Formation Resources

 

Websites

  • Online Book of Common Prayer - An online version of the 1979 Prayer Book that can be browsed with your web browser. To view the Catechism, which is a basic statement of Episcopal beliefs, click here.
  • The Way of Love - Presented by the Episcopal Church, it is more than a program or curriculum, it is an intentional commitment to a set of practices. It's a commitment to follow Jesus: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, Rest.
  • The Daily Office - The Daily Office is presented by the Mission of St. Claire on this web site in various formats for your personal devotions. The formats include downloadable versions for handheld personal information devices.
  • Forward Day-by-Day - Use this site to access daily meditations from Forward Movement Publications.
  • Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE) Daily Meditations -  Friending  SSJE on Facebook will give you access to their daily meditations.  However, SSJE also has some wonderful sermons and devotionals on their website.
  • Building Faith - A program of Virgina Theology Seminary, Building Faith is a ministry of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary. They publish theologically rich, practically oriented articles on Christian formation. Their mission is to equip and inspire churches and individuals for ministries of Christian education and faith formation for all ages.
  • Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. More than 150,000 people around the globe receive Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. CAC has been sending these free email studies every day since 2008. Click here to sign up, or here to view the meditations via Facebook.
  • Pray as You Go. This site offers daily, downloadable prayers.  You can download as .mp3 or .wma direct to your iPhone or other listening device and take your prayers with you.
  • Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) makes classic Christian literature available to Christians, seekers, and scholars. The CCEL accomplishes this by selecting, collecting, distributing, and promoting valuable literature through the World Wide Web.
  • Dann Wigner offers insights into spirituality, ancient Christian mysticism, the Enneagram, mindfulness, spiritual direction, and so much more.
  • Education for Ministry (EfM) - Education for Ministry lives in the School of Theology at the University of the South at Sewanee. It is a unique four-year small-group formation program based on study and practice in theological reflection.
  • The Work of the People - A spiritual visual library and virtual sanctuary for a those seeking theological answers to life's questions.  Includes hundreds of artful interviews with some of todays greatest theological minds.  
  • Spiritual Directors International - Are you looking for a spiritual director?  This website provides a curated list of spiritual directors both online and in your area. 
  • Forma - Forma is a dynamic group of Christian formation professionals from the Episcopal Church and beyond. Their mission is to celebrate, equip, support, and connects leaders who form followers of Jesus. 
  • Faith @ Home - A ministry of FORMA and Forward Movement, offers weekly, lectionary-based lessons for all ages. These free resources could easily be copied and emailed individually to the appropriate age groups, or encourage folks to sign up for these lessons themselves. Though written for individuals and families, they could provide material for group discussions.
  • How2charist - An online taught Eucharist that explains each step of the liturgy for those who seek to know more and those new to the Episcopal Church
  • Creation Care Resources from the Episcopal Church - These resources will help you to engage in loving formation, liberating advocacy, and life-giving conservation for the sake of God’s Creation.
  • Taizé - Prayers, songs, meditations, and reflections
  • ​Words and Terminology - Brief dictionary of terms related to the Episcopal Church
  • Grow Christians  - They provide online articles and resources for faith at home, including topics on parenting and families. This Episcopal blog site provides inspiration for living and practicing faith outside a church building.

Podcasts

  • The Way of Love Podcasts. These weekly conversations, featuring Bishop Curry along with podcast hosts Kyle Oliver and Sandy Milien, explore living a life committed to living the way of God’s unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial and redemptive love.
  • Prophetic Voices. Across our church and our society, we are having profound dialogues about race, truth, justice, and healing.
  • Notoriously Episcopalian. A podcast of conversations, sermons, and reflections from a GenX Episcopal deacon in the Diocese of Alabama.
  • Forward Day-by-Day - An audio edition of the beloved daily devotional; includes each day's scripture passage, reflection, and closing prayer. An excellent 5 minute start to your day!
  • A Morning at the Office: A daily Morning Prayer podcast; includes all three readings as well as bonus prayers. Hosted by the Rev. Canon Wiley Ammons and the Rev. Lisa Meirow.
  • Daily Prayer: Similar to A Morning at the Office, however this version includes just two readings, and follows the same text as our app and website. Hosted by the Rev. Canon Wiley Ammons and the Rev. Lisa Meirow.
  • An Evening at Prayer: Our daily Evening Prayer podcast, according to The Book of Common Prayer. Hosted by the Rev. Canon Wiley Ammon sand  the Rev. Lisa Meirow.
  • Compline: Late Evening Episcopal Prayer: Our daily prayer podcast for the close of the day from The Book of Common Prayer and Forward Movement.
  • Scripture Day by Day: The daily readings as listed in Forward Day by Day, with lectionary readings for Sundays and Major Feasts following the Revised Common Lectionary.
  • Ninth Bishop of Texas. Sermons from C. Andrew Doyle, IX Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Texas.
  • Popping Collars explores the intersection of religion and pop culture.  Hosted by Greg Knight, Liz Easton, Ricardo Avila, and Betsy Gonzalez, who interrogate the world around them through the lens of faith.
  • Priest Pulse believes the Church is alive, and they’re keeping their finger on the pulse. Priest Pulse is hosted by Father Benjamin Gildas and Fr. Colin Chapman and looks at relevant issues in the Episcopal Church and around the world with prayer, humor, and thoughtfulness.
  • On Being with Krista Tippet.  A Peabody Award-winning public radio show and podcast. What does it mean to be human? How do we want to live? And who will we be to each other? Each week a new discovery about the immensity of our lives. Hosted by Krista Tippett.
  • The BCP and Me: Episcopalians exploring The Book of Common Prayer and how it teaches us to live our lives abundantly.
  • The Accessible Altar: A monthly podcast exploring the intersections of faith and disability.
  • The Road to Nicea: Join the Rev. Ben Wyatt in a fascinating account of Christ, creed, and controversy in the turbulent 4th century.
  • Bible Love: A Scripture Podcast: A conversation about scripture between Mary Balfour Dunlap (priest at Church of the Resurrection in Greenwood, S.C.) and Alan Bentrup (priest at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Keller, Texas).
  • Good News and Gratitude - Join The Rev. Erin Jean Warde each week as she explores the messages of gratitude and good news we find in Scripture and the world around us, as well as through the wisdom of special guests and our own spiritual practice.
  • Radical Love Live - In-depth conversations exploring human spirituality "outside the boxes," beyond ideology and institutions. Hosts Mark Dilcom and Kelly Wilson talk about new issues in this nonjudgmental space and engage with thinkers about what spirituality means in the 21st century. 
  • SpadeSpoonSoul - Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Episcopal Bishop of Indianapolis; Jerusalem Greer Staff Officer for Evangelism to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church; and Brian Sellers-Petersen, Agrarian Missioner in the Diocese of Olympia and Coordinator of Good News Gardens.
  • The Good Book Club - Welcome to the Good Book Club podcast, part of a worldwide initiative to get people reading their Bible and exploring the Word of God together. This season, between Easter and Pentecost 2020, we’re reading the Gospel of Matthew. 

