Rooted in our commitment to nurture lifelong discipleship, these faith formation resources offer practical and inspiring ways to grow in understanding and practice. Here you’ll find curated small‑group programs, reading materials, and online links that equip individuals and communities to explore faith with depth and confidence.
Small Group Courses and Programs:
The Pilgrim Course
https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/pilgrim-course
The Pilgrim Course is a significant Anglican teaching and discipleship resource designed to help people explore Christian faith in a reflective, community-based way. It approaches core issues of belief not through persuasion but through shared contemplation, Scripture engagement, and group discussion. The program is structured in two stages—Follow for those new to faith and Grow for those wanting deeper formation. Its goal is to help every local church create a space where faith can be discovered and lived out in daily life.
Alpha Canada
https://alphacanada.org
The classic resource for many Anglicans and parishes. The Alpha Course is a series of sessions that explore the basics of the Christian faith in a welcoming, informal setting. It typically includes a shared meal, a short talk on a core Christian topic, an open discussion, and time for questions. Alpha is designed especially for those who are curious about Christianity or returning to faith, emphasizing conversation rather than instruction.
Living the Questions
https://livingthequestions.com
This progressive resource describes itself as an open-minded study of Christianity. It aims not to provide participants with all the answers, but to create an environment where participants interact with one another as they explore the Christian faith. There is a particular focus on Christianity’s place and credibility amid questions of science, reason, and issues of justice.
Christianity Explored
https://www.christianityexplored.us
Christianity Explored is a 10-week course developed in the U.K. that introduces the life and teachings of Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. It invites participants to explore who Jesus is, why he came, and what it means to follow him in a relaxed, discussion-based setting. The course is designed for seekers and skeptics, as well as Christians who want to review the core beliefs of faith.
The Way of Love
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/way-of-love/
This Episcopal course offers a framework for Christian practice that encourages an intentional, Jesus‑centered way of life. It outlines seven spiritual disciplines—Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest—inviting individuals and communities to grow in faith through regular practice. Rather than a strict program, it serves as a flexible “rule of life” rooted in ancient monastic wisdom, helping people deepen their relationship with God and live out Christ’s love in the world.
Jesus the Forgiving Victim: Listening for the Unheard Voice
James Alison’s four-volume exploration of Christianity reframes faith through the lens of René Girard’s insights on desire, violence, and scapegoating. Across this set, Alison presents Jesus not as a heroic moral exemplar but as the risen victim who gently unveils our patterns of exclusion and invites us into a new way of being human. The work emphasizes that forgiveness is not a demand placed upon us but a reality we discover as we undergo Jesus’ re‑creation of our imagination. Together, the volumes form a conversational guide that encourages readers to experience Christianity as a surprising, nonviolent, and joy-filled transformation. There is also a video accompanying this resource.
Magazines and Booklets
This is our Faith
https://www.abebooks.com/9780852314081/Faith-Jeffrey-John-0852314086/plp
This is Our Faith is a resource developed by the Church of England. It presents the fundamental truths of the Church’s teaching straightforwardly and engagingly. It is ideal for individuals seeking to gain a deeper understanding of Christianity, including those preparing for confirmation.
Emmaus: Contact
https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/books/9780715143087/emmaus-contact-stage-1
Contact is a practical, hands-on booklet designed to help churches strengthen their connections with people outside the church. Recognizing that attracting people to church is often harder than running courses, it offers research-based insights and case studies on making and deepening contact with people through existing relationships and community links. The booklet provides guidance on engaging people’s spirituality, forming nurture groups, and encouraging whole-church involvement in faith formation and outreach.
Books
The Love That Is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith
Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt
This rich, theological yet accessible book is reminiscent of the style of C.S. Lewis or G.K. Chesterton but written for readers today. It serves as a good starting point for exploring Christianity and developing a deeper relationship with the triune God of Love.
To Love and To Serve: Anglican Beliefs & Practices
Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe
This important book is a comprehensive introduction to the core beliefs, liturgical rhythms, and spiritual practices of Anglican Christianity. It guides readers through the liturgical year, the sacraments, daily prayer, and key teachings of the Church, emphasizing how prayer shapes belief and deepens one’s relationship with Jesus Christ. Adapted for the Anglican Church of Canada from Walk in Love, it serves both newcomers and long-time Anglicans as an accessible and engaging resource for understanding and living out the Anglican way.
Wholehearted Faith
Rachel Held Evans
Wholehearted Faith helps readers understand Christian faith as a lived journey rather than a checklist of beliefs. Her writing is accessible, honest, and rooted in Scripture, making it a meaningful introduction for those exploring Christian belief and belonging.
What is the Point of Being a Christian?
Timothy Radcliffe
What Is the Point of Being a Christian? explores Christianity as a joyful, hopeful way of life shaped by friendship with God rather than by fear or obligation. Drawing on scripture, theology, and pastoral experience, Radcliffe presents Christianity as an invitation to freedom, love, and human flourishing in a fractured world. This is also a book that addresses doubt and modern skepticism with warmth and humour, showing how faith opens space for meaning, compassion, and hope.
The Thirst of God: Contemplating God’s Love with Three Women Mystics
Wendy Farley
Wendy Farley’s The Thirst of God offers a contemplative introduction to faith by exploring the longing within every person as an echo of the divine desire for union and healing. Drawing on three female mystics – Mechthild of Magdeburg, Marguerite Porete, and Julian of Norwich – Farley invites readers to encounter God not as a distant judge but as a presence of profound love and transformative intimacy. It’s an accessible and reflective doorway for those who seek a quieter, inward path into Christian faith rooted in longing, compassion, and deep attentiveness. This book is recommended for the more contemplative-minded individual.
Websites
The Bible Project
https://bibleproject.com
The Bible Project is a free, visually rich educational resource that introduces Christianity by telling the unified story of the Bible centred on Jesus. Through short, animated videos, podcasts, and study materials, it presents biblical theology in an accessible way, showing how the Old and New Testaments fit together as one narrative of God’s purpose for the world. Rather than focusing on doctrine first, it invites newcomers to explore Christianity by understanding the Bible’s themes, design, and vision of life shaped by God’s love and justice.
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