The Spiritual Formation Commission mission is to advocate for Christian formation; explore the needs of West Missouri congregations and determine a helpful response. By sharing and discovering new resources, we can recommend ‘best practices; assist congregations in the process of incorporating pathways to formation with intention; and if desired, offer training or educational events. Our goal is to encourage and nurture spiritual growth, Christian practices, and theological reflection, based on the belief that actively engaging in Christian formation is a transformative experience which affects our understanding of morality, politics, economics, labor, family, the environment, hospitality, justice, friendship, and forgiveness. In short, everything is a spiritual matter.
Grant Request
Members
- The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce
- The Rev. Alisa Carmichael
- Mary Chiles
- The Very Rev. Don Compier
- The Rev. Larry Ehren
- Cosette Hardwick
- Anita Philbrick
- Clare Stern-Burbano
- The Rev. Kim Taube
- Milt Tootle
- The Rev. Brittany Sparrow Savage
We’re here to walk with you along the way. If you have reviews, suggestions or can offer up a “best practice” to help others, please share; explore the links below and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, let us help you find it; if you feel confused, challenged or like you’re wandering in the wilderness, reach out. Connect with the Spiritual Formation Commission by emailing: formation@diowestmo.org.
Recommended Resources
Browse our information and resources. There’s something for everyone!
For Children
Designed to build young disciples in their faith, Children’s Ministry provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere in which children can learn the stories of our faith, build friendships, wonder about the words and symbols in worship, learn spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, and grow as full members of the Body of Christ.
![two girls dancing at St. Augustine's](https://diowestmo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/two-girls-dancing-at-St.-Augustines.jpg)
Let’s keep in mind:
- Children are full members of the church by virtue of their Baptism.
- Children have profound experiences of the mystery and presence of God long before they can put these experiences into words.
- We are called to proclaim the Gospel to children in a way that empowers them as disciples and ministers.
- We are called to pass on the language and practice of faith to enable children to articulate, share and proclaim their experience of the Holy.
- We are called to be in ministry “with” and “for” children, not “to” children.
- Formation is growth in knowledge, service and love of God; it engages the whole person for a life in Christ.
- Children who are valued for their gifts and are invited to participate in and contribute to the life of the whole community are more likely to continue to engage with a community of faith as they mature.
- When children have the opportunity to build relationships with people in multiple generations, those relationships support the development of lifelong disciples of Christ.
Adult and Educator Resources
- FORMA an excellent resource page from network of those involved in formation across the Episcopal Church. You can find the Christian Formation Tool Box there. Become a member and attend the annual conference!
- Rows of Sharon features many helpful tools created by Sharon Ely Pearson, author and well known guru of all things Christian Formational, such as a Curriculum Overview Chart
- Faith Formation Learning Exchange for educators with research and formation resources
- The Text This Week – site features a wide variety of ecumenical resources for study and liturgy based on the 3-year Revised Common Lectionary* cycle
- Building Faith tool for evaluating curriculum
- To Dance With God by Gertrud Mueller Nelson
Curricula
Complimentary Curriculum is offered through
- Episcopal Diocese of Texas
- Lesson Plans that Work are published by the Episcopal Church
Curriculum for Purchase (with some free resources…)
- Godly Play offers curriculum, resources, training, and home lessons
- Weaving God’s Promises has easy to understand and prepare lesson plans for children ages 3 to 11, and youth ages 12 to 14. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (developed by Sofia Cavalletti) curriculum
Children's Books
- Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Helene Deval
- When God was a Little Girl by David R. Weiss
- The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth (anything by him is great)
- Adam and Eve’s First Sunset by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
- Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
- The Day When God Made Church – A Child’s Book About Pentecost by Rebekah McLeod Hutto
- Eve and Her Sisters – Women of the Old Testament by Malcah Zeldis
- Images of God for Young Children by Marie Helene Delval
- Old Turtle stories by Douglas Wood
- The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
- God’s Dream by Desmond Tutu
Church and Home Sharables
- Faith At Home – a collection of lectionary based readings and reflections
- Building Faith offers lots of ways of families to practice faith at home!
