​​Adult Faith Formation

Bible
This curated list of online learning programs includes free to use resources and fee-based resources. Many of the fee-based resources offer subscriptions for churches so that the programs can be provided to everyone in the church. Courses offered by colleges, seminaries, and organizations are usually for individual or small group use. They can still be included in a church's adult faith formation offerings with a note that the program is fee-based and intended for individual or small group study. 

Online Learning Programs
​​Amplify Media ($)
my.amplifymedia.com/amplify/selection/cokesburytvcms/53271-in-depth-bible-studies
Amplify Media offers video-based Bible courses on Making Sense of the Bible, Covenant, Moses, Proverbs, Isaiah, the Sermon on the Mount, Acts, 1Corinthians, Hebrews, and the Book of Revelation. Each free video-based course is accompanied by a print resource that people purchase. Also available are video-based courses from biblical scholar, N.T. Wright. Current titles include: Simply Jesus (based on his book), biography of Paul, and the letters to the Philippians, Ephesians, and Galatians. 
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The Great Adventure - Your Journey through the Bible ($)
​ascensionpress.com/pages/the-great-adventure
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible studies is a video-based (with print resources) program that is designed for Bible study groups, for gathering with family and friends, or for individual study. Start with Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible program for “the big picture” of the Bible. Then, move to the foundational program, The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation, the Gospel of Matthew, and the Book of Acts.

The Bible Project
https://bibleproject.com
BibleProject is a nonprofit ed-tech organization and animation studio that produces 100% free fully animated Bible videos, podcasts, and educational Bible resources to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. The Bible Project resources help people experience the Bible in a way that is approachable, engaging, and transformative by showcasing the literary art of the Scriptures and tracing the themes found in them from beginning to end. Rather than taking the stance of a specific tradition or denomination, the Bible Project creates materials to elevate the Bible for all people and draw our eyes to its unified message. The Bible Project resources include:
Boston College STM Online: Crossroads ($ and free)
​www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/stm/sites/crossroads/crossroads-courses.html
STM Online: Crossroads, a program of Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, offers non-credit online courses for adult spiritual enrichment and faith formation. With a focus on shared reflection in an online learning community, Crossroads models the kind of conversation and participation that lead to deeper understanding and personal growth in faith. Course topics include spirituality and prayer, scripture, sacraments and liturgy, moral life, and themes from the  Christian tradition.

Church Next ($ and free)
https://www.churchnext.tv/p/churchnext 
ChurchNext provides a wide variety of adult faith formation courses from expert teachers in Scripture, liturgy, and important Christian topics for a small fee. Adults can interact in a safe, online environment that’s convenient, engaging, and affordable. (There are free courses and fee-based courses from $10-$15 for each course.)​ They also have videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChurchNext. 

Enter the Bible
​enterthebible.org
Enter the Bible helps people engage Scripture in ways that are thoughtful, accessible, and faithful. All content on the Enter the Bible is created and/or vetted by Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN) professors - providing reliable biblical learning that draws from the best insights of both the academy and the faith. Enter the Bible provides commentaries - people, places, culture, and theological themes - for all of the books in the Old Testament and New Testament. Many of the books of the Bible include videos that explore the themes more deeply. Enter the Bible resources include:
  • Explore the Books of the Bible: Explore each book of the Bible through a multi-session Course, a study of Key Passages, relevant Articles (posts), Podcast episodes, Characters, Maps, and Videos. Go to Book at ​enterthebible.org.
  • Courses: There are self-paced courses for every book of the Bible. Go to ​enterthebible.org. ​

​FullerStudio: Introductions to the Books of the Bible
​fullerstudio.fuller.edu/introductions-to-the-bible​
Part of the Communal Reading of Scripture project, Introductions to the Books of the Bible is a new video series featuring more than 40 Fuller Seminary faculty presenting the Bible from their various areas of expertise. These refreshed perspectives on the Scriptures from the fields of theology, psychology, and intercultural studies are presented by FULLER studio in partnership with the Grace & Mercy Foundation. Presentations have Fuller faculty presenting a short video introduction (around 5 minutes) and an extended introduction (less than 10 minutes), available with transcripts. All of the videos are available on YouTube as well as the FullerStudio website. The presentations on the Books of the Bible are organizing into five areas: The Pentateuch (The Law); The Historical Books (The Writings); The Prophets; The Gospels; The Life of the Church (Acts and the Letters).

FULLER Equip Courses ($)
equip-courses.fuller.edu/modules/topics/bible
​FULLER Equip Courses are designed to bring provide practical skills and accessible training outside of a traditional degree program. Courses are created by Fuller’s faculty, experts, and network of trusted voices. Each course engages people in interactive, multimedia learning experiences that can be applied immediately. (Select courses are available to purchase individually or you can access all of the 60+ subscription courses with a free 30 day trial. After the trial ends, you can choose to subscribe and pay what you want for access to all of our subscription courses.

