How To: Share The Stories Of Your Congregation
What if you could show people the life behind the numbers? What if, instead of just stating that “85 people attended the Easter sunrise service,” you also shared the story of one woman who found deep comfort in that gathering after a hard season of grief? Now that’s a testimony. That’s a window into the Spirit at work.
That’s why we want to encourage (and resource) you to share the stories behind your church’s ministry. Whether you use a video interview, a print out, a live testimony or a slide show, storytelling brings your ministry to life in a way data can’t.
A Deeper Way to Connect: What I Learned from Amber Johnson
Amber offers a two step plan to connect more deeply with your loved ones, work colleagues, and new acquaintances. And, you know what, it might also make you feel less alone despite the multiplicity of connections you may have.
Tell Stories that Bear Witness To Your Numbers
It’s the start of Annual Meeting season both in the non-profit and church world. It is where, despite how many words may appear in an annual report, the numbers reign supreme - in most contexts!
But if you’d like to change that dynamic… I’d encourage you to fight the powers and principalities by crafting a narrative budget or a pictorial slide show of the life of your ministry or tell stories and share testimonies, or why not just do all of it?! Celebrate.
Winners Announced: 2025 New Subscribers Contest
We had 12 people from Central sign up for the Ministry Forum email list—12! From one congregation! That’s amazing, and we’re so thankful to each one of you who newly subscribed in the months of November and December.
New Models for Ministry in 2026?
I’m often in spaces where people are wondering about new models for ministry. Here is one area I’ve been thinking a lot of about…
Theology In The Margins
A free, fully virtual event where we’ll be exploring what it means to think about theology from the perspective of people and places often left out of the conversation. It’s for anyone who cares about faith, justice, cities, and building community. No degrees required - just curiosity and openness.
Becoming Intercultural - Online Learning Journey from the PCC
In February 2026, the PCC’s Intercultural Office will launch Becoming Intercultural, the first in a new three-part online learning series designed to help participants grow in intercultural awareness and engagement. This 8-module course This 8-module course introduces key concepts like cultural humility, unconscious bias, and intercultural communication. The material is grounded in a theological framework and supported by stories, reflection questions, and practical tools.
Pet Ministry - It’s a thing!
I recently learned of a new book that celebrates this ministry and offers some amazingly practical advice and ideas for integrating this outreach to pet people and their animals. It’s called, New Tricks: How Pet Ministry Can Transform Faith Communities and Change Lives by pastor Betsy Singleton Snyder and longtime animal advocate Gayle McKuin Fiser.
Growing and Maintaining Hope in Uncertain Times
It's getting harder and harder to maintain hope in our world. As many of us grow more skeptical about the possibility of change, leaders in many spaces are compelled to continue to preach hope, to hold hope, to model hope. How do we do it? Is hope even practical? Join us as we explore the intersection of faith, hope, and justice, and dive into Hope Theory to learn together how to grow and foster hope in ourselves and in those we lead.
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.
Subscribe, and YOU Could Be A Ministry Forum Winner!
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.