Formation Resources
COVID-19 related resources
To aid in your remote ministry, here are several Bible studies that address fear, something many people around the world are feeling right now. Read these studies together and discuss over phone calls, email, online meeting platforms or on social media.
#1: Combatting Fear | English, Spanish
#2: Building Hope | English, Spanish
# 3: Hope Rooted in God | English, Spanish
#4: The Impact of Death | English, Spanish
#5: Integrating Healed People Back Into Our Community | English, Spanish
Eastertide Resources
- Easter resources from Building Faith
- Easter resources from Spark Family Sunday School
- Easter resources from Illustrated Children's Ministries:
- Alleluia poster (formatted with Mosaic Poster Tiles): Learn more here
- Easter Sunday (includes John 20:1-18 devotional, illustration, and coloring page, children’s worship bulletin, and links to our brand new Alleluia Poster – see links below)
- Second Sunday of Easter (includes John 20:19-31 devotional, illustration, and coloring page, children’s worship bulletin, and a “God of presence and strength” coloring page that is great for all ages!)
- Third Sunday of Easter (includes Luke 24:13-35 devotional, illustration, and coloring page, children’s worship bulletin, and a “Thinking of You” coloring page that is great for all ages!)
- Fourth Sunday of Easter (includes Acts 2:42-47 devotional, illustration, and coloring page, and children’s worship bulletin)
- Fifth Sunday of Easter (includes Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 devotional and illustration, coloring page, and Children's worship bulletin)
- Sixth Sunday of Easter (includes Psalm 66:19 devotional, illustration, and coloring page, and children’s worship bulletin)
- Seventh Sunday of Easter (includes Acts 1:6-14 devotional, illustration, and coloring page, and children’s worship bulletin)
- Acts in Easter from Christ Church, Houston
Additional formation-related resources for this time:
- Trinity Cathedral is posting ongoing resources and lessons for children and families
- Good Shepherd, Augusta, is providing prayer and worship resources
- Church Publishing has made a variety of resources free for the time being
- ChurchNext is offering online formation resources
- Call on Me, a prayer book for young people, is available free until April 15
- Netflix Party is an online tool to facilitate groups watching Netflix shows/movies collaboratively
- Tucked In: Bedtime Stories and Prayers with Episcopalians and others
- Ministry Architects: Innovative Ideas for Unprecedented Times
- SCETV is providing additional learning and teaching resources on their television channels
Please visit these pages to find resource suggestions and formation tools for all age groups.
If you have a resource you would like us to include, contact Canon Jimmy Hartley.
- Christian Education Planning Calendar template (2020-2021)
- Forma, the network for Christian formation professionals
- Building Faith: Published by Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary, with a mission to equip and inspire churches and individuals for the ministry of Christian education and faith formation
- [email protected]: Developed by Forward Movement and Forma, [email protected] offers resources to help build at weekly discipleship practice of Reading, Reflecting, and Responding to scripture in the context of community is so important.
- Grow Christians: An online community of discipleship focused on the practical details of life at home. Gathering reflections, stories, images, and recipes from diverse Episcopalians, this group blog inspires generations to come together as they celebrate the presence of God through the Christian year.
- Vibrant Faith helps Christian churches develop effective faith forming approaches that embody both historic practices of Christian formation and address changing cultural realities.
- StoryMakers NYC is dedicated to creating new ways to share God’s redemptive narrative found in the Bible. Our hope is to equip families and churches to be able to share the Gospel with kids in a way that is meaningful, healthy, and ultimately draws children into God’s story.
- Preparing for Sunday is an easy and affordable way to post weekly NRSV lectionary readings on your own church website.
- Faith Formation Learning Exchange: Organized by different ages and groupings, offers current research, effective practices, and models in faith formation
- Church Publishing: Offers a number of print resources for purchase
- Forward Movement: Offers numerous formation resources and curricula
- Episcopal Church Foundation
- Episcopal Church Foundation's Spanish-language resources
- Lesson Plans that Work: Each week, you will find a lesson plan for young children, a lesson plan for older children, and usually a lesson plan for adults. Inter-generational lesson plans are available for many major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Most lesson plans are based on the Gospel, and some also have an Old Testament Lesson Plan.
- Traveling the Way of Love: This resource comes straight from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. While meant for group discussion, this one can be studied individually or used as journal prompts.
Children
- God's Word, My Voice: A Lectionary for Children by Lyn Zill Briggs. This collection of the Revised Common Lectionary readings is paraphrased for children. Read aloud in Sunday morning worship, it will help kids read the word of God and understand its meaning for their lives.
- Children Formation Curricula Overview: A simple comparison chart of a variety of curricula; developed by Sharon Ely Pearson, the Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing and updated annually.
- Household Bible Reading with Lectio Divina: Introduces families and small groups to the practice of studying the Bible using Lectio Divina. “Sometimes the Bible can be confusing and difficult to understand. With Lectio Divina we give ourselves permission to let the Bible be what it is. Questions will undoubtedly surface. If you like, search for the answers. Seek out conversations. Or simply let the questions be.”
Youth
- Confirm not Conform: Confirm not Conform is a confirmation program that celebrates questions and choices. It provides a safe place for young people to explore the breadth of the Christian tradition, to ask questions and express their doubts, and to discover what they truly believe.
- Faith @ Home: A year-round weekly email includes four separate lectionary based reflections and prompts for families (however that is defined) and friend groups. During this time of more people being at home, Faith @ Home is working on a new program to provide daily resources for all people to stay engaged while being at home.
- Illustrated Ministries: Creates illustrated resources for the church and the home, encouraging creativity and active engagement with faith. They are currently releasing free materials for parents and children staying home here.
- Household Bible Reading with Lectio Divina: Introduces families and small groups to the practice of studying the Bible using Lectio Divina. “Sometimes the Bible can be confusing and difficult to understand. With Lectio Divina we give ourselves permission to let the Bible be what it is. Questions will undoubtedly surface. If you like, search for the answers. Seek out conversations. Or simply let the questions be.”
- How2charist: A digitally instructed Eucharist and could be a great activity to learn about all that goes on during a church service.
Adult
- The Work of the People: The Work of the People is a series of videos on topics ranging from beauty and justice to identity and vocation. Many of the presenters are well-known: Barbara Brown Taylor, Brené Brown, Brennan Manning, Richard Rohr. The videos provide thoughtful reflections that can be used as content for a faith formation series. The Work of the People starts at $7/month for a personal subscription and goes up from there. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a six-part series for Lent and includes a discussion guide.
- ChurchNext: ChurchNext provides engaging and convenient online learning from Episcopal experts on liturgy, evangelism, welcome, discipleship, stewardship, and other important topics. To help individuals and congregations stay rooted and grounded in Jesus during the Corona Virus pandemic ChurchNext has launched Prayer and Worship in Our Homes, a free five-course class open to anyone who would like to take it.
- Good Book Club: This Forward Movement initiative invites organizations of all kinds to read a particular book of the Bible throughout a liturgical season.
- Education for Ministry: Lay persons face the difficult and often subtle task of interpreting the richness of the church's faith in a complex and confusing world. They need a theological education which supports their faith and also teaches them to express that faith in day-to-day events. As the emphasis on lay ministry has grown, Education for Ministry has come to play an important role by providing a program that develops an informed and knowledgeable laity.
Holy Week Resources
- Holy Week Resources for Families (by Church Publishing)
- Illustrated Children's Ministries is offering ongoing resources:
- Holy Week at Home resources from Barefoot Theology
- Holy Week resources from Building Faith
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