Renewal and Resources for Ministry - Updated!

renewal
Written By Ministry Forum

We shared some of these resources last year and thought it would be timely to share them again alongside the ever growing number of resources we’ve added to the Ministry Forum Resource Hub. Let us know if you find these resources helpful or if you have one we should add to the list!

Resources for Congregational Renewal

Featured
Church Vitalization Canada
Church Vitalization Canada

Church Vitalization Canada is dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by plateaued and declining churches across the nation. They offer a range of resources and events aimed at revitalizing congregations and fostering growth.

Alpha Canada: Reigniting Hope
Alpha Canada: Reigniting Hope

Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada, along with Dr. Joel Thiessen discuss the report, Reigniting Hope: Sharing the Good News in Canada in 2024.

Narratives of Hope and Possibility– PCC Toolkit
Narratives of Hope and Possibility– PCC Toolkit

The Narrative of Hope and Possibility initiative by The Presbyterian Church in Canada is progressing with a working group of up to 20 members, representing diverse backgrounds and ministries. Their goal is to gather and share stories that highlight renewal and transformation within the church, especially in uncertain times. This initiative emphasizes the church’s core message of God’s love, forgiveness, and peace through Jesus Christ.

ChurchTrac
ChurchTrac

ChurchTrac is an all-in-one church management platform designed to streamline administrative tasks, including member management, attendance tracking, donation tracking, and worship planning. With built-in communication tools, a free church website, and online giving options, it helps churches stay organized and focused on ministry.

Center for Church Renewal
Center for Church Renewal

The Center for Church Renewal helps in revitalizing churches and supporting leaders in their renewal journeys. They offer a free church health assessment to help you evaluate your congregation's current state and identify areas for growth.

Lifeway Research
Lifeway Research

Lifeway Research assists and equips church leaders with insight and advice that will lead to greater levels of church health and effectiveness. Frequent surveys on today’s church and culture demonstrate our knowledge of the dynamics of ministry today and our understanding of the realities of the culture we live in.

The Prayer Course
The Prayer Course

The Prayer Course is a free, online resource designed to help individuals and groups explore the depths of prayer in an engaging and accessible way. Rooted in the Lord’s Prayer, it offers a series of interactive video sessions that combine practical teaching with reflective exercises, fostering a deeper understanding of prayer’s transformative power.

Spiritual First Aid
Spiritual First Aid

Spiritual First Aid is a comprehensive program designed to equip individuals with the skills to provide compassionate care during times of crisis. Their on-demand certificate course offers a self-paced learning experience, allowing you to complete it in about six hours. For those interested in group learning, they provide a facilitator-led course structured over six sessions, each lasting 90 minutes to two hours, for in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats.

Partnership for ReNEWal
Partnership for ReNEWal

Partnership for ReNEWal is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting churches as they navigate modern challenges in attendance, financial sustainability, community engagement, and ministry effectiveness. PfR offers a mission-first approach that helps congregations focus on serving others by discovering and embracing their divine purpose, creating actionable ministry plans, and establishing sustainable models for growth and vitality.

Next Church
Next Church

NEXT Church is a network within and beyond the Presbyterian Church (USA) that connects church leaders to foster transformation, justice, and resilience in ministry. NEXT Church emphasizes relational strength, leadership development, and confronting oppressive systems to help congregations and leaders embody God’s vision for the common good. The network creates collaborative spaces, equips leaders to navigate cultural change, and promotes experimental approaches to ministry. Resources offered by NEXT Church include Cultivated Ministry for adaptive accountability, the Antiracism as a Way of Being course, and a group-oriented Restoration Bible Study.

The UNSTUCK Group
The UNSTUCK Group

The Unstuck Group is a consulting organization that helps churches overcome growth barriers by providing strategic guidance and practical support to pastors and church leaders. Founded by Tony Morgan, the group offers a structured process known as the Unstuck Process, which includes assessment, strategic planning, and ongoing coaching. This approach is designed to help churches clarify vision, align teams, develop effective structures, and create actionable plans for sustainable impact. The Unstuck Group works with churches through both virtual and in-person consulting options, emphasizing alignment, accountability, and follow-through.

Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Formed within Wesley Theological Seminary in 2003, the Lewis Center for Church Leadership is dedicated to promoting the effective and faithful practice of Christian leadership in the church and the world. Over the past 17 years, the Center has become a trusted resource for church leadership ideas, research, resources, and training. The Center helps seminary students, clergy, lay leaders, and denominational leaders enhance their leadership effectiveness and develop leadership in others.

The Stories We Tell Conference

The presenters at “The Stories We Tell” Conference hosted by the Tyndale Intercultural Ministry Centre in mid-January spoke into these kinds of questions. You can watch the recordings here

Explosively Alive: Stories of Catholic Renewal

Dr. Catherine Holtmann and Dr. Sam Reimer share their findings.

 

Resonant Relationship and Contemplative Spiritual Disciplines as a Congregational Focus

Dr. Mark Chapman shares his findings.

 

Congregational Storytelling and Culture Building: Navigating Transitions in One Catholic Parish

Dr. Joel Thiessen share his findings.

 

Cultivating Repertoires of Resilience: The Power of Stories to Redefine Times of Challenge & Change

Dr. Katie Steeves and Dr. Jason Burtt share their findings.

Watch the playlist on YouTube here.

How (and Why) Canadians become Christians:
Five Lessons from Recent Research. 

A new colleague at Wycliffe College, Jeremy McClung - the Transitional Director of the Institute of Evangelism - recently shared an article on this topic entitled: How (and Why) Canadians become Christians: Five Lessons from Recent Research. 

In the article Jeremy references a report he coauthored with John Bowen, the former Director of the Institue of Evangelism - Finding Faith in Canada. The report reveals some interesting and exciting data including that Canadians continue embracing Christianity, highlighting the complexity of conversion, the simplicity of effective evangelism, and the significance of both church involvement and Scripture in spiritual journeys.

Research-based guidelines for leading the church in a new era of ministry

One of our Ministry Forum community members passed along the article “Researched-based guidelines for leading the church in a new era a ministry. to me recently. Again, based on recent research, it touches on some of the realities / tensions that ministry leaders are encountering today including:

  • Recognizing Change

  • Embracing Hybrid Options

  • Listening to Woman

  • Care For Lose and Grief

  • New Forms of Collaboration

  • Confronting Racial Injustice

  • And more

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