Flourishing Congregations Institute

09/03/2026

We are excited to release our new 90 second video on the Flourishing Congregations Institute, housed at Ambrose University! More videos to be released soon, intended to assist interacting with Canadian !

We started the Flourishing Congregations Institute in 2016 with a d...

07/15/2026

Every tells a . The question is: Is it the right one?

In a recently-released episode of the Future Christian Podcast (which can be accessed by clicking the link below), Loren Richmond Jr. spoke with Joel Thiessen, professor of Sociology and director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, about The Stories Congregations Tell, a research project exploring why some churches flourish through seasons of transition while others struggle.

The conversation explores how congregations develop a healthy sense of identity without becoming trapped by nostalgia, why is about far more than numerical growth, and how local churches are constantly shaped by the wider stories surrounding them. Thiessen also explains why can help churches understand themselves more honestly—not to replace theology, but to deepen it.

Every church tells a story. The question is: Is it the right one? In a recently-released episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr. spoke with Joel Thiessen, professor of Sociology and director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, about The Stories Congr...

07/07/2026

We're hiring a part-time Research & Program Coordinator at the Flourishing Congregations Institute! Position description is attached. Please circulate and DM us with any questions, referrals, or interest in applying. ambrose.edu/job/research...

06/22/2026

The Radiance Family Society, in collaboration with the Canadian Poverty Institute at Ambrose University, is leading a project “THRIVE - Supporting Healing and Accountability in Faith Communities.” The research focusses on the causes of violence within the faith community, with an aim to prevent and/or interrupt family violence.

The Canadian Poverty Institute and Radiance Family Society are inviting to you to participate in this 30-minute, online as a participant. You will be able to share your views or experiences on the causes of family violence, the role of Biblical teachings in family violence, how support can be harnessed to break the silence around family violence and stop family violence within the .

If you are 18 years or older, living in the Greater Calgary area, and practicing in a faith community in these communities, please consider participating in this study using the survey link below.

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06/12/2026

What is a flourishing , and what does congregational look like in a context? Learn more about this question in our recently-released Flourishing Forward video blog by Joel Thiessen, Professor of Sociology at Ambrose University, and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, Associate Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo.

This video is part of the Maple Spirit Pulse video series from the Institute for Religion, Culture and Societal Futures (IRCSF) at the University of Waterloo. In this video, Joel Thiessen, Professor of Sociology, Chair of the Social Sciences department, and Director of the Flourishing Congregations....

05/25/2026

Interested in learning about co-vocational leaders and in ? If so, you will love our recently-released Flourishing Forward article by Rebeca Heringer and Ellen Duffield, Briercrest Christian Academy, College, and Seminary.

In the summer of 2025, Co-Vocational Canada launched a new study to better understand the characteristics of thriving co-vocational (CoVo) congregations in Canada. The term “co-vocational/co-vocationality” is here used as an umbrella term to reflect the lived experience of a pastor who is appoin...

05/06/2026

Sarah Han, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Tyndale University, poses the following question in her recently released Flourishing Forward Blog: "As followers of , are we putting enough effort into adapting to these changing times? Are we intentionally seeing our as portals to online spaces where God is sending us to actively engage in His missional work?"

Are we ready to meet the next generation in the digital spaces they already call home? This post explores how followers of Christ can shift from being mere screen consumers to active creators to build online neighbourhoods that foster genuine discipleship and evangelism.

04/22/2026

"The truth about religious transmission—the effort to pass on religious identity, belief, and behavior—is that it occurs within a complex ecosystem. This ecosystem depends on a vital synergy between the parent-child relationship and the local congregation." Arch Wong, professor of Practical Theology at Ambrose University and Associate Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute, in our most recent Flourishing Forward blog.

Drawing on recent Canadian research, this blog explores the vital synergy of religious transmission between parents and congregations. By shifting from rigid instruction to a model of "gracious choice" and active participation, churches can provide the necessary scaffolding for the next generation t...

04/08/2026

Pastoral Calling Reimagined explores mid-career , multivocational , and shared between lay leaders and in the . The variety of people is calling today brings hope to a changing landscape. Dr. Gordon T. Smith ignites the conversation and brings in three voices, Rev. Karis Thy Le, Amy Caswell Bratton, and Rev. Clara King, who are active in the church, to share their experience of the Spirit’s abundant invitation.

Join us to celebrate the new book, Pastoral Calling Reimagined: Celebrating the Spirit’s Abundant Invitation, with contributor Clara King and special guests, editor Gordon T. Smith, & Joel Thiessen on May 3rd, 2026, 7 pm at the Anglican Diocese Office, 8336 34 Avenue NW, Calgary, AB.

This event is free to attend. We hope you can make it. Please let us know you are planning to attend, so we can prepare for the right amount of people.

Save the Date for May 3 in Calgary, AB

03/23/2026

Did you miss last week’s Flourishing Forward webinar with Lindsay R. Callaway, “The Varied Landscape of Women's Church Experiences,” or wish to watch it again or share with others? You can access a recording of the event here.

Original Air Date: Friday, March 20, 2026, 1:00PM (MST)Webinar Description: Join Lindsay Callaway, Senior Researcher at the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada,...