The Christian Formation Committee serves the 87 worshipping communities in the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Our goal is to provide Christian formation resources and guide congregations in forming disciples of all ages.
In September 2021, Suzanna Green was appointed Bishop’s Deputy for Christian Formation. The Deputy for Christian Formation is responsible for encouraging strong Christian formation for all ages and creating a diocesan-wide support system for the churches, in collaboration with the Rt. Rev. David Reed, Bishop of West Texas, and the Christian Formation Committee. Contact Suzanna Green, at formation@dwtx.org and (210) 816-1949.
Click here to access resources and curriculum recommendations for Adult Formation programs.
There are so many Lenten studies to choose from each year sometimes it can be helpful to narrow it down a bit. Here are the top three studies that the Christian Formation committee recommends for Children, Youth and Families this year:
For the full list of recommended resources click here.
In 2024 the Rt. Rev. Dr. David G. Read invites the diocese to study Acts. He states, “The Acts of the Apostles is the first book of the New Testament following The Gospels of Jesus Christ. Authored by Luke, the book of Acts describes the early life of the Christian movement as it wrestled with its relationship to Judaism, and as it learned to share the Gospel in the midst of the cultures of the 1st century. It is a story of missional movement and action as the Holy Spirit empowers the followers of Jesus Christ to live in the power of Christ’s resurrection and proclaim the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean, eventually reaching Rome – the center of the Roman Empire. As modern-day disciples of Jesus, we too find ourselves needing to learn to share the story of Jesus Christ in a culture and time when generations of people do not know him, or are not in a relationship with him. May the faith and work of the earliest Christians inspire us to do the work God has given us to do in our day.”
Bible Basics Storybook, by Brittany Sky (Abingdon Press, 2019), ages 3 and up
Spark Story Bible: Sunday School Edition, (Augsburg Fortress, 2009), ages 3-7
The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones, ages 3-7
Read, Wonder, Listen: Stories from the Bible for Young Readers, by Laura Alary (Wood Lake Books, 2018), ages 3-8
Children of God Storybook Bible, by Desmond Tutu (Zonderkidz, 2010), ages 4-8
Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible, by Elizabeth Caldwell & Carol Wehrheim (Westminster John Knox Press, 2018), ages 4-8
Celebrate Wonder Bible Storybook, by Brittany Sky (Abingdon Press, 2020), ages 7-10
Deep Blue Kids Bible (Common English Bible, 2019) ages 7-12
CEB Student Bible (Common English Bible, 2015) Youth
NRSV Student Bible by Phillip Yancey and Tim Stafford (Zondervan 1996) High School Youth
2020 Staycation Bible School - a seven-session curriculum developed by the diocesan Christian Formation Committee and inspired by "The Very Best Day: The Way of Love for Children", a children's book written and illustrated by Roger Hutchison. The 2020 Staycation Bible School is a curriculum designed for families to connect with God at home over the summer.
All Together Now - interactive Sunday school lessons filled with creative ideas for mixed-age classes combined in the same room.
Episcopal Children's Curriculum - thematic Sunday school curriculum tied to the seasons of the church year and developed by the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary.
Godly Play - help children (early, middle, and late childhood ages) explore faith through story, gain religious language, and enhance their spiritual experience through wonder and play.
Hearts Alive Children's Church - lectionary-based curriculum to deepen a child’s personal relationship with Jesus by helping them to know him through his Word, as well as love and serve him through worship and a shared communion with one another.
Illustrated Ministry - accessible faith-based resources for the church and home, designed to foster authentic faith engagement through creative activities and intergenerational focus.
Sparkhouse - resources to engage and build faith in your community with innovative Bibles, curricula, and workshops from birth to adult.
Lesson Plans that Work - Lesson plans written by experienced church teachers using practical approaches to respond to the needs of volunteer teachers. Designed to follow the Revised Common Lectionary and published by The Episcopal Church. Workshop Rotation Model This curriculum uses the approach of telling one major Bible story over several weeks through different mediums or “workshops” such as art, cooking, drama, games, etc.
Lesson Plans that Work: These lessons are thematic and timely as they lift up some of the important topics of the day such as racial justice and healing, creation care, and equality. They are published by The Episcopal Church.
Journey to Adulthood: Creative, developmentally appropriate lessons centered on inclusive, relational ministry revised and updated in 2021.
Echo the Story: This is a visual oriented curriculum that engages a variety of learning styles through video, sketching, reenacting and conversation.
Faith Lens: A weekly Bible studies that engage youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life.
Fathom: This is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 studies. Each study includes four sessions.
To engage children in the work our diocese does around the world, the diocesan World Missions Department wrote several 4-lesson studies for children, highlighting children from Kurdistan, Uganda, Guatemala, Navajoland, and Mexico. Each lesson includes a song, a Bible story, information about the country, and activities. These units can be used for Sunday school, children’s chapel, Vacation Bible School, or a family study at-home.
Click here to save a copy of the World Missions Children's Curriculum.
Building Faith is a ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary, aimed at equipping and inspiring churches and individuals for the ministry of Christian education and faith formation.
Click here to receive the Christian Formation newsletter, sent four times each year with events and seasonal resources.
Click here to follow Christian Formation on Facebook, for more content and resources.
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