Learn25 ($)
www.learn25.com/product-category/religions-spirituality/old-testament
www.learn25.com/product-category/religions-spirituality/new-testament
The Learning 25 programs are podcast-style audio and video courses intended for personal study (you can add a small group component). The Learn25 lectures are presented in 25-minute segments by engaging university professors. Combining scholarship with lively instruction, the presenters enlighten and entertain, engage and inform. Many of their courses include free study guides with outlines, suggested readings, and more.

N.T. Wright Online ($ and free)
​www.ntwrightonline.org
N.T. Wright presents a a variety beginning, intermediate, and advanced video-based courses such as Gospel of Mark, Gospel of John, and the Letters of Paul. 

Seminary Now ($)
​​seminarynow.com/catalog
Seminary Now is a subscription-based, streaming video platform that delivers exclusive biblical and theological courses from a diverse group of leading educators and thought leaders. Courses are divided into short videos so people can learn at your own pace. Courses are offered in biblical and theological foundations, Old Testament, New Testament, Church, and Justice and Reconciliation. (Individual and church subscriptions available.)
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Yale Bible Study
https://yalebiblestudy.org
The mission of the Yale Bible Study is to engage people in small group (and individual) Bible study by providing studies of biblical books, deepened by insights from Yale Divinity School professors. These materials form an accessible, free, and deeply thoughtful and informed group Bible study program. Each lesson in each study includes a video overview with our scholars, a study guide, questions for reflection and discussion, and suggested additional resources to enrich the understanding of the sacred text. Courses and resources include:
  • Old Testament Books (8 sessions per  course): Genesis, Exodus, The Books of Samuel, Psalms, Wisdom Literature, First Isaiah, Second Isaiah, and Daniel
  • New Testament Books (8 sessions per course): Gospel of Matthew, Gospel or Mark, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Philippians 1 and 2, Thessalonians, Hebrews, and Revelation
  • ​Themed Study: Women in the Bible (12 sessions), Incarnation: Fleshing Out the Bible's Christmas Stories (4 sessions) Easter and Passover (4 sessions), Formation of the Bible Canon (2 sessions), and Reading the Bible (2 sessions)
  • Bible Resources: additional readings, artwork, charts, lectures, maps, videos and podcasts, and lectionary commentary

Activities
​Daily Discipleship and Daily Faith Practices (ELCA)
https://www.elca.org/Resources/Bible-Studies
Daily Discipleship and Daily Faith Practices are downloadable Bible studies based on the lectionary used at Sunday worship (Revised Common Lectionary). Daily Discipleship is based on the Gospel and Daily Faith Practices is based on the second reading. Both are available for each liturgical year. For example, Year C begins with the season of Advent 2021 and is completed at the end of liturgical year in November. These two-page Bible Studies connect the Word of God with daily life experiences and strengthen faith practices in everyday living.

Faith Gateway
https://www.faithgateway.com
​www.faithgateway.com/topics/bible
Faith Gateway is an online community for readers to discover great content and engage with Christian authors. Faith Gateway brings together content in many different forms: daily blog posts, book excerpts, devotionals, free downloads, videos, giveaways, contests, author chats, and more.

Life.Church Open Network Small Group Studies
https://open.life.church/categories/319-small-groups
Life.Church Open Network makes available the entire library of Life.Church resources for adults including small group Bible studies on a wide range of topics and books of the Bible. 

Thoughtful Christian - Adult Bible Studies ($)
https://www.thethoughtfulchristian.com
www.thethoughtfulchristian.com/TabCenter/22/Adults.aspx
The Thoughtful Christian provides a wide variety of individual and group Bible studies for adults available for digital downloads. 

Vibrant Faith at Home Activities
​​www.vibrantfaithprojects.org/young-adults.html
​www.vibrantfaithprojects.org/adults--couples.html​
Hundreds of activities for home and church, created by Vibrant Faith, are available to download as PDFs. Young Adult and Adult activities are organized in six categories: Bible Stories, Conversations, Learning about Faith, Prayer, Ritual & Tradition, and Serving Others. 

Visual Faith Activities 
​www.vibrantfaithprojects.org/visual-faith-activities.html
Vibrant Faith has created 32 Visual Faith Experiences that connect a Bible passage to visual images that you can download as PDFs and use as thematic lessons at home or church throughout the year. There is also a guide for using the experiences on online platforms. 

Wesleyan Resource Center - Adults
​resources.wesleyan.org/?fwp_categories=adults
The Wesleyan Resource Center curates theologically Wesleyan and holistic resources motivated to move people from making decisions to trust Christ to actively following Jesus in close discipleship communities. All of the resources are free. Includes small group studies on a variety of biblical and faith themes, seasonal programs, and videos. 

