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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.
Understanding the Canadian Church - A Reading List
If you’re the kind of leader who likes to dig deeper—who finds clarity through books, research, and reflection—this list is for you. We’ve gathered a few recent and insightful titles that speak directly to the Canadian church: where we’ve been, where we are, and where we might be heading.
Resources for Faith Formation & Discipleship
When we invest in Scripture, prayer, and shared practices over time, confidence grows, our ability to share our faith becomes easier, and ministry has deeper roots to weather change and challenges. To help you and your congregation invest in spiritual growth and formation we’ve gathered a roundup of resources from our Resource Hub. You’ll find tools for personal devotion and small groups, guides that teach the faith in plain language, simple helps for household prayer, and practical aids for sharing hope in Christ with kindness and clarity.
Centred Leaders, Healthier Churches
An anonymous voice nudged me to revisit Eugene Peterson’s Working the Angles and its enduring claim that prayer, Scripture, and spiritual direction are the basic pastoral acts - BEFORE anything else. If this stirs something in you—encouragement, resistance, or questions—you’re in the right place. Let’s keep practicing.
Tradition, Tension, and What the Church Could Look Like Beyond 2025
The following post gathers some key ideas that stuck out to us from the Dr. Stuart Macdonald podcast episode. This post is meant to be a place where we can revisit, discuss and apply some of what is put forward in the podcast episode. For additional context, we encourage you to listen to Rev. John’s earlier conversation with Dr. James Tyler Robertson.
Master of Psychospiritual Studies at Knox College
The Master of Psychospiritual Studies at Knox is a growing program with more and more students (of all ages) entering each year. We’ve had the pleasure of partnering with those who lead this program at Knox and in we though the week was the perfect time to highlight this program to you. Thinking about going back to school? Feeling called to Ministry? Know someone who is? Check out the MPS program at Knox.
Empowering Research in Spirituality: Reflections from Sara Traficante
Sara Traficante, our returning intern with Ministry Forum and a final-year Master of Psychospiritual Studies student at Knox College, recently attended the one-day "Empowering Research in Spirituality" conference, co-hosted by Ministry Forum and the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS) on October 3rd.