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About The About TheDepartment of Christian Formation
The Department of Christian Formation is comprised of 16 members, chosen by the Bishop to serve as a voice for Christian Educators in the diocese. We provide parishes with opportunities for training, community building and resource guidance. The committee strives to support all who are involved with education in the parish. We have trained consultants and you may access their gifts and talents! Contact: Kathy Graham at 205.715.2060 ext. 9229 or email:kgraham@dioala.org We are happy to send a representative to your parish or help you find the resources you need. 
Click on the Podcasts for Faith Formation photo to download a trusted and curated list of podcasts. Don't see your favorite faith formation podcast on our list? Email kgraham@dioala.org to help our resources to grow and share the wider community!
How do we sustain quality Christian formation in the 21st century? Many churches are finding the answer online! ChurchNext offers online Christian Formation that is led by experts in their fields of study and taught from a mainline Christian perspective to help you and your parish to: Form & Shape Disciples, Help People to Cross Important Thresholds, and Build Community. Clergy are invited to learn more about the diocesan ChurchNext Subscription. Reach out! The Department of Christian Formation is here to help.
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Live Course: Introducing Mark with Vicki Garvey Companion online class for the Good Book Club COURSE DESCRIPTION: For six weeks this Epiphany, meet with other students from around the world for a live, online class on the Gospel of Mark with Vicki Garvey, a respected teacher and author and former Canon for Lifelong Education at the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. In this class, Vicki will teach us about the author, origin, setting, and message of the Gospel of Mark. Classes will meet live on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. from Jan. 7-Feb. 11. This class is ideal for people participating in the Good Book Club 2021, and for anyone interested in learning more about the Gospel of Mark. Note: for those who cannot attend the live class, it's recorded and made available within a couple of days after the recorded class. You must be registered to attend or to view the recorded sessions. Planning Calendars: We can count on the rhythm of the liturgical year. We can make Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C based on that, knowing that we may end up on Plan J by the time a given event actually occurs. Many thanks to Sharon Ely Pearson for helping us with planning during this time of uncertainty.
Want to know more about the tract of courses that St. Stephen's, Birmingham created for Sunday Christian Formation time? Click the Home Life Series below for a full description of courses. Thanks to the good folks at St. Stephen's for sharing! A few words from those who are using ChurchNext Online Christian Formation in their parish: St Stephen’s, Birmingham We began using ChurchNext courses for our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening programs. We developed Home Life series course tract using the video courses on topics like Difficult Children, Money Management, Being Single, and Prayer. Our church has responded very well to the video series and the following discussion. Each "For Groups" course includes a facilitator and participant guides that you may download and print. The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Guntersville: With an iPhone and AppleTV, we had an instant video series that was thoughtful and engaging. The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Rainbow City “I used ChurchNext for Congregations as a supplement to my Adult Confirmation Class. The courses offered a wonderful way for those seeking confirmation to learn on their own time and then come to Sunday class ready for in-depth discussion. I am grateful to our diocese for supporting this extremely helpful Christian Formation resource.” The Rev. Michael Goldsmith Grace Episcopal Church, Anniston I found CN very helpful and used it in a variety of settings. In the spring during the Sunday morning Christian Ed time, I used different courses that focused on Spiritual Practices to highlight different practices. I have also used classes for Wednesday evening programming and I used two during Confirmation classes. The format is good for jump-starting conversations in groups. There are usually 4-5 short segments in each course so the time required can vary depending on what is available or how much conversation is generated. The Rev. Dr. Lee F. Shafer |