Spencer Library: Faith Formation: Small Groups

Curricula & Websites

Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding is a series of biblically based short-term courses that provide adults with a foundational understanding of the Reformed faith. Each six-session study—written by well-known and respected scholars—features Scripture, prayer, in-depth commentary, and questions for reflection. Lessons include a Participant and Leader's Guide. The main structure is the rubric Head, Heart, and Hands.

All Living the Questions curricula are available to stream or download; includes a variety of progressive topics.

Free streaming videos featuring nearly 30 contributors; adaptable for groups online with downloadable Discussion Questions.

In the Works Series

This five-session series explores how Christians can be part of God’s mission in the world. Each title includes five inspiring daily readings for each week; five easy-to-use discussion guides (with activities, Bible study, and discussion activities); and follow-up action options to apply the study to real-world life.

Sessions include:

How Do I Begin? Sharing Your Faith
How Do I Make It Right? Doing Justice in a Broken World
What Do I Do with My Life? Serving God through Work
What Do I Owe? Managing the Gifts God Gives You
Where Do I Come in? Joining God's Mission

The Present Word adult Bible study curriculum is based on the reading and study plan of the Uniform Series, which is a way to study the Bible over a six-year period. Each quarter works its way through different books of the Bible and focuses on a different theme. You can view the theme for this quarter on the scope and sequence.

Harper Collins offers an enormous searchable library of Small Group Guides for their published works.

Church Anew's blog is a rich resource with frequent updates from diverse thinkers. Greg Carey's, The Bible and Ethics, could be a starting point to reading a post and discussing as a regular prompt for small group discussions.

Augsburg Fortress has created a full intergenerational curriculum based on Daniel Erlander's beloved book Manna and Mercy, a book about God and the continuity of God’s covenant of life, justice, and inclusion to all people and all of creation.

This curriculum includes a leader sourcebook full of lesson plans for all ages, an interactive edition of the book for kids, and four board books for young children, in addition to Erlander's original book.

Sparkhouse's Three Separate Dialogues On Curricula: Race, The Refugee Crisis, & Sexuality

Filter : Media allows you to enter the URL of a news article and the site will analyze the article’s political bias; useful in teaching.

offers affordable online courses for:

Adult Formation
Sacramental Preparation
Building Effective Leaders

PC(USA) shares small group discussion guides for their publications and a downloadable free chapter of Walter Brueggemann’s, Materiality as Resistance. Available ebooks include:

Browse Lewis Center for Church Leadership's numerous Adult Small Group Study Guides on a range of topics.

Feasting on the Word is a lectionary based curriculum that allows all ages to study the same text each week. Preparatory materials equip leaders with the biblical background they need to feel confident with any age group.

Sample Sessions are available for: