Formation Resources
Included below are some of our favorite resources for Christian Formation. These will be updated from time to time, so check back often!
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Quicklinks to Resource Categories:
Hybrid & Post Quarantine Resources
Racial Reconciliation Resources
Mental Health and Mental Illness
Atlas of the Heart - Brene Brown (available for pre-order)
Resource Type: Book, Adults, Meaningful Connection
In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. This highly-anticipated book will be released November 30, 2021 and is currently available for pre-order.
Resource Type: Book, Children, Picture Book
This stirring, much-anticipated picture book by inaugural Youth Poet Laureate and activist Amanda Gorman, teaches young children that anything is possible when our voices join together. Out on September 21, 2021, this book is now available for pre-order.
3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager - Kara Powell and Brad Griffin
Resource type: Book, Youth Ministry, Parents
In this book, which is based on new landmark research from the Fuller Youth Institute and combines in-depth interviews with data from 1,200 diverse teenagers, Kara Powell and Brad M. Griffin offer pastors, youth leaders, mentors, and parents practical and proven conversations and connections that help teenagers answer their three biggest questions and reach their full potential.
The Big Questions Curriculum - Fuller Youth Institute with Orange
Resource type: Curriculum, Youth Ministry, Youth
In this curriculum, Fuller Youth Institute and Orange took insight from the book, "3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager," and developed an all-new curriculum for high school ministry! This series will spark new discipleship conversations as you help teens discover Jesus-centered answers to their biggest questions of identity, belonging, and purpose.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy - Emmanuel Acho
Resource type: Book, Racial Reconciliation, Youth
Adapted from Emmanuel Acho's New York Times bestseller Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, comes an essential young readers edition aimed at opening a dialogue about systemic racism with our youngest generation. This newly released, and highly acclaimed book is aimed at young people around the ages of 9-12, but is a great read at any age!
Hybrid & Post Quarantine Resources
The Post-Quarantine Church - Thom S. Rainer
Resource type: Book
This book is valuable for those looking for local church and pastor resources to enhance church leadership, grow your church, and serve digital and online church communities in the post-quarantine world.
God and the Pandemic - N.T Wright
Resource type: Book
In God and the Pandemic, N.T Wright examines reactions to the pandemic, and shows that a careful reading of the Bible and Christian history offer simple though profound answers to our many questions. Written by one of the world's foremost New Testament scholars, God and the Pandemic will serve as your guide to read the events of today through the light of Jesus' death and resurrection.
We Shall Be Changed - Mark D.W. Edington
Resource type: Book
We Shall Be Changed is a gathering of brief essays from thought leaders around the church on pressing topics that the church needs to be considering now, in preparation for the end of this pandemic. The book is designed to spur conversation within parishes, fellowship groups, and clergy gatherings about how to embrace the gifts this time has given while anticipating and addressing the very real challenges the church will confront in its wake.
Toolkit for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution - The Episcopal Church
Resource type: Guide, Online
This guide is a compilation of ideas and educational resources to help churches work with the government to help end the pandemic and get congregations vaccinated so that churches can begin to return safely to normal services.
The Pandemic Population - Tim Elmore
Resource type: Book
Identifies eight strategies to help Generation Z rediscover hope after the COVID-19 pandemic. A timely treatment on how to lead youth in a crisis.
Racial Reconciliation Resources
Sacred Ground Film Based Dialogue - The Episcopal Church
Resource type: Curriculum, Video Series, Online
A film and readings based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Part of the Episcopal Church's long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice. Can be done individually or in a church study group.
Training to Stop Anti-Asian and Xenophobic Harassment - Hollaback
Resource type: Workshops, Online, Racial Reconciliation
In response to the rise of violence against Asian Americans and Xenophobic harassment due to fears surrounding the Corona-virus, Hollaback created this training to prevent future violence and hate against these communities. Sign up for these workshops here.
Online Anti-Racism training - The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Resource type: Program, Online
This program includes 20 hours of virtual Anti-Racism Training streamed to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. The training takes a historical approach to help participants understand systemic racism and empower them to confront and organize against racism, inequality, and injustice. Lecture and discussion topics include “What is Race?”, “Systemic Racism and White Privilege,” “Internalized Racism,” “The Role of the Church,” “Settler Colonialism,” “Racism in Immigration and Naturalization Legislation,” and “The Prison Industrial Complex.
The Church Cracked Open - Stephanie Spellers
Resource type: Book
The Church Cracked Open invites us to surrender privilege and redefine church, not just for the sake of others, but for our own salvation and liberation. In this newly released book, Spellers explores the American story and the Episcopal story in order to find out how communities steeped in racism, establishment, and privilege can at last fall in love with Jesus.
Stamped from the Beginning - Ibram X. Kendi
Resource type: Book
In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to drive this history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis.
How to be an Anti-Racist - Ibram X. Kendi
Resource type: Book
In the New York Times Bestseller, How to Be an Anti-racist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of anti-racist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man - Emmanuel Acho
Resource type: Book
In this top-rated book, Emmanuel Acho takes on all the questions, large and small, insensitive and taboo, many white Americans are afraid to ask―yet which all Americans need the answers to, now more than ever. The former NFL player explains the vital core of such fraught concepts as white privilege, cultural appropriation, and “reverse racism".
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults) - Bryan Stevenson
Resource type: Book
In this work, adapted from the New York Times #1 Bestseller, Stevenson's story is one of working to protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society--the poor, the wrongly convicted, and those whose lives have been marked by discrimination and marginalization. Through this adaptation, young people of today will find themselves called to action and compassion in the pursuit of justice.
Resource type: Additional Resources, Online
Here, you'll find resources that have been gathered to help individuals educate others, take action against Anti-Asian Hate, donate, and more.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Book Collection - Lee and Low Publishers
Resource type: Children's Books
These 38 books can be purchased all together, or individually. The books pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success with this collection. Celebrate the many Asian-Pacific American stories and cultures with this collection.
Ibram X. Kendi's Anti-Racist Reading List
Resource type: Book List, Online
Covering many different topics, these books present the reader with many issues of race and racism. By reading these books, the reader gains a clear definition of what it means to be Anti-Racist, the history of racism, and how racism is still present in today's society.
Mental Health and Mental Illness
Faith in An Anxious World - Fuller Youth Institute
Resource type: Curriculum, Anxiety, In-person
This 4-week curriculum is designed to help open channels of communication between young people and their peers, their parents, and the church about mental health. It integrates anxiety into conversations about discipleship and holistic, faithful living.
The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens - Karen Bluth
Resource type: Book, Mindfulness
The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens offers valuable tools based in mindfulness and self-compassion to help you overcome self-judgment and self-criticism, cultivate compassion toward yourself and others, and embrace who you really are.
Winning the War in Your Mind - Craig Groeschel
Resource type: Book, Anxiety
In this bestselling and highly rated book, Groeschel draws upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, laying out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live.
Faith in an Anxious World - Parent Podcast - Fuller Youth Institute
Resource type: Podcast, Online
Tune in to gain tools and tips to have new conversations with your teenager about anxiety and healthy living.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk
Resource type: Book, Trauma, Psychology
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity.
Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention - The Episcopal Church
Resource type: Guide, Additional Web Resources, Suicide Prevention
This web-page created by the Episcopal Church's Faith Formation Ministry has an abundance of resources dealing with mental health as well as suicide prevention.
Reflections Bible Study - The Bible Project
Resource type: Curriculum, Video Series, Online
A Bible study that engages participants in Scripture. Features a weekly 15-min podcast and reflection questions to help you make space for the biblical story in your life.
The Bible Study: Youth Edition - Zach Windahl
Resource type: Curriculum, Bible Study, In-person
A 90-day bible study that engages youth in scripture, and focuses on how each book of the Bible relates to their lives.
Books of the Bible - The Bible Project
Resource type: Curriculum, Video Series, Online
Free animated videos that explore the books and themes of the Bible. Accessible and easy to understand.
Resource type: Curriculum, Confirmation
Confirm not Conform provides a safe place for confirmands to explore the breadth of the Christian tradition, to ask questions and express their doubts, and to discover what they truly believe.
Relational Intelligence - Dharius Daniels
Resource type: Book
Relational Intelligence is your action plan for getting smart about your purpose partners. Relationships were God's idea, writes Daniels, and when we understand and apply what God has to say about them we end up avoiding unnecessary relational turmoil, advancing in all areas of our life, and accomplishing our God-given purpose.
Becoming Better Grownups - Brad Montague
Resource type: Book
Beautifully designed and featuring Montague's own whimsical 4-color illustrations that appeal to the kid in all of us, Becoming Better Grownups shares the purpose and meaning we can all discover merely by listening, and reveals that--in a world that seems increasingly childish--the secret to joy is in fact to become more childlike.
Resource type: Book
A longtime hospice chaplain, Egan shares what she has learned through the stories of those nearing death. She notices that for every life, there are shared stories of heartbreak, pain, guilt, fear, and regret. Each of her patients taught her something—how to find courage in the face of fear or the strength to make amends; how to be profoundly compassionate and fiercely empathetic; how to see the world in grays instead of black and white. In this poignant, moving, and beautiful book, she passes along all their precious and necessary gifts.
HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time - Brad Aronson
Resource type: Book, Kindness, Bestseller
Knowing that simple acts of kindness transform lives across the globe every day, Aronson sought out these stories and shares some of the best ones here. In HumanKind, you'll meet the mentor who changed a child's life with a single lesson in shoe tying, the six-year-old who launched a global kindness movement, the band of seamstress grandmothers who mend clothes for homeless people, and many other heroes. Brad also provides dozens of ways you can make a difference through the simplest words and deeds.
Tell Me Something Good - Hosted by Jerusalem Greer and Marcus Halley
Resource type: Video Series, Good News, Hope
On each episode of Tell Me Something Good, you can expect to hear the Good News of God’s great love from the perspective of farmers and mothers, pie-bakers and Sunday School teachers. Sharing the stories of how God is showing up in extraordinary and ordinary ways, guests from around The Episcopal Church chat with hosts Jerusalem Greer and Marcus Halley, exploring the themes of hope, curiosity, and innovation in their ministries and their lives.
Resource type: Older Adult care, Online or In-person
Seabury Resources for Aging is a non-profit organization that serves the greater Washington D.C. Area. Their mission is to provide personalized, affordable services and housing options to help older adults live with independence and dignity.
The Path Ahead: Spirituality and Purpose Later in Life
Resource type: Video Presentation, Online
View this presentation on the spirituality of aging by Elizabeth Boyd and Rev. Susan Walker at Province III's Synod and Council meeting in October 2020.
Sustaining Earth, Our Island Home - The Episcopal Church
Resource type: Personal Development, Program, Online
This Carbon Tracker is a web-based application that helps individuals, households, congregations and even dioceses to measure carbon footprints and take steps to shrink it to fit a sustainable life.
Love is the Way - Bishop Michael Curry
Resource type: Book
This book will lead readers to discover the gifts they need in order to live the way of love: deep reservoirs of hope and resilience, simple wisdom, the discipline of nonviolence, and unshakable regard for human dignity.
The Space Between Us - Sarah Bauer Anderson
Resource type: Book
A timely and necessary book; shows that following Jesus is our best hope for navigating the most complex issues in culture. For those who are looking to build a bridge with the people politics and religion has isolated them from, and for those who won't settle for the growing space between us and who believe there's a better way.
Resource type: Book
A life-proven journey to rediscover your dreams and turn them into reality. Bob Goff draws on a lifetime of living and dreaming large to help you reach your larger-than-life dreams.
Resource type: Book
Ready to Rise tackles the real life issues women face — workplace harassment, sexism, low self esteem, financial woes, power battles, and old wounds — while providing meaningful wisdom from Jo’s own journey to leadership.
Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope - Jasmine Holmes
Resource type: Book
In Mother to Son, Jasmine Holmes shares a series of powerful letters to her young son. These are about her journey as an African American Christian and what she wants her son to know as he grows and approaches the world as a black man. She invites us to read over her shoulder as she reminds Wynn that his identity is firmly planted in the person and work of Jesus Christ, even when the topic is one as emotionally charged as race in America.
Purpose Driven Youth Ministry - Doug Fields
Resource type: Book
An indispensable guide to creating and maintaining youth ministry for the long run. It will help to create a solid spiritual team that builds the foundations of the Christian faith into the hearts and lives of young people.
Resource type: Prayer Stations, Online/In-person
Free Range Worship, with curator Lilly Lewin, has tons of great resources for creative worship and prayer for people of all ages for in-person and digital online gatherings. Great for family ministries, youth groups, churches, camps, retreats, and Christian Schools.
Sustainable Youth Ministry - Mark DeVries
Resource type: Book
Based on his own experience and on his many conversations and interviews with churches in crisis, DeVries pinpoints problems that cause division and burnout in youth ministries and dispels strongly held myths. He then provides the practical tools and structures pastors and church leaders need to lay a strong foundation for youth ministry.
When Relationships Matter - Reggie Joiner, Tom Shefchunas, Kristen Ivy
Resource type: Book
With the best practices, training tips, and real-life stories from ministry leaders across the country—this resource will help ministers to create an effective small group culture in your church.
Growing Young Video Series - Fuller Youth Institute
Resource type: Curriculum, Video Series, Online
In this 9-episode series, Growing Young authors Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Brad Griffin offer proven research and stories from churches nationwide as they guide youth leaders to think about how each core commitment can transform a church in its unique context.
It's Personal - Virginia Ward, Reggie Joiner, and Kristen Ivy
Resource type: Book
In "It's Personal," the authors provide ways to disciple young people in a way that is relational. They suggest five major strategies related to identity, worth, empathy, love and belief.
Sticky Faith - Kara Powell and Chap Clark
Resource type: Book
Describes a powerful strategy to show ministry leaders how to actively encourage their young people’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith.
When I Pray for You - Matthew Turner
Resource type: Book
When I Pray for You celebrates the dreams, hopes, and longings parents pray over their children, and shares with children how much care and concern a loved one feels for them.
Resources for Ministry with Children - The Episcopal Diocese of Washington
Resource type: Website
Through this web page the Diocese of Washington offers resources for choosing a church school curriculum and for equipping congregational leaders and parents to nurture the lives of the children in their care. This list includes curricula, children's Bible recommendations, resources for parents, and more.
Resource type: Book
These simple poems in Breathe and Be help children learn mindfulness as they connect to the beauty of the natural world.
God's Dream - Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams
Resource type: Book
Focused on a wish that everyone will see they are brothers and sisters, no matter their way of speaking to God or the shade of their skin. Encourages children to be compassionate, kind, and to forgive others, and includes colorful illustrations. Geared towards children aged 2-8.
Resource type: Book, Guide
Revised and expanded, The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 6 offers new concepts and terminology, completely new illustrations, and a new structure that stems from more than fifteen years of using Godly Play with children across the world.
The Hopeful Family - Amelia Richardson Dress
Resource type: Book
The Hopeful Family is a guidebook for parents who are building a life of meaning and hope even in a time of unease. Readers will be reminded of the hope that is part of the Christian story and find both inspiration and evidence to step more fully into a framework of abundance and optimism.
Growing With - Kara Powell and Stephen Argue
Resource type: Book
Filled with brand-new research and real-life stories from remarkable families, Growing With shows you how to close the family gap, giving parents courage to take the next faithful step on a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform you all.
The Gift of Failure - Jessica Lahey
Resource type: Book
Focuses on the critical school years when parents must learn to allow their children to experience the disappointment and frustration that occur from life’s inevitable problems so that they can grow up to be successful, resilient, and self-reliant adults.
Websites with Additional Resources
These are just a few favorites! Search our full list of resources here.