- Messy Church has fun ways of being church for families
- Forward Movement’s Daily Devo: Devotions for Families
- Faith Formation Journeys – weekly devotions, faith & home connection
- Keys for Kids is a daily devotional for children found at Sermons 4 Kids
- Illustrated Ministry for Families offers at-home resources
- Milestone Ministries provides a faith milestone as a marker along life’s journey
- Worshipping with Children – This lectionary-based blog
Downloadable Resources
Together, these offer a large collection of downloadable resources for children’s ministry as well
Recommended Bibles
- The Jesus Storybook Bible – younger elementary age (on Amazon)
- Spark Story Bible – shorter stories, pre-school up to third grade (www.wearesparkhouse.org)
- The Lion Children’s Bible by Pat Alexander for older elementary age children (on Amazon)
- Children of God Storybook Bible by Archbishop Desmond Tutu is good for everyone! (on Amazon)
Other Ways to Engage
- Faithguides offer an assortment of fun and interactive products in printed form
- Think Orange has non-denominational curriculum for preschool-youth
- Building Faith Brick by Brick: An Imaginative Way to Explore the Bible by Emily Slichter Given and Emily Given
- Sunday Paper and Sunday Paper Junior are lectionary based whimsical, scriptural cartoons
Specific to Stewardship
- Abundant Life Garden Project helps children learn to care for creation and each other
- Moonjar helps families build dreams by learning to spend, save and share
Great Reads
- Rituals for Home and Parish by Jack J. Rathschmidt and Gaynell Cronin
- The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education by Sharon Ely Pearson.
- Will Our Children Have Faith by John H. Westerhoff
- Faith at Home by Wendy Claire Barrie
- Best VBS Workbook Ever by Lisa Brown
- Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century by John Roberto (and others by him)
- Children’s Spirituality by Rebecca Nye
For Youth
In 1 Samuel 16 when the prophet Samuel goes to the house of Jesse, it’s not the strapping, strutting older brothers of the house that God chooses to be king. It’s the underage runt of the litter that got anointed as the future leader of Israel.
Youth engage, taking their faith journey seriously by asking thought-provoking, challenging questions. They are not afraid to have a conversation about what they believe and why they believe it. Jesus lives and breathes through their words and actions. Youth are walking examples of the gospel. Imagine the possibilities of involving them as worship leaders, altar guild members, greeters, ushers, Sunday school teachers, and even preachers! When given the opportunity they will not only rise to the challenge, but the will set the bar at a whole new level.
We were all teenagers once and other than technology, things have not changed that much – people are people. The next time you see a young person take a moment to sit and visit with them. Ask them how things are going and don’t be afraid to share a little about you. Give them the opportunity to be the face of the present church and you will surely be amazed at the work God is doing through them.
![Friends hugging each other](https://diowestmo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Friends-hugging-each-other.jpg)
Youth Ministry
- is vital to helping teens integrate into the larger, intergenerational church community.
- resists the status quo, helping the church stay relevant.
- focuses on inviting those outside the church into the deeper narrative of God’s plan.
- reminds the church that teens are co-creators and conspirators in the work of the church.
- helps the church focus on the way of Jesus, going beyond tradition, dogma, and work.
Events and Programs
Events and programs in the Diocese of West Missouri are designed for youth to experience opportunities in Evangelism, Spiritual Formation, Christian Leadership, Mission, Fellowship, Scripture and the Episcopal Church. WEMO Youth programming strives to provide:
- safe, loving, and wholesome atmosphere for young people
- programs which helps young people become formed in their faith
- variety in worship experiences that help young people connect with God and one another
- teaching about the Anglican expression of Christianity
- the means for young people to develop their individual prayer and spiritual life
- assistance for young people as they develop values and ethical norms
- interaction with adults who authentically model the Christian faith
- activities (games, sports, crafts, etc.) which involve fun and the building of sense of worth
Great Reads
- Episcopal Handbook by Morehouse Publishing
- Almost Christian by Kenda Creasy Dean
- My Faith My Life by Jennifer Gamber and Lisa Kimball
- Best-Ever Games by Les Christie
- Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields
- Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries
- Crazy Christians by Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
Online 'Shareables'
- Faith At Home is delivered straight to your inbox as a collection of lectionary based readings and reflections for families and friends to explore together around the tableor on the go
- My Faith, My Life, a website for Episcopal teens to explore their faith and learn more about the Episcopal church
- Forward Movement’s Daily Devo: Devotions for Families
- Lent Madness learn about saints, and then vote to decide which one earns the Golden Halo
- D365 daily devotions especially written for youth and young adults
- Center for Parent/Youth Understanding helps parents, youth workers, educators, pastors and others understand and reach today’s youth culture
Recommended Bibles
- New Standard Revised Version “as literal as possible” in adhering to ancient texts
- The Message (The Bible in Contemporary Language)
- Inspire Bible (The Bible for coloring and creative journaling)
- The Story (The bible in chronological order, in novel form)
Curriculum and Activities
- New Standard Revised Version “as literal as possible” in adhering to ancient texts
- The Message (The Bible in Contemporary Language)
- Inspire Bible (The Bible for coloring and creative journaling)
- The Story (The bible in chronological order, in novel form)
For Young Adults
Young Adult Ministry is geared toward those between the ages of twenty and forty – and the types of responsibilities and life experiences vary greatly within that age range. The needs and desires of a single, twenty-two year old trying to navigate his first full-time job in a new city is a far cry from those of a married, thirty-five year old with two children. Both need to be ministered to, but it looks different depending on the specific stage of life. Yet, research shows, most young adults are looking for the same things: community life (fellowship), accessibility to the sacraments (liturgy), engaging teaching (education), the opportunity to put their faith into action (mission).
