By Living Waters Ministry School

What is By Living Waters?

By Living Waters is a new initiative of Martin Luther University College, developed in partnership with the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. By Living Waters is a ministry school open to clergy and lay members of the congregation, with a long-term vision to provide practical, affordable, and accessible training that supports congregations across diverse ministry contexts, is rooted in parish life, and designed to meet leaders where they are.

By Living Waters aims to equip churches with the knowledge and confidence to experiment with emerging models of ministry, engage with communities beyond their church walls, and share the work of ministry between clergy and laypeople. With pilot programs beginning in the spring and fall of 2026 and an anticipated formal launch in early 2027, the school will train lay ministers for the Eastern Synod and support pastors in empowering lay leaders through courses, coaching, workshops, and accessible resources.

As congregations explore new ways of engaging their communities, nurturing leadership, and working collaboratively, By Living Waters offers practical, faithful formation to support this evolving vision of church. This work is shaped by a growing opportunity within our churches to reimagine how ministry is shared, strengthened, and lived.

Mission

Mobilize Martin Luther University College faculty and resources to equip churches with the knowledge and confidence to:

Experiment with emerging models of ministry
Engage with communities beyond their church
Share the responsibility of ministry between laypeople and clergy

Goals

By Living Waters Ministry School has six distinct goals:

Develop Certificates in Lay-Ministry: Develop non-credit courses for lay people that can be completed individually or towards certificates in specific skills. Certificates will be designed to build the confidence of lay leaders and support the ongoing ministry of churches in the Eastern Synod. Initial certificates will focus on constituent priority areas: lay preaching, collaborative leadership, community engagement, visitation/pastoral care, and sustainable ministry models.

Create an Online Library: Create and maintain an online library of resources that are accessible, applicable across denominations, and ecumenically adaptable in order to provide continuous learning opportunities for lay members and clergy interested in actively shaping the future of their church, or for deepening their personal connection to faith and community.

Build Relationships: Build and maintain relationships with leaders in the parish to support the production of relevant congregational resources, connect congregation members with like-minded members across the Lutheran church to share experiences and best practices, and to create research pipeline Martin Luther University College faculty can use to further their insights related to the growth and development of the Lutheran church in Canada.

Create a Coaching Team: Develop a team of coaches to lead By Living Waters course instruction and cultivate relationships with congregations and lay leaders across the Lutheran church to support learning and application of course materials in their respective communities.

Create an Emerging Leader Community: Cultivate and sustain a learning and development community among emerging leaders (aged 18-30) that provides them with training and opportunities to apply that training within their own communities.

Course Offerings

Living Word: A Bible Introduction for Christians in Leadership

This course is designed for Christians without formal theological training who want greater confidence in reading, interpreting, and applying scripture in leadership contexts. Participants explore the structure of the Bible, biblical themes, historical context, faithful interpretation, and how to engage difficult passages through the lens of God’s unconditional love. This course is also intended as a foundation for future preaching formation.

Collaborative Leadership for Ministry

This course helps pastors, deacons, and church leaders build sustainable ministry teams within their congregations. It focuses on clarifying roles, identifying and supporting the gifts of laypeople, establishing healthy boundaries, preventing burnout, strengthening communication, and fostering collaborative discernment and conflict resolution.

Community Engagement for Churches

This course supports congregations in building meaningful relationships beyond their church doors. Participants learn to articulate their mission in accessible ways, listen well to neighbours and community partners, identify possible collaborations, and discern faithful next steps for engagement in the wider community.

Community Care: Visitation and Hospitality

This course equips congregations to care faithfully and safely for vulnerable people in their communities. It includes practical guidance for hospitality ministries, walk-in visitor care, lay visitation, home communion, prayer practices, discernment around when and how to integrate faith into care, and how to recognize when professional support is needed.

Interested? Learn More

If you’re interested in learning more about By Living Waters as we ramp up towards our pilot programs and launch, please fill out this interest form to join our newsletter for updates across key development milestones, thought leadership from Eastern Synod leaders, and what you can expect and when from our team.

We’d love to have you alongside us in the front seat of our journey!

Contact

Have a specific question? Please feel free to reach out to BLW EMAIL and we will get back to you within 2 business days of your inquiry.