Faith That Lasts: Resources for Faith Development At All Ages
As we move into September, many of us are returning to rhythms of programming, planning, and preparing for another ministry season. It’s a natural time to ask deeper questions—especially about how we walk with children, youth, and families in ways that form a faith that can weather real life.
This month at Ministry Forum, we’re paying special attention to intergenerational ministry and next-generation formation. We’re thinking about Sunday School, youth group, and family faith practices. But more than that, we’re thinking about what it means to offer something deeper than attendance and answers. We’re asking how we might invest in a faith that’s real, resilient, and rooted—one that won’t unravel when life gets complex, or when A + B no longer equals C.
To support that work, we continue to add new resources and tools to our Resource Hub. None of them are silver bullets on their own, but with prayer, thoughtfulness and a great group of leaders these can helpful companions for the journey.
AND - don’t forget - on September 18, we’re hosting a webinar with Dr. David Csinos, who has spent years thinking about intergenerational worship, faith formation, and how we might shape communities where people of all ages are learning to follow Jesus together. Bring your questions. Bring your curiosity.
Bring your hope for this generationand the church we’re building with them!
God’s Stories Book
Created by the team behind The Bible for Normal People, God’s Stories bridges the gap between serious biblical scholarship and engaging narrative storytelling. Available in two formats—a fully illustrated children’s edition and an adult-friendly version without illustrations—the resource aims to help both kids and grownups encounter the Bible as a diverse, ancient collection of texts, not a rigid rulebook.
The project draws on contributions from over 50 biblical scholars, theologians, storytellers, and faith practitioners worldwide. Together, these voices honour the Bible’s historical contexts, acknowledge its complexities, and model a faith that welcomes questions. Rather than simplifying or sanitizing, God’s Stories preserves the richness of the biblical narrative while providing age-appropriate context, “Let’s Talk” conversation prompts, and QR codes for further exploration.
The adults’ edition uses the same text without the illustrations and is a great resources for personal study, healing from past rigid approaches to Scripture, or exploring biblical scholarship in a low-barrier way.
Highlights of this Resource:
Illustrated children’s Bible informed by respected biblical scholarship.
Adult edition with identical text in a simplified format.
Contributions from 50+ diverse voices across traditions and cultures.
Context notes, conversation prompts, and historical insights.
Digital resources accessed via QR codes.
Learn More:
The Big God Project | The Whole Bible For The Whole Church
The Big God Project is a full-church curriculum developed in Canada by the Family Church of Heritage Green (Presbyterian Church in Canada). Built around the idea that churches grow best when learning together, it helps congregations—regardless of size or age range—engage the Bible as one body. Every week centers on a theme drawn from the character of God and includes a children’s moment in worship, a teaching video, printable activity sheets, and a hands-on Sunday School lesson. The same theme carries through all pieces so the entire church is learning the same story together.
This resource is super flexible - churches with no regular children’s ministry or only a few kids on Sundays can still use the materials effectively. Most components can be run by volunteers with little prep time thanks to demonstration videos. Adults and seniors are encouraged to engage alongside children through games and storytelling. The videos are clear, beautifully illustrated, and rooted in Scripture. Every year, the curriculum moves from Genesis to Revelation, helping everyone in the church see how the Bible fits together.
If your church needs something that encourages multigenerational faith formation, works with limited volunteers, or supports families new to Scripture, this tool may be a strong fit.
What this resource includes:
Weekly theme-based worship moment with interactive video and game
Printable take-home journal and question sheets
Sunday School lesson with crafts, games, or science-based activities
Step-by-step training videos for volunteers or use in the classroom
Full-year plan from Genesis to Revelation tied to church seasons
Around the Table Quick Sheets: Family Faith On The Go
Around the Table Quick Sheets are a pair of free, downloadable PDFs developed to help churches and families weave spiritual formation into the rhythms of daily life. Designed by Miatta Wilson of the PC(USA) Office of Christian Formation, these resources support faith practices in spaces like car rides, ballgames, kitchens, and parks—anywhere families gather or pass through.
The Church Leader Quick Sheet provides guidance for creating seasonal "Faith on the Go" kits, filled with interactive items like Flat Jesus cutouts, Skittle prayers, and Scripture cards. Leaders can also adapt and share content digitally, fostering ongoing engagement when in-person attendance is sporadic. Download it Here.
The Parent Quick Sheet offers quick, meaningful ways to spark spiritual conversation—blessing each other with sticky notes, sharing pocket prayers, or reflecting on God’s presence in nature. Grounded in Psalm 121:8, these tools help households cultivate spiritual habits through gratitude, storytelling, and prayer. Download it Here
Plus, check out the Around The Table Podcasts
Around the Table: Sharing Our Stories
A podcast for parents and caregivers that gives practical pointers and inspirational thoughts about how our faith, spirituality and stories come to the table with hosts Michelle Thomas-Bush and Cliff Haddox. Find the Around the Table podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon.
Around the Table: Hard Conversations
Season 2 of the Around the Table podcast with hosts Michelle Thomas-Bush and Cliff Haddox gives parents and caregivers a place to think about how to have those Hard Conversations. Available to listen on Apple and Amazon.
Learn More about PCUSA Around the Table Hub
What Is the Bible?
Written with warmth and wonder, What Is the Bible? introduces children to Scripture not as a rulebook or historical artifact, but as a library of divine encounters and human stories that reveal who God is and how we belong. The book is the posthumous vision of Rachel Held Evans—one of the most influential progressive Christian voices of her generation—and was lovingly completed by her friend and fellow author, Matthew Paul Turner.
Through playful illustrations and lyrical prose, this book answers big questions with theological depth and childlike joy. Children learn that the Bible is full of people just like them—curious, flawed, brave, and loved. It doesn’t simplify the Bible’s complexities but honors them, offering a view of Scripture as something dynamic and alive.