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Young adult ministry attempts to cultivate leaders by offering making resources available to assist them on their own personal faith journey. Offering opportunities like round table discussion, young adult forums, retreats, and mission work gives young adults the ability to build and find a home within the Church.
- Think of the church movements initiated by young adults like St. Benedict (father of Western monasticism), St. Ignatius of Loyola who formed the “companions of Jesus” (Jesuits) and St. Francis of Assisi – all young adults turning their attention toward God.
- Young adults want faith to be personally meaningful and first-hand. The church can be a valuable expression in the lives, impacting how they live, how they relate, and how they grow. Church needs to be become something they want to do.
- Young adults need to be prepared for the spiritual challenges that will come and the faith questions they will face.
- Campus Ministries serve as places of community which may center around shared meals, regular worship, pastoral care and community service. ECM is a lively place for mentoring the Christian formation of both seekers and those who grew up in Episcopal churches. Currently, there is an active Campus Ministry meeting weekly at Christ Church in Springfield. The Reverend Bradley Heuett would be most happy to speak with anyone interested in starting this ministry in their ‘neck of the woods’!
Great Reads
- Young Adult Ministry in the 21st Century: The Encyclopedia of Practical Ideas
- Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults
- Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation by Sarah Raymond Cunningham
Online 'Shareables'
- All Things….Episcopal podcast; a platform to talk about our faith and to introduce some basics about the Episcopal Church.
- Popping Collars Podcast; an intersection of religion and pop culture.
- Priest Pulse looks at relevant issues in the Episcopal Church and around the world with prayer, humor and thoughtfulness.
- Acts 8 Movement is dedicated to renewing the church through discipleship, evangelism, and the use of current technologies for communication and strategic action.
- Society of St. John the Evangelist
Recommended Resources
- The New Standard Revised Version is “as literal as possible” in adhering to the ancient texts
- The Message (The Bible in Contemporary Language)
- Inspire Bible (The Bible for coloring and creative journaling)
- The Story (The bible in chronological order, in novel form)
Curriculum and Activities
- Becoming: A Spiritual Guide for Navigating Adulthood A spiritual companion for young adults and all who live amid transitions and tensions
For Adults
It is a religion of transformation and a lifelong process of growing in our relationship with God, self, others, and all creation.
Every experience in our lives can provide us with the opportunity to express our faith; the challenge we face is recognizing these opportunities and learning ways to live a society which sometimes puts the secular life above a spiritual, faith-filled life.
Adult Christian formation seeks to intentionally nurture and develop spiritual growth, theological reflection, and Christian practices that make it possible for adults to engage in the process by utilizing traditional and experiential resources.
![EFM Retreat](https://diowestmo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2011-05-07-151312-scaled.jpg)
- Formation is foundational to everything we believe and do.
- Education is part of formation, but so are mission, liturgy and fellowship.
- Faith formation happens – either intentionally or unintentionally. Every life experience is an opportunity to live out our Baptismal Covenant.
- People are hungry to know why we believe what we do. Christian formation is essential to instilling that deep understanding and knowledge to empower Christians to be able to say what they believe in.
- As life goes on, Scripture takes on new connections. It constantly presents new situations and ideas.
- It is important to develop child faith into adult faith
- Formation encompasses learning, action and reflection; it is informal and formal.
- The premise of Christian formation informs how we conduct the Church’s mission. Mission then involves sharing stories as well as building hospitals, social transformation as well as personal service.
- Educating ourselves as adults is one of the most important things a church can help us do.