Bible Reading
​Bible Gateway
www.biblegateway.com​
Bible Gateway is a searchable online Bible in more than 200 versions and 70 languages that you can freely read, research, and reference anywhere. With a library of audio Bibles, a mobile app, devotionals, email newsletters, and other free resources, Bible Gateway equips you not only to read the Bible, but to understand it. Go to their website for information on downloading their Bible App and Audio App. 
The Bible Year (Amplify Media)
​my.amplifymedia.com/amplify/series/unitedmethodistpublishinghouse/52823-the-bible-year
The goal of this resource is to read the whole Bible in a year. Think about it in terms of smaller, daily goals. Think about a commitment to read a short selection from the Bible plus a concise devotional every day. The Bible Year has it all mapped out day by day. The Bible Year Devotional: A Journey through Scripture in 365 Days by Magrey deVega accompanies the video program. Available from Cokesbury (www.cokesbury.com/The-Bible-Year-Devotional?refq=The%20Bible%20Year). Available online and in a variety of digital formats including Roku, Apple Apps, and Google Play. (See the website for details.)

YouVersion Bible Reading Plan(s) for Adults
​www.bible.com
The YouVersion Bible App has dozens of Bible Reading Plans online and in the App. Adults can download the App (for iOS and Android) and then select a reading plan. You church can focus on a reading plan for all adults and then organize a Facebook Group to connect everyone. ​

Videos
​#30SecondBible Series
​thirtysecondsorless.net/30secondbible/​
The #30SecondBible series features dozens of voices reflecting on the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, you will hear summaries of each book and reflections on the good news they contain. Follow along each day to hear progressive and liberal voices claiming the Bible as book that they know and love. This is the Bible for busy people, thirty seconds at a time. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook to catch each episode the minute they’re available. And sign up for the monthly newsletter to stay in the loop on what’s coming up next.

​Chuck Knows Church
https://chuckknowschurch.com
The videos from Chuck Knows Church helps people learn more about our church while inviting them to have deeper conversations. There are individual videos on the following topics: the Bible, the Lectionary, the New Testament, Parables, the Psalms, the Torah, and the Apocrypha. Use  the search function to find these videos on the website. 

Right Now Media ($)
www.rightnowmedia.org ​
Over 20,000 Biblically-based videos for small groups, families, students, leadership development, and more than 2,000 wholesome, educational, and entertaining videos for children. All available for streaming. Monthly fee based on the size of the church. 

Spoken Gospel
​www.spokengospel.com
Spoken Gospel is a non-profit digital media ministry committed to fostering transformative Bible engagement by producing creative videos that help people see and savor the good news of Jesus on every page of the Bible. It is their goal to make a video introduction to every book of the Bible, using spoken word poetry to tell the story. Each introduction shows the main themes of every book and how those themes are fulfilled in Jesus.
They are also making Christ-centered devotionals and podcasts that cover every chapter of the Bible. Spoken Gospel content includes:
  • Introductions to the Bible: Short creative videos that use spoken word poetry to introduce each book of the bible, showing its main theme and how it is fulfilled in Jesus.
  • Devotionals: Brief field guides through every passage of scripture that explain each chapter within its context and how it reveals more about the good news of Jesus. Available in audio, video, and written form.
  • Podcasts: Deeper dives into how the big ideas presented by every book of the Bible find their climax in Jesus.
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The Skit Guys
skitguys.com
www.youtube.com/c/skitguys/featured
The Skit Guys have produced hundreds of videos of their skits on a variety of topics: seasonal, faith themes, life issues, and more - for teaching, sermons, events, and more. The videos are available on YouTube and on their website (for purchase and download).
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The Work of the People—Films 
https://www.theworkofthepeople.com
The Work of the People is an eclectic, ecumenical, and growing collection of provocative short films and interviews with spiritual leaders and thinkers, authors, practitioners, and theologians. Films are available individually, in multi-session thematic series, in contemplative themes (visual prayers, poems, and benedictions), and as e-courses.  ​

Podcasts
​Bible in a Year
media.ascensionpress.com/all-bible-in-a-year-episodes/
In The Bible in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides you through the entire Bible in 365 episodes. Using an exclusive reading plan rooted in The Bible Timeline (a ground-breaking approach to understanding salvation history developed by Biblical scholar Jeff Cavins) you won’t just read the Bible … you’ll finally understand how all the pieces fit together to tell an amazing story that continues in your life today!

Bible Project Podcasts
bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast. 
Listen to deeper theological conversations that explore the biblical theology behind each animated video and series in the The Bible Project library. 

Enter the Bible Podcasts
enterthebible.org/podcasts
​Enter the Bible podcasts, presented by Luther Seminary professors, explore important questions that people ask about the Bible. 

Forward Day by Day Podcast(Forward Movement)
​www.forwardmovement.org/Pages/Item/12306/Podcast.aspx​
Forward Movement creates daily inspirational meditations reflecting on a specific Bible passage, chosen from the daily lectionary readings.

Spoken Gospel Podcasts
​​www.spokengospel.com
Spoken Gospel podcasts provide  a deeper dive into how the big ideas presented by every book of the Bible find their climax in Jesus.

Theology Live Podcast
https://theologylive.podomatic.com
Once a month, the 20s and 30s community of Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church gathers over food and drinks to engage Memphis' most compelling theological minds. The Theology Live Podcast incorporates the presentation and interaction for each program.