This is a resource not only for children but also for caregivers, churches, and educators who want to introduce the Bible in a way that fosters wonder, belonging, and a lifelong love of the sacred text.
Sticky Faith Collection
Sticky Faith is a strategy aimed at helping parents and ministry leaders actively nurture the spiritual growth of young people, ensuring that their faith endures into adulthood. Recognizing that nearly 50% of students abandon their faith after graduating high school, Sticky Faith highlights the critical role parents play as primary influences on their children's spiritual lives. Developed by the Fuller Youth Institute, Sticky Faith is grounded in extensive research involving over 500 young people, 100 churches, and 50 families, providing practical resources for fostering long-term faith.
Key components of Sticky Faith:
Intergenerational Relationships: Encourages a supportive community where each young person is surrounded by a team of five adults, fostering meaningful connections across generations.
Whole Gospel Understanding: Moves beyond viewing faith as a behavioral accessory, promoting a holistic integration of faith into every aspect of life.
Family Partnerships: Empowers parents, identified as the foremost spiritual influencers, by equipping leaders with strategies to collaborate with families in faith development.
Safe Space for Doubt: Emphasizes that engaging with doubts through open conversation, rather than silence, strengthens faith. It provides tools for facilitating discussions that allow young people to explore and question their beliefs safely.
Sticky Faith - The Book
Nearly every Christian parent in America would give anything to find a viable resource for developing within their kids a deep, dynamic faith that "sticks" long term. Sticky Faith delivers. Research shows that almost half of graduating high school seniors struggle deeply with their faith. Recognizing the ramifications of that statistic, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the “College Transition Project” in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. Based on FYI findings, this easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick to them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people, Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages.
Sticky Faith, Youth Workers Edition
Most churches in America would give anything to develop a deep, growing faith in kids that "sticks" and continues to mature long-term. Yet both national leaders with broad spheres of influence as well as local, grassroots practitioners are waking up to the reality that almost half of their graduating seniors will drift from God and the church after high school. As leaders and as parents, we're not satisfied with that. We suspect you're not either.
In Sticky Faith, the team at FYI presents youth workers with both a philosophical framework and practical programming ideas that develop long-term faith in teenagers. Each chapter presents a summary of FYI's quantitative and qualitative research, along with the implications of this research, including program ideas suggested and tested by youth ministries nationwide. This resource equips youth ministry leaders with what they need to help foster a faith that sticks long after young people leave the youth room.
Sticky Faith Innovation
Sticky Faith Innovation is not just a book, but a practical guide designed to transform youth ministry by addressing the real needs of young people in the church. The book emphasizes the importance of innovation through creativity, compassion, and courage, providing proven exercises and strategies for engaging with youth to generate and implement meaningful changes in ministry. Readers are encouraged to actively involve young people in the process, interviewing them to understand their needs and coming up with innovative ideas that help them grow in their faith and reliance on God as they transition into adulthood. Sticky Faith Innovation is for anyone involved in youth ministry, offering timely insights and practical tools to foster a more effective and nurturing environment for spiritual development.
The Book of Belonging
The Book of Belonging is an illustrated Bible storybook designed to help children understand the rich diversity of God's people, emphasizing identity, contemplation, and wonder.
It presents 42 Bible stories from both the Old and New Testaments, featuring diverse narratives and illustrations that include women, men expressing emotions, and people of colour, ensuring that every child can see themselves reflected in the stories.
The Book of Belonging is a valuable resource for ministry leaders working with children and families:
Spiritual Development: is encouraged by blending biblical narratives with moments of wonder and contemplation, the book helps children and their families connect with God on a personal and reflective level. This provides ministry leaders with tools for teaching about faith in ways that encourage depth and engagement.
Mindfulness: With its guided reflection and emphasis on silence and stillness, the book equips leaders to introduce spiritual practices that nurture inner calm and focus, valuable in today’s fast-paced world.
Designed for Longevity: The book’s hardbound, full-color format is designed for use in ministry programs, whether in Sunday schools, family devotional settings, or outreach initiatives.
Learn More at thebookofbelonging.com
Worshiping With Children
Worshiping with Children is a resourceful blog designed to help worship planners include children in worship services meaningfully. It provides lectionary-based ideas and articles that focus on creating an inclusive worship environment where all ages can experience and encounter God together. This blog is not about children's sermons or separate children’s church services; instead, it emphasizes intergenerational worship that integrates everyone into a single service.
Resource Highlights
Lectionary-Based Resources: Each Sunday of the Revised Common Lectionary year is covered with commentary from a child's perspective and suggestions to involve children in worship. The Lectionary, Scripture, and Date Indexes make it easy to find relevant posts.
Topical Articles: Short essays explore various issues related to worshiping with children, offering new possibilities and starting conversations among worship leaders and parents. The Topical Index helps locate specific articles quickly.
Practical Worship Ideas: Includes ways to read scripture so children understand it, scripts for prayers and liturgy that engage both children and adults, and plans for integrating worship education into services.
Themes and Focus Areas
Prayer and Reflection: Guides for liturgical seasons and special occasions, helping children participate fully in worship.
Interactive Worship: Encourages active participation with ideas like worship kits for children, children’s bulletins, and worship art.
Current Events: Addresses how to discuss and integrate current events into worship with children, offering a faith perspective on real-world issues.
About the Author - Carolyn C. Brown
Carolyn C. Brown, a Certified Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), brings over thirty years of experience in Christian Education. Her background includes serving various congregations and her passion for welcoming children into worship as full participants. Brown's expertise and practical approach have made her a valuable resource for worship planners seeking to create inclusive and engaging worship experiences.