Great Reads
- The Episcopal Handbook by Morehouse Publishing
- Your Faith Your Life by Jennifer Gamber
- Crazy Christians by Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
- Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer by Rowan Williams
- Your Daily Life Is Your Temple by Anne Rowthorn
- Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish H. Warren
- The Episcopal Story: Birth and Rebirth by Thomas Ferguson
- Living Water: Baptism as a Way of Life by Klara Tammany
- Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
- Accidental Saints Nadia Bolz-Weber
- Listening for the Heartbeat of God by J Philip Newell
- The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century by Joan Chittister
Church and Home 'Shareables'
- D365 has daily devotions
- My Faith, My Life explores faith and helps learn more about the Episcopal church
- Forward Movement has been producing excellent resources to encourage spiritual growth
- Grow Christians is community of disciples practicing faith at home with resources.
- Building Faith is online to equip, teach, form and provide resources for disciples of all ages.
- Act 8 Movement is dedicated to renewing the church
- The Society of St. John the Evangelist is an online community of men rooted in ancient traditions
- Virginia Theological Seminary has built an expansive resource ecosystem (eformation)
- The Episcopal Digital Network offers a lectionary based Bible study
- Contemplative.org is a gateway to find and share trusted resources for your spiritual journey
- Bible Challenge – read the Bible in a year
- Living Compass outfitting people with tools and training for the journey toward wellness and wholeness
- The Skit Guys use comedy, drama and whatever category action figures fit into to talk about God. Designed for youth, but fun for all ages.
Recommended Bibles
- The New Standard Revised Version is “as literal as possible” in adhering to the ancient texts
- The Message (The Bible in Contemporary Language)
- Inspire Bible (The Bible for coloring and creative journaling)
- The Story (The bible in chronological order, in novel form)
Educational Curriculum
Educator Resources
- Forma – Consider becoming a member and attending the annual conference! (www.forma.church)
- Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century by John Roberto
- The Seasons of Adult Formation by John Roberto
Other Ways to Engage
- Prayer, Meditation and Study
- Mission and Social Concern
- TEC Office of Government Relations helps you stay informed through advocacy resources and action alerts
- Explore TEC Covenant for Creation Care and more…
- Sacred Ground is an 11-part film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.
For Everyone
“Intergenerational Ministry occurs when a congregation intentionally brings the generation together in mutual serving, sharing or learning within the core activities of the church in order to live out being the body of Christ to each other and the great community.”
This quote from Holly C. Allen and Christine Lawton’s book Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community and Worship places an emphasis on intention. Whether you are part of the Greatest Generation, a Baby Boomers or a Gen X, Y or Millennial we have points of common reference and congregations can intentionally make their intergenerational character a defining feature of their community life, ministries and programming.
- Bringing generations together within the church affirms each person’s value in the total community (regardless of age).
- Intergenerational Ministry nurtures the support of each other’s concerns, interests and activities.
- Intergenerational Ministry breaks down stereotypes and barriers that stand between generations and give new meaning to “faith family.”
- Intergenerational Ministry can foster leadership regardless of age or stature.
- The Spirit of God works formatively through community worship, mission, education and fellowship in unique ways when believers across the life span are present and participating together.
- Intergenerational ministry ideas can be social events, mentoring opportunities or service oriented.
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Great Reads
- Generations Together: Caring, Praying, Learning, Celebrating & Serving Faithfully by Kathie Amidei, Jim Merhaut and John Roberto
- Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community and Worship by Holly Catterton Allen and Christine Lawton Ross
- To Dance With God by Gertrud Mueller Nelson
Church and Home 'Shareables'
- Worshipping with Children offers ideas for including everyone in worship
- God’s Word, My Voice is a collection of the RCL readings paraphrased for children to be read aloud in worship by Lyn Zill Briggs
- Messy Church has fun ways of being church for families
Online Resources
- GenOn Ministries offers has an entire section dedicated to Intergenerational Ministry that is full of helpful information on ways to engage everyone in the congregation in liturgy, education, mission and fellowship!
- Worshipping with Children – This lectionary-based blog offers specific helps for specific Sundays.
- Illustrated Ministry offers coloring pages and posters, worship resources, illustrated curriculum and illustrated family resources that bring people together
- Building Faith intergenerational resources
- God’s Word, My Voice lectionary for children helping them participate more fully in worship services
- Faith Formation Learning Exchange for educators with research and formation resources
Milestone Ministry is full of ways to grow people in faith, community and celebration when home and away