Celebrating 1 Year of MinistryForum.ca
One year ago, MinistryForum.ca launched with a mission to connect, resource, and support ministry leaders across Canada. It has been a year filled with growth, encouragement, and connection as we’ve built up this online community - spaning all aspects of ministry work. As we reflect on this milestone, we’re filled with gratitude for the way Ministry Forum has become a space where ministry leaders can find trusted resources, share insights, and celebrate our diverse faith journeys together! THANK YOU Ministry Forum Community!
Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished in our first year!
150 Web Posts
Since launching, we’ve published 150 blog-style posts on topics that matter deeply to ministry leaders—ranging from pastoral care and preaching to practical ministry tips, trends, and leadership. Every post is created with you in mind, we hope these posts have provided you with inspiration and practical insights for your work. It’s been inspiring to hear from readers who have found guidance, encouragement, and fresh ideas in these articles.
43 Notes of Encouragement from YOU
We’ve received 43 notes of encouragement from the Ministry Forum community sharing how being a part of this community has shaped or impacted their ministry. Whether it’s a simple “thank you” or a story about how a resource, article, or event made a difference, these messages fuel our commitment to serving this community. We’ve kept every note and posted many on our “what people are saying page.”
178 Events Shared
This past year, we’ve promoted 178 events on our events calendar, a place where ministry leaders can find learning opportunities, networking events, and spiritual gatherings across Canada. From webinars and workshops to conferences and retreats, our events page connects leaders with experiences that help foster growth, learning, and community. Got an event other should know about? Send it in and we’ll add it to our calendar.
On the 80th anniversary of The Canadian Council of Churches, you are invited to join the conversation on the one ecumenical movement in Canada and the world.
Engage with friends, communities, and ecumenical networks on the themes of unity, faith, justice, peace, and reconciliation!
Hear reflections from the Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of the United Church of Canada, and Leah Reesor-Keller, Transitional Executive Director for KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.
Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find:
- support and encouragement
- accountability and celebration
- ideas and strategies
…and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.
Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed.
Join James Finley and Kirsten Oates, hosts of the Turning to the Mystics podcast, on a 4-day interior pilgrimage mirroring the journey laid out in the 19th-century Russian mystical text, The Way of a Pilgrim.
A day of insightful discussions and networking with fellow church researchers on trends in the Canadian church. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals passionate about church research, data-informed decision making and opportunities for mission. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, denominational leader or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone interested in exploring the latest trends and findings in Canadian church research.
In the midst of January doldrums, start planning for Easter and join author Laura Alary to celebrate the launch of "Rise: A Child’s Guide to Eastertide" in conversation with Traci Smith and Jennifer Grant, who will share ideas from their own books, "Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection" and "Sing, Wrestle, Spin: Prayers for Active Kids." Together, they will offer suggestions for simple and meaningful practices to help children explore and deepen their faith.
Brighten these dark days with the colors of resurrection!
How many times have you sat through a poorly run meeting, knowing that if the session were being better facilitated, you would be accomplishing twice as much in half the time?
Discover the skills, knowledge, and behaviours to help you effectively facilitate in a wide range of situations. This 2-day, 14-hour workshop will introduce you to the core competencies of facilitation, modelled through the use of multiple engaging facilitation techniques grounded in adult learning.
Are you a ministry leader looking to deepen your leadership skills and amplify your impact within your church or organization? Join us for five weeks of practical learning and engagement with peers in ministry, guided by seasoned leadership coaches. This series is designed specifically for ministry leaders—pastors, elders, lay leaders, and volunteers—providing tools and strategies to help you navigate the unique challenges of ministry leadership with authenticity, grace, and effectiveness.
A $399 value exclusively for the Ministry Forum audience generously subsized by Ministry Forum.
The 2025 APCE Annual Event invites participants to explore profound questions of faith and community. Inspired by Genesis 32:28, the event will delve into:
Wrestling with Fallibilities: Acknowledging individual shortcomings and the struggles within the Church's historical narrative.
Wrestling with Disenchantment: Navigating the tension between personal faith and the Church’s imperfections.
Wrestling with Reimagination: Calling for innovation, new perspectives, and envisioning a church centered on love, justice, and equality.
Are you a ministry leader looking to deepen your leadership skills and amplify your impact within your church or organization? Join us for five weeks of practical learning and engagement with peers in ministry, guided by seasoned leadership coaches. This series is designed specifically for ministry leaders—pastors, elders, lay leaders, and volunteers—providing tools and strategies to help you navigate the unique challenges of ministry leadership with authenticity, grace, and effectiveness.
A $399 value exclusively for the Ministry Forum audience generously subsized by Ministry Forum.
From Creation: Land-Based Healing and Wellness is a compelling documentary featuring the journey of Lauren Aldred, a spiritual health practitioner (hospital chaplain) of Indigenous heritage. This film offers an intimate exploration of trauma, resilience, and the profound healing that arises from connection with the land. Through painting, photography, poetry, and personal narrative, she recounts her ongoing recovery from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). As she moves through pain toward healing, Lauren reveals how nature and creative expression provided solace, hope, and healing during her darkest times.
Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find:
- support and encouragement
- accountability and celebration
- ideas and strategies
…and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.
Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed.
brings together people from a variety of roles in worship and leadership, including pastors, worship planners and leaders, musicians, scholars, students, worship bands and teams, organists, visual artists, preachers, chaplains, missionaries, liturgists, council and session leaders, and more;
encourages leaders in churches and worshiping communities of all sizes and settings;
offers sessions on themes related to universal design for worship, faithful antiracism in Christian living, building connections and empathy in divided times, cultural intelligence, and the global and historical nature of Christian worship, and more;
Are you a ministry leader looking to deepen your leadership skills and amplify your impact within your church or organization? Join us for five weeks of practical learning and engagement with peers in ministry, guided by seasoned leadership coaches. This series is designed specifically for ministry leaders—pastors, elders, lay leaders, and volunteers—providing tools and strategies to help you navigate the unique challenges of ministry leadership with authenticity, grace, and effectiveness.
A $399 value exclusively for the Ministry Forum audience generously subsized by Ministry Forum.
The Art of Transitional Ministry Part 1 introduces students to intentional transitional ministry leadership. Once called Interim Ministry, The Art of Transitional Ministry Part 1 introduces students to the Arc of Transitional Ministry - featuring deeper conversations about entering systems, assessing needs, considering history and current context, considering the role of conflict and healthy departing. We start in a place believing all ministry is transitional and that understanding congregational systems theory undergirds the work we do. Our goal is to provide pastors with tools for leading in the midst of transition while providing a supportive and safe learning community for exploration and questioning.
Are you a ministry leader looking to deepen your leadership skills and amplify your impact within your church or organization? Join us for five weeks of practical learning and engagement with peers in ministry, guided by seasoned leadership coaches. This series is designed specifically for ministry leaders—pastors, elders, lay leaders, and volunteers—providing tools and strategies to help you navigate the unique challenges of ministry leadership with authenticity, grace, and effectiveness.
A $399 value exclusively for the Ministry Forum audience generously subsized by Ministry Forum.
Are you a ministry leader looking to deepen your leadership skills and amplify your impact within your church or organization? Join us for five weeks of practical learning and engagement with peers in ministry, guided by seasoned leadership coaches. This series is designed specifically for ministry leaders—pastors, elders, lay leaders, and volunteers—providing tools and strategies to help you navigate the unique challenges of ministry leadership with authenticity, grace, and effectiveness.
A $399 value exclusively for the Ministry Forum audience generously subsized by Ministry Forum.
Gather25 is an unprecedented 25-hour global broadcast event telling the inspiring stories of the global Church, by the global Church.
This is an unprecedented moment in history where technology can connect to Jesus followers from almost every nation, every denomination, and every generation.
Jesus followers in churches, campuses, arenas, and living rooms–from every continent and denomination–will join together across every time zone to watch the Gather25 broadcast that is free to everyone, everywhere.
For 25 hours, Gather25 is inviting believers across the world to pray, repent, worship, and discover how the love of Jesus is transforming the world through everyday people.
This is what Gather25 is all about.
Register to watch the live broadcast: gather25.com
Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find:
- support and encouragement
- accountability and celebration
- ideas and strategies
…and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.
Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed.
Women are stepping into their calling to proclaim the Gospel, find their unique voice and embrace the future of preaching! If you’re a clergy, student, or simply passionate about the art of preaching, hearing from those who are leading the way can inspire and guide your growth.
This spring, join us for Tending Tomorrow, a full-day event that brings together four leading Canadian women homileticians as they reflect on the current state of preaching in Canada and imagine bold, hope-filled directions for the future.
Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find:
- support and encouragement
- accountability and celebration
- ideas and strategies
…and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.
Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed.
A wildly practical and inspirational three-day event for future thinking family ministry leaders.
Join the annual event that launches teams of kids ministry and youth ministry leaders into brighter future recharged and overflowing with real tools they can use they very next week. In three exciting days, you’ll fill your notebook while a vibrant community fills your soul. Discover one thing every church can do to change everything for the next generation.
Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find:
- support and encouragement
- accountability and celebration
- ideas and strategies
…and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.
Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed.
Join us for "We Need To Listen" where participants will find:
- support and encouragement
- accountability and celebration
- ideas and strategies
…and most of all, a community of people passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world but sometimes feel alone doing it.
Ministry Forum is delighted to host an online space that will strive to be safe as modelled and facilitated by its hosts where ministry leaders will gather with almost no agenda and where everything is on the table and tangents are welcomed.
Growing Resource Hub
Our resource hub has grown to 81 resources, and we are excited to reach our goal of 200 resources by Spring 2025. Each resource—whether it’s a course, guide, tech tool or podcast — has been chosen to support the diverse needs of ministry leaders. This collection reflects our commitment to curating helpful and accessible resources across a range of topics relevant to ministry today. We’re grateful to everyone who has shared their recommendations and to all who use this library to strengthen their ministries.
Visitors from Coast to Coast and Beyond!
Since our launch in November 2023, we’ve welcomed 7,100 unique visitors who’ve generated over 12,000 page views. We love knowing that ministryforum.ca has been able to reach people across Canada (and beyond), and we hope to see this number grow exponetially in the coming years as we expand our offerings and grow the community.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate this first year, we’re excited to see how MinistryForum.ca will continue to grow and serve you. We’re committed to expanding our resources, sharing stories that encourage, and building stronger connections within this beautiful community of ministry leaders. In the coming year, we’ll continue to focus on creating content that speaks to the heart of ministry, promoting meaningful events, and adding valuable resources to help you thrive in your calling.
Thank you for being part of MinistryForum.ca. Your engagement, feedback, and support have been such a blessing in shaping this community.
Cheers to another year of growth, connection, and encouragement as we journey together in ministry!