Faith Formation

Faith formation is at the heart of what the Christian life is all about. As we engage in daily spiritual practices, as we participate in the rituals of our faith communities, as we work for justice and peace—our faith is nurtured, enlivened, sustained, and formed. The ministry of faith formation takes seriously the prophet Isaiah’s image of Potter God actively forming humanity: we are always in formation by and for God.

Faith Formation News

See below to find the latest news about what is upcoming for Faith Formation with your Community of Fatih:

A Gift for the Season! Free Resource for an Advent Small Group Study

We are offering every Community of Faith a gift this Advent season! By means of a regional subscription you can access an Advent Small Group Study created by the Prayer Bench entitled Advent Longing.

We hope this will be a gift for busy ministers and lay leaders in this Advent season who want a faith formation opportunity for their community of faith.

This Advent Small Group Study invites participants to nurture longing as a powerful spiritual gift through an imaginative pilgrimage in an old-growth forest. It encourages us to notice longing in our ordinary days, recognize its gifts during times of desolation and reclamation, and welcome “thin spaces”—those moments of connection, support, and hope. In the context of a planetary crisis, we explore how to activate Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love in the world God loves.

What You Receive with this Downloadable Resource  

• Complete Leader’s Guide for three Advent sessions with ideas for Opening, Singing, Movement or Sound Prayers, Conversation prompts, a Group Spiritual Practice, and Closing.
• Three 8-10-minute audio recordings.
• Three scripts of the audio recordings to download and copy so participants can follow along.
• Access to a Prayer Bench webpage with all the study materials, downloadable image for social media promotion, customizable poster for the series, and other resources related to the study.

This gift subscription is made possible by Canadian Shield Regional Council Mustard Seed Grant,
and by Shining Waters Regional Council faith formation programming funds.

Advent Small Group Study Taster on Zoom 

Thursday, Nov. 7 at 11am 

An introduction to the Advent Small Group Study for Leaders with Janice MacLean of Prayer Bench,  

offering background information and hints for leading the process. Time for comments and questions. 

Note: Can’t make the session on Nov 7th? Our friends in Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils are also hosting a Taster zoom session on Nov 22, at 1 p.m. Register here: https://united-church.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAudequpj4qHtUr_VJD6D436RejF-lPoQO7

OR: Our friends in East Central Ontario Region are hosting a Taster zoom session on Nov 25, at 7pm. Register here: https://ecorcuccan.ca/eco-rc-2024-advent-small-group-study/

Staff Support