Let’s Talk: How Do YOU feel about Technology & Ministry?
We’re starting this dialogue now and continuing it throughout the year. What we gather will shape how we think, what resources we highlight, and how we support each other. So whether you’re experimenting with AI or resisting it altogether, we want to hear from you. Because ministry is not about keeping up with what’s new—it’s about staying connected to what’s real: the people you serve, the calling you’ve received, and the Gospel you proclaim!
Is AI Taking Over?
It seems that AI is everywhere these days. Lots of it without me even asking for it. And the Church is talking about it too.
Should We Use This AI Tool in Our Church? A Discernment Checklist
We might feel unprepared for this moment, but we are not unequipped. As church leaders we are called to discern and ask deeper questions: not just “can we use this?” or “how quickly can we adopt it?” but “is this good?” “what does it form in us?” “how does it shape the community we are called to serve?”. Discernment will help us stay grounded in wisdom, shaped by scripture, prayer, and community.
That’s the work we want to invite you into in this reflection.
Faith That Lasts: Resources for Faith Development At All Ages
This month at Ministry Forum, we’re paying special attention to intergenerational ministry and next-generation formation. We’re thinking about Sunday School, youth group, and family faith practices. But more than that, we’re thinking about what it means to offer something deeper than attendance and answers. We’re asking how we might invest in a faith that’s real, resilient, and rooted—one that won’t unravel when life gets complex, or when A + B no longer equals C.
For Such A Time As This: What do you preach at an ordination in 2025?
In the evening heat of July 20th in the sanctuary of Knox Oakville, our Ministry Forum Intern, Rachel moved from recently graduated student of Knox College to The Rev. Rachel Kennedy-Proctor, newly ordained and soon to be inducted minister of Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church, Mississauga. We celebrate with Rachel and her family and friends and were honoured to be present and participate in a small part in her ordination.
Intergenerational Ministry: More Radical than We Realize
Our next Ministry Forum webinar takes place on Wednesday, September 18 at 1:00pm ET. This one focuses on intergenerational ministry, and the questions it invites us to ask about the shape of our worship, our formation practices, and our life together.
We’ll be joined by Dr. David Csinos, a researcher, writer, and educator who has spent years thinking with churches about how people grow in faith. David brings a thoughtful and grounded approach to the work of helping communities include all ages in meaningful ways. His experience is rooted in both theology and practice.
Fall Webinars - Coming Soon
In the spring we brainstormed how we might use these remaining funds to support ministry leaders: What if we could address some of the topics that feel especially weighty and worth wrestling with right now?
Our goal was to offer a space that felt thoughtful, grounded, and led by experts and deep thinkers in a diverse areas of topics (many that were reference in our original listening sessions)
So far this summer, we’ve held two of these sessions, and they’ve both sparked really meaningful conversations.
Resources for Church Conflict
We’ve gathered a selection of resources—articles, videos, tools, and book recommendations—to help you and your teams explore these topics more deeply. Whether you are looking to strengthen trust, navigate disagreement with grace, or build clarity around shared goals, we hope this collection will serve as a practical starting point.
Is Your Ministry Team Dysfunctional?
Early this year, as a part of Knox College’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) retreat, I was invited to share some insights from Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” - a book that I had encouraged our leadership to read. Let me state from the outset that the title of the book can be jarring since it appears to label the reader as a part of the dysfunction which has negative connotations
Why Christian Unity Matters in a Divided World
The Church is beautifully diverse. Across the globe, Christians worship in different languages, with different styles, and through different cultural expressions. Even within denominations, there are rich variations in theology, liturgy, and ministry. These differences are not obstacles to overcome; they’re gifts to celebrate! They reflect the creative work of God and the depth of God’s kingdom.
Transform Your City
The local church has a unique opportunity—and a sacred calling—to be a visible sign of hope and unity right where it is planted. When we pay attention to the life of our neighbourhoods, listening deeply to the stories and longings of the people around us, we are embodying the Gospel in ways that words alone cannot. Whether you serve in an urban or rural congregation, engaging your community is part of participating in the mission of God to reconcile and renew all things.
Churches Connecting with Churches
We’re highlighting the work of City Leaders Collective - a movement to unite local churches around the common goal of serving and transforming their city.
Maybe one of these collectives exists in your city already… or maybe you’d be interested in starting one. I’d encourage you to explore them more fully and see how you can, in collaboration with a diversity of partners make a difference in the place where you have been planted
Your Input 2025
What conversations do you wish more ministry spaces were having?
What questions have been pressing on your heart or mind?
What resources, stories, or examples would encourage you or equip you in your ministry?
Are there areas where you feel alone or unseen—and where connection could make a difference?
Toxic Masculinity and the Church: A Call to Pay Attention
There's an undercurrent running through Christianity today that many of us sense but struggle to name. Perhaps you've noticed it in the rhetoric that conflates strength with aggression, leadership with dominance, or faithfulness with unwavering loyalty to certain political or cultural positions. Maybe you've wondered why some Christian spaces feel more like battlegrounds than sanctuaries, or why the Jesus who wept and welcomed children sometimes seems overshadowed by a warrior-king who looks suspiciously like a Hollywood cowboy.
Church Hurt: 6 Resources You Should Know About
We are in the beginning days of an ongoing conversation about creating cultures of safety, accountability, and grace. This week, we’re opening this conversation up to our Ministry Forum community - we’re talking about toxic masculinity in the church in our companion post and in this post were highlighting several resources that may be helpful to those who have been hurt, and some for those in leadership seeking to better understand and care for them. We hope these will be a helpful starting point for reflection, conversation, and healing.
Tech Resources for Ministry
A round-up of ai based tech resources we’ve added to the hub—think of them as friendly helpers ready to make your ministry life just a little bit smoother.
5 Tech Tools to Boost Efficiency in Ministry
5 practical tech tools that can handle those everyday challenges—like scheduling, writing, and content creation—so you can get back to what matters most: serving your people.
Good Robots? Ethical and Philosophical questions surrounding AI
Good Robot is a compelling four-part series from Vox's Unexplainable podcast, created in partnership with their Future Perfect team. The series explores "the stories shaping the future of AI" through a thoughtful lens that balances both the promise and perils of artificial intelligence.
7 Reasons Why You Should Have An Annual Planning Retreat For Your Church
The bulletin needs finishing
Someone’s asking about tables for the potluck
The sink in the church kitchen is leaking again
…And your inbox is full of half-answered emails.
So much of ministry is lived in the swirl of the immediate—reactive, necessary, busy. And sometimes meaningful, yes. But often it leaves little room for the chance to ask: Where are we actually going?
That’s where the idea of a planning retreat comes in - we’re not talking about a long weekend of spreadsheets and strategies. We’re talking about stepping away—literally—from the building and the bulletin and the “Sunday is always coming” cycle. We’re talking about gathering a few thoughtful, trusted leaders from your congregation, and giving yourselves the gift of time and space to ask important questions
Becoming Ourselves with AI A conversation about change, faith, and possibility
Thanks to some additional funds from the Lilly Grant Foundation, we’re hosting monthly webinars are several important topics between now and November.