadian Church Research Gathering at Wycliffe College.
Christianity is the choice for Gen-Z
Could it be true? Is Gen Z really leading a resurgence in church attendance? From the UK to the US—and even here in Canada—data points to a surprising and hopeful trend: young adults are re-engaging with the Church. Reports from the Bible Society, Barna, and CTV’s Your Morning suggest that younger generations are attending more regularly than their elders—a reversal of decades-long patterns. But what does this mean for our congregations, our rhythms, and our readiness to welcome them? At Ministry Forum, we’re digging into these questions and listening closely to those ministering with the Next Generation. We want to know—are you seeing it too? Let’s keep the conversation going.