Resources for Church Administration & Management
Administration Ministry Forum Administration Ministry Forum

Resources for Church Administration & Management

Whether you’re a part-time volunteer juggling bulletins and birthday cards, or a full-time administrator navigating cloud storage, scheduling apps, and a phone that won’t stop ringing, your ministry keeps the whole church moving. You may not be preaching or leading Sunday school, but your work is what allows others to gather, give, serve, and feel connected.

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On the Road with Ministry Forum Summer 2025
Ministry Forum Ministry Forum

On the Road with Ministry Forum Summer 2025

In celebration of Ministry Forum's 500th email subscriber, Director John embarked on a 10-day road trip through Northern Ontario and Winnipeg to preach, connect with ministry leaders, and witness their diverse contexts. Highlights included preaching at St. Andrew’s in Thunder Bay, visiting the Anamiewigummig (Kenora) Fellowship Centre with Yvonne Bearbull, and engaging with Indigenous ministry leaders in Winnipeg. The journey was both pastoral and personal, underscoring the beauty and challenges of ministry in remote and urban areas, and affirming the importance of connection, collaboration, and continued support for those serving across the church.

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Annual Planning for Ministry Forum 2025
Ministry Forum Ministry Forum

Annual Planning for Ministry Forum 2025

Our Ministry Forum Team committed to doing some Annual Planning last month. Over two consecutive Mondays we stepped away from our screens and spent a little time in nature at our “FIRST CHOICE” for all of our Ministry Forum retreat needs - Crieff Hills Retreat Centre.

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Summer Playlists 2025
Music Ministry Forum Music Ministry Forum

Summer Playlists 2025

Some are fun and poppy for backyard meals or road trips. Others lean into gentle folk or thoughtful instrumentals, ideal for reflection or focus as you work, write, or simply rest. We hope these playlists are a gift to our Ministry Forum community—small offerings of sound and spirit that accompany you in this season of growth, movement, and grace.

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Soul Work for Better Leadership
Leadership Ministry Forum Leadership Ministry Forum

Soul Work for Better Leadership

A book I read recently brought the importance of this intentionality into focus for me. Ruth Haley Barton’s Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry reminds ministry leaders that we need to take time in solitude to nourish our very souls.

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Paying Attention to the Quiet: Mindfulness and Ministry
Mental Health Ministry Forum Mental Health Ministry Forum

Paying Attention to the Quiet: Mindfulness and Ministry

In our fast-paced world, ministry leaders often find themselves swept up in the “adrenaline of busyness.” Consider how mindfulness practices—like meditation apps (Headspace, Calm, Lectio 365) and prayer—can help us notice and tend to our inner life. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is simply stop, breathe, and listen to what our souls are trying to say.

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Trauma-Informed Preaching
Preaching, Theology Ministry Forum Preaching, Theology Ministry Forum

Trauma-Informed Preaching

In our churches today, we preach to congregations where people are carrying untold burdens — personal pain, communal grief, generational wounds, every type of trauma. The pulpit is not immune to these realities either. Preachers bring their own scars, questions, and unresolved tensions into the sacred task of proclamation.

Knowing this, how do we preach in a way that acknowledges trauma without re-opening wounds?

How can our sermons participate in healing without bypassing the brokenness?

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Reading in Community: ICS’s Summer Read, On Tyranny
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Reading in Community: ICS’s Summer Read, On Tyranny

If you’re like our team at Ministry Forum then summer is a time to slowing oyur pace, catch up on good books, and reconnect with the deeper questions that shape our faith and practice. That’s why we want to highlight an offering from our neighbours at the Institute for Christian Studies (ICS): their 2025 Summer Read, featuring Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.

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Just do ONE thing.
Books, Sustainable Ministry Ministry Forum Books, Sustainable Ministry Ministry Forum

Just do ONE thing.

Years ago, when I was on an Inter-mission (if you don’t know what that is… check it out here!) I discovered that I would be OFF for 100 Days. So for those 100 Days I committed to doing just one thing. Each day I’d have one thing I wanted to accomplish - it could be visiting somewhere, fixing something around my home, completing a task from start to finish - but it was always just ONE THING and when it was done. The rest of the day was my own to simply be. It was an amazing way to approach this intentional time away from my ministry context. Just do the one thing!

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Inter-mission: People are asking, so let’s talk about it!
Inter-mission Ministry Forum Inter-mission Ministry Forum

Inter-mission: People are asking, so let’s talk about it!

More and more ministry leaders are talking about it —some are exploring the possibility, others are making plans, and many are asking: Could I take one too? At Ministry Forum, we’ve returned to this topic often—not just because it’s timely, but because we’re deeply passionate about it. We believe in ministry that is sustainable, grounded, and spiritually whole. And Inter-mission can be a powerful part of that journey.

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Celebrating Sara Traficante: A Year of Listening, Leading, and Lifting Voices
Ministry Forum Ministry Forum

Celebrating Sara Traficante: A Year of Listening, Leading, and Lifting Voices

Sara has been a deeply thoughtful and grounding presence in our community. She brings a combination of professionalism, warmth, and spiritual depth to everything she’s been a part of here at Ministry Forum. Sara really cares about people and working alongside her has been a constant reminder that faithful ministry is always relational at its core

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Celebrating Rachel Kennedy-Proctor: Hope and Bold Leadership for the Future Church
Ministry Forum Ministry Forum

Celebrating Rachel Kennedy-Proctor: Hope and Bold Leadership for the Future Church

Whether preaching, podcasting, or mentoring youth, Rachel models the kind of leadership that listens deeply and speaks prophetically—never shying away from the tough questions but always pointing us toward hope. We’ve been encouraged by her wisdom, challenged by her insights, and inspired by her heart for the Church’s future.

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Recap: Creative Ways 2025
Creative Ways Ministry Forum Creative Ways Ministry Forum

Recap: Creative Ways 2025

On Sunday, June 1st we hosted Creative Ways 2025 as a space for ministry leaders to explore how the Church can respond faithfully and creatively to today’s complex needs. This year’s gathering focused on justice, housing, reconciliation, and prayer—rooted in real stories and courageous leadership.

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Interview with The Rev. Dr. Paul Scott
Ministry Forum Ministry Forum

Interview with The Rev. Dr. Paul Scott

In November 2024, The Rev. John Borthwick, Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning and Curator of Ministry Forum took the opportunity while on retreat at Sumac Centre with some clergy colleagues to interview The Rev. Dr. Paul Scott, Sumac’s resident director. Paul recently celebrated his 60th anniversary of graduation from Knox College at the College’s 40+ Alumni Luncheon held last month. Unfortunately, the audio recording of this interview was corrupted (“Not surprisingly”, we imagine Paul would say!) and we weren’t able to turn it into an episode of The Ministry Forum Podcast. So instead, we’ve salvaged some of the nuggets of the conversation and we’re sharing them here with you!

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What I learned at the Ministry Mental Health Summit
Mental Health, Conference, Community Post Ministry Forum Mental Health, Conference, Community Post Ministry Forum

What I learned at the Ministry Mental Health Summit

Heather Robinson, a recent MTS graduate, shares her reflections from attending the Ministry Mental Health Summit, sponsored in part by Ministry Forum. Drawing on Dr. Hillary McBride’s keynote on embodiment and sustainable care in ministry, Heather unpacks how spiritual trauma—what McBride calls "Holy Hurt"—can be addressed through a holistic understanding of the body and healing. Her insights are a heartfelt reminder that ministry leaders are not alone in their journey toward mental and spiritual restoration.

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