Lifelong Faith Studio

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Welcome to the Lifelong Faith. . . 

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Design Lifelong Faith Formation for Your Church

The Lifelong Faith Studio is designed to ​

​e. It is only intended as a guide for a church to develop their own network and digital platform for adult formation.  A network approach to adult faith formation incorporates a diversity of  content (programs, activities, and resources), a variety of media (print, audio, video, apps, and more), and multiple environments for engagement (independent, mentored, family, small group, large group, church-wide, community-wide). It also 

The Seasons of Adult Faith network is developed in response to the the ten goals of maturing in faith proposed in Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations by John Roberto. Each section (menu) of the website focuses on one of the ten goals: 
  1. To develop and sustain a personal relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ.
  2. To live as a disciple of Jesus Christ and make the Christian faith a way of life.
  3. To read and study the Bible and apply its message and meaning to liv- ing as a Christian today.
  4. To learn the Christian story and the foundational teachings of one’s particular faith tradition and integrate its meaning into one’s life.
  5. To worship God with the community at Sunday worship, in ritual cel- ebrations, and through the seasons of the church year.
  6. To pray, together and alone, and seek spiritual growth through spiritual practices and disciplines.
  7. To live with moral integrity guided by Christian ethics and apply Christian moral values to decision-making.
  8. To live the Christian mission in the world by serving those in need, caring for God’s creation, and acting and advocating for justice and peace—locally and globally.
  9. To be actively engaged in the life, ministries, and activities of the Christian community.
  10. To practice faith in Jesus Christ by using one’s gifts and talents within the Christian community and in the world.

The learning experiences for each goal are examples of the types of programming that a network can offer. The goal is to offer a variety of offerings to make it easy for people to find a program or activity or resource that best addresses what and how they want to learn and grow in faith. The offerings can include large group, small group, and on-your-own activities - some of which are in-person learning or online learning or a combination of both (hybrid learning). 

The programming for each goal is organized to address three learning and religious profiles. 
  • Adults who are just getting started (or need a refresher) - with activities that introduce people to the content of the goal. 
  • Adults who are growing - with activities to help them become more confident in their knowledge and practice of their faith.  
  • Adults who want to go deeper - with activities to deepen their knowledge ​and practice of their faith through a more in-depth exploration and experience. 



​A 21st century approach to faith formation requires that the faith formation leader become a curator—a trusted guide who continually finds, groups, organizes, and connects the best and most relevant faith forming content and resources on a specific subject to match the needs of a specific audience. In the new digital world of abundant resources, the role of the faith formation leader is shifting from providing religious content and programming to curating religious content and experiences for all ages. The convergence of an abundance of content, the variety of programming to address the diverse needs and interests of people today, and the online platform for delivering programming and connecting people is creating the impetus for faith formation leaders to reimagine their primary role.

I have selected a variety of digital resources that are either free or low cost that you can use to develop online faith formation programming for all ages in your faith community in virtual and blended settings. Many publishers produce curriculum resources that can be downloaded and then printed for use in gathered programs at church. I have not included these resources because of their expense and the fact that they need to be used in physical settings at church. 
 
The resources listed can be used in designing online programming and faith formation playlists, and adding content to faith formation websites for children, adolescents, adults, families, and all generations. If you are using a published program or textbook from a Christian publisher, be sure to check-out their website for online learning resources. Several publishers have produced digital versions of their texts or programs.  
 
To determine if a resource is appropriate for your congregation develop evaluation criteria and a checklist to review resources that will work for you. Here are several categories to consider in evaluating a resource: 
  • biblical content & interpretation
  • theological content and emphasis
  • developmental appropriateness
  • ethnic-cultural appropriateness
  • inclusive of diversity
  • respect for diverse ways of learning
  • appearance and visual appeal
  • ease-of-use
  • quality of experience
  • ability to be incorporated into daily and home life. 

Design Suggestions for Leaders

In the Studio

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Children's Resources
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Adolescent Resources
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Adult Resources
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Family Resources
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Intergenerational Resources
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Jesus

To develop and sustain a personal relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ.
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Christian Story

To learn the Christian story and one’s particular faith tradition and integrate its meaning into one’s life.
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Moral Integrity

To live with moral integrity guided by Christian ethics and apply Christian moral values to decision-making.
​​
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Gifts & ​Talents

To practice faith in Jesus Christ by using one’s gifts and talents within the Christian community and in the world.
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Discipleship

To live as a disciple of Jesus Christ and make the Christian faith a way of life.​
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Worship & Liturgy

To worship God with the community at Sunday worship and in liturgical celebrations through year.
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Justice & Service

To live the Christian mission in the world by serving those in need, caring for God’s creation, and acting and advocating for justice and peace.
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Life Stages & Transitions

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Bible

To read and study the Bible & apply its message & meaning to living as a ​Christian today.
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Prayer

To pray, together and alone, and seek spiritual growth through spiritual practices and disciplines.
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Community Life

To be actively engaged in the life, ministries, and activities of the Christian community.
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Church Year ​Seasons

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Alpha Online: https://alphausa.org/alpha-online
Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone is welcome. Alpha is now offering an online version. They have produced three guides to assist in running Alpha Online: Moving Alpha Online, Hosting Alpha Online, and Alpha Online In Action. 
 
Amplify Media: https://my.amplifymedia.com/amplify/home  (Subscription)
Amplify Media is a subscription streaming service with a vast library of videos and small group programs for adults.  
 
BibleProject (https://bibleproject.com) and The Bible Project TV (https://bibleproject.com/stream) 
BibleProject is an animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated Bible videos, podcasts, and Bible resources to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. People can now stream BibleProject videos on their television at home using the most popular streaming devices: Roku, Amazon Firestick, and Apple TV.
 
Chuck Knows Church (Videos): https://chuckknowschurch.com
Chuck Knows Church who helps people learn more about our church while inviting them to have deeper conversations. The Original Series is all the objects, symbols and terms we often hear in church. There are more than 100 episodes (2-6 minutes in length) available on a variety of topics that can easily be combined into multi-session programs. 
 
Church Next - Online Adult Faith Formation: 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. They also have videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChurchNext. 
 
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). 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
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.
 
Forward Movement: https://www.forwardmovement.org
Forward Movement provides resources online, and for smartphones and tablets: ebooks, downloadable resources, apps, online engagement opportunities through Twitter and Facebook, and even a Forward Day by Day podcast.
 
FULLER Formation: https://formation.fuller.edu
Whether you are seeking ways to grow deeper in your faith or looking to learn with your small group or congregation, FULLER Formation provides access to a variety of guided lessons from Fuller experts. With anytime-access to spiritual formation content, you can start engaging your faith on a deeper level today. The library of content created exclusively for FULLER Formation includes topics such as integrating your faith and work, and discerning your calling. There are over 60 resources. The subscription is $10 per month.
 
FULLER Studio: https://fullerstudio.fuller.edu
Fuller Studio provides free resources for churches, communities, and individuals committed to a deeply formed spiritual life. Guided by an editorial team and advisory board, FULLER studio produces and curates content drawn from our outstanding faculty as well as from the worldwide Fuller community, translating this wealth of scholarship into high-quality videos, podcasts, articles, and the award-winning FULLER magazine. All content on this website is free for your use.
 
Good Ground Press: https://goodgroundpress.com/resources/
Good Ground Press offers free online retreats for adults. 
 
Group Publishing Free Resource Hub: https://www.group.com/category/ministry-resources/free-resources.do
Group Publishing’s Free Resource Hub has resources for children, youth, & families. 
 
Learn25: https://www.learn25.com
Learn 25 has over 450 titles in religion, psychology, spirituality, health and living, biographies, and more in video and audio courses, talks, audiobooks, and podcast-style programs. Their lectures fit conveniently into people’s schedule, learning for 25 minutes a day. Courses are taught by some of the world’s most inspiring professors, subject matter experts chosen by Learn25 and customers. All programs can be purchased separately, but they have made the audio versions of programs available through Learn25 Unlimited subscription. 
 
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 over 100 small group studies on a wide range of topics. 
 
Living Well: Christian Practices for Everyday Life (LifelongFaith Associates): Living Well: Christian Practices for Everyday Life
Living Well: Christian Practices for Everyday Life presents twelve essential practices for a Christian way of life: Caring for the Body, Celebrating Life, Discernment, Dying Well, Eating Well, Forgiving, Keeping Sabbath, Managing Household Life, Participating in Community, Praying, Reading the Bible, and Transforming the World. Each chapter presents the Biblical foundation of the Christian practice and a variety of practical suggestions for living the practice in everyday life.
 
Milestones Ministry: https://milestonesministry.org
Milestones Ministry has produced 18 Milestone resources for children and youth; and 12 Milestone resource for adults. They have also produced dozens of Milestone Moments that connect  significant occasions in people’s lives (birthday, blessing animals) with the ongoing journey of faith. All are available as digital downloads. 

The Pastoral Center: https://pastoral.center/adult-faith-formation  
The online Pastoral Center produces a wide variety of digital faith formation resources for adults: individual study, small groups, retreats, or more.
 
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. 
 
Theology of Work Project: https://www.theologyofwork.org
The Theology of Work Project (TOW) is the deepest, largest, and most trusted source of biblical, theological, and pastoral material related to work. Most of our materials are available free of charge on this website. Their cornerstone resource, the Theology of Work Bible Commentary, is the only commentary covering what the entire Bible says about work. 
 
Thoughtful Christian: https://www.thethoughtfulchristian.com
The Thoughtful Christian.com is an ecumenical site dedicated to helping Christians and seekers understand, share, practice, and be challenged in their faith. Their digital offerings include downloads for individual and group studies for adults and youth. TheThoughtfulChristian.com also offers all-access subscriptions to downloadable group studies for adults and high-school youth.
 
Spirituality & Practice: https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com
This website is devoted to resources for spiritual journeys. The site is organized around "The Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy," 37 essential practices of the spiritual life. The "Spiritual Practices Toolkit" is compilation of links to articles, reviews, and instructions for more than 260 ways people practice their spirituality. The site includes dozens of e-courses on topics in spirituality, explorations into spiritual traditions, and reviews of books and films.
 
Yale Bible Study: https://yalebiblestudy.org
The mission of the Yale Bible Study is to engage people in small group Bible study by providing studies of biblical books, deepened by insights from Yale Divinity School professors. There are over 25 bible courses of 8 sessions each with videos and study guide. These materials form an accessible, free, and deeply thoughtful and informed group Bible study program. All course materials available freely without registration; sign up for additional tools and discussion
 
YouVersion Bible Reading Plan(s) for Adults: Reading Plans Online
The YouVersion Bible App (https://www.youversion.com) 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. 
 
The Work of the People—Films for Discovery and Transformation: 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. There is a small fee for purchasing the films. 

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​This website is developed by John Roberto as a service of 
Lifelong Faith Associates - committed to helping churches develop lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations.

John Roberto
Lifelong Faith Associates
133 Old Towne Road
​Cheshire, CT 06410
203-232-1129

jroberto@lifelongfaith.com