Bible Study Tools

  • Bible Studies from the Episcopal Church - Bible studies from the Episcopal Church that follow the cycle of the liturgical calendar and lectionary readings.  
  • Bible Gateway - One of the best Bible search engines for versions other than the NRSV, plus a wealth of Bible study tools.
  • e-Sword Bible Program is a wonderful FREE Bible program, including commentaries, Bibles, and other resources
  • StudyLight.org is an excellent collection of online Bible study resources.
  • The Blue Letter Bible provides powerful tools for an in-depth study of God’s Word through our free online reference library, with study tools that are grounded in the historical, conservative Christian faith.
  • Our Bible App - An LGBT-affirming bible app that seeks to "uplift ALL believers"
  • Pilgrim: The Bible - What is it, how was it given to us, and how should we read it? These six sessions combine simple prayer, Bible reflection in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection. By the end of the six sessions, it is hoped that participants will have learned how to make reading the Bible a part of everyday life, with the ability to read, pray, and listen to what God might be saying, allowing the words to change each participant.
  • Sermons that Work - For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of the Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. 
  • Lectionary Page - Would you like to follow along with the lection?  Check out this helpful page which will show you the upcoming readings for Sunday worship and holy days. 
  • Bible Study Tools - A helpful website with many Bible study tools.
  • N.T. Wright - The webpage of world-renowned New Testament theological and Anglican Bishop N. T. Wright. 
  • Hebrew Interlinear Bible - Compare the Hebrew scritpure to an English translation.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible - Compare the Greek scripture to an English translation. 
  • The Bible Tool - A tool for parallel reading of scripture.  Built for reading multiple translations at once. 
  • Gutenberg Digital – High-resolution images of the entire Gutenberg Bible
  •  Codex Sinaiticus - View one of the oldest intact Greek manuscripts of the Bible, written in mid-300s.
  • Personal influences on reading the Bible - this exercise seeks to help ‘ordinary Anglicans’ i.e. those of us with no formal theological education, to look at the lenses that influence us.
  • The Bible - get the BIG picture - an eight-session course produced by the Bible Society to help us understand the Bible for ourselves painting the big picture of the Bible storyline - from Genesis to Revelation
  • Ten Practical Tips - the author is this short article writes, “Reading the Bible as Christian Scripture is both simple and complex. It is complex because-like any art, craft, or sport-it requires a range of tools and much practice in order to reach a level of significant competency… But reading Scripture is also simple. An ordinary reader can go far toward deep understanding, without special training or even a Bible study guide, because the most basic task of reading Scripture is paying close attention to words.”
  • 4 C’s - this helpful short outline has been used in the Chelmsford Diocese in England offer four Cs to bear in mind as we engage with Scripture: Context, Community, Critical Study and Change.
  • BIBLE360 - an outline of a day courses created by the Diocese of Brisbane, Australia that explores how the Bible fits together and how we can engage more deeply with it. It began with the question: How can we motivate people to read their Bible more?
  • The One-Year Bible Challenge - another example of a One-Year Bible reading scheme used by a church in Memphis, USA to encourage a deeper knowledge of Scripture.
  • Lectio Divina - is a contemplative way of reading the Bible dating back to the early centuries of the Christian Church and was established as a monastic practice by Benedict in the 6th century. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into God’s word. 

Books