Prayer & Bible Study Initiative Update #1
The projects associated with our Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. all stem from ideas we had as we began the Centre almost three years ago now. The Grant is helping us to bring them to life and at a much larger scale. You can read more about the “You Are Not Alone” Project here: ministryforum.ca/not-alone.
“Catching the Spark: A New Presbyterian-Mennonite Collaboration to Renew Bible Study Across Canada” is definitely one of those projects that I’ve been talking about as I’ve grown in friendship with Dr. Derek Suderman from Conrad Grebel University College for over a decade now. Catching the Spark is a brand of facilitated Bible Study experiences offered as weekend or multi-week ecumenical gatherings hosted in Presbyterian and Mennonite congregations. They are designed around a few key convictions:
Scripture still has something to say, people need to have positive experiences studying scripture, and diverse communities can discover and replicate this together.
The first of the Catching the Spark series will focus on the Book of Ruth. Beginning this Fall, a four-week study will run at a Mennonite Church in Waterloo on Thursday evenings. A weekend retreat will follow in November in the Listowel area. In early 2027, weekend gatherings are being planned for Niagara region and Wellington County. Future invitations are being considered for subsequent years in other parts of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. All of these experiences are in-person.
At the heart of Catching the Spark is Dr. Suderman's questioning methodology: a structured approach to reading Scripture that moves through observation, interpretation, and application using open and closed questions. Rather than delivering answers, facilitators learn to ask better questions and trust the text to do its work. Dr. Suderman has spent years developing and refining this approach with diverse communities from university students to congregational groups. The Catching the Spark series offers a living laboratory for continuing to workshop this pedagogical approach across multiple years and contexts.
This Bible Study initiative is supported through a collaboration between Ministry Forum, Dr. Derek Suderman, and Conrad Grebel with the blessing of both MCEC and Mennonite Church Canada, alongside a parallel partnership with Mennonite Church Canada International Witness to support Derek’s teaching in various international contexts.
Follow our regular emails to learn when a Catching the Spark event is coming to a community near you. If you are interested in hosting future experiences, please reply to this email and we will put you on our growing list for the years to come.