Formation Updates!

Cultivating friendships, deepening deliberate discipleship, building bridges of inter-connection

Doing Discipleship Differently

Co-creating ecosystems of engagement for deliberate discipleship

Co-creando ecosistemas de participación estratégica para el discipulado intencional

Living and learning into the shape of Jesus’s life…together

Viviendo y aprendiendo según la forma de la vida de Jesús…juntos

Building bridges of warm and meaningful relationships across our diocese

Construyendo puentes de relaciones cálidas y significativas en toda nuestra diócesis

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Spotlight On…

Formation Leadership Summit: Exploring the Spiritual Imagination

November 19-21, 2026 at Camp Allen


More Announcements

Webinar: Getting Started

Online, July 23, 1pm EST

A Special Welcome from the Godly Play Podcast

Remember to Log In to the Member Area for a Site Tour and Discounts

Not a member? Email formation@epicenter.org

  • 10% off at Godly Play Resources.  
  • Discounts on virtual learning opportunities.  Members automatically receive discounts on virtual trainings and workshops when logged in to Godly Play Circles.
  • Member-exclusive tools, templates, and recordings.
  • Early access to new resources, and more.

Generational Theory: The good, the bad, and the more helpful

Online, September 9, 2pm, EST

Godly Play: Commuter Core Trainings

Online Sept. 12, Oct. 10, and Nov. 7

Sparking Faith: Kick Off the School Year

Online, August 6, 11am EST

A Season of Listening: A Study on Evangelism, Hospitality, and Belonging

Inter-Generational Prayer Partners: Where Kids and Elders Connect

Plan Now for a Transformative September

Exploring the Incarnation Method of Prayer

Self-Guided Course, Online

Exploring Lectio Divina

Self-Guided Course, Online

New Video Series on the Sacraments!

Signos y gracia: Una introducción a los Sacramentos

Morning Prayer

Oración Matutina del Día


Formation News and Updates

Pathways of Vocation Initiative

Together, we are bridging the gap between being knowledgeable “about” our faith and becoming skillful faith practitioners.

We are all Christian practitioners of the good news, and our churches are communities of practice where we all attempt to live and learn into the shape of Jesus’s life and teachings together. We are Living and Learning Communities of faith practice, which we express both inside and outside of the church walls.

Juntos, estamos cerrando la brecha entre conocer nuestra fe y desarrollar las habilidades necesarias para vivirla y practicarla plenamente.

Todos somos personas cristianas que practicamos la Buena Nueva, y nuestras iglesias son comunidades de práctica donde, juntos, procuramos vivir y aprender a conformar nuestra vida según el ejemplo y las enseñanzas de Jesús. Somos comunidades vivas de fe, aprendizaje y práctica, y esa forma de vivir la fe la expresamos tanto dentro como fuera de los muros de la iglesia.

One way to engage in this formational work within the church is through Lay Licensed Ministry and Lay Micro-Certification. To find out more about Pathways of Vocation and Licensed Ministry, please visit our website for all the details you will need!

Una manera de participar en este proceso de formación dentro de la Iglesia es a través de los Ministerios con Licencia y las Microcertificaciones para el Ministerios Laicos. Para obtener más información sobre los Caminos de Vocación y los Ministerios con Licencia, visite nuestro sitio web, donde encontrará todos los detalles que necesita.


Faith & Deliberation Initiative

How do we transform our churches into bridge building communities and hubs of civic engagement?

How do we transform our churches into Living and Learning Communities as we live and learn into the shape of Jesus’s life and teachings…together?

This is a question of how we approach our neighbors, and how we approach our neighbors (and enemies) was something Jesus cared about very deeply. We do not often frame Jesus’s teachings in this way, but we could summarize his core teachings as learning to love all that we dislike and despise – especially “those people over there” – through the ways we approach our neighbors with love and compassion. It’s a difficult teaching, but it is what we are called to do as disciples of Jesus.

¿Cómo transformamos nuestras iglesias en comunidades que tienden puentes y en centros de participación cívica?

¿Cómo transformamos nuestras iglesias en Comunidades Vivas de Aprendizaje, mientras juntos aprendemos y damos forma a nuestra vida según la vida y las enseñanzas de Jesús?

Esta es una cuestión de cómo nos acercamos a nuestro prójimo, y la manera en que nos acercamos a nuestro prójimo (e incluso a nuestros enemigos) era algo que le importaba profundamente a Jesús. No solemos expresar así las enseñanzas de Jesús, pero podríamos resumir el corazón de su mensaje diciendo que aprendemos a amar todo aquello que rechazamos o despreciamos, especialmente a “esas personas de allá”, al acercarnos a nuestro prójimo con amor y compasión. Es una enseñanza exigente, pero es el llamado que recibimos como discípulos y discípulas de Jesús.


    Noteworthy Formation Posts


    Connection. Dialogue. Practice.

    Join us the First Thursday of each Month for building relationships with other Formation Leaders and for hearing Formation News from around the diocese!

    (Offered in English and Spanish)

    First Thursday of each month, 12-1pm CST

    ¡Acompáñanos el primer jueves de cada mes para fortalecer relaciones con otros líderes de formación y para conocer las novedades de formación de toda la diócesis!

    (Ofrecido en inglés y español)

    Primer jueves de cada mes, 12-1 p.m. CST


    Noteworthy Podcasts


    This episode of We Belong to Each Other features Christine Havens. Christine is Director of Communication at St. Michael’s in Austin, a storyteller, a creativity chaplain, and a freelance writer. She is a formation leader who shares with us her faith journey as a highly involved lay leader and creator and facilitator of Wholly Foolishness. She offers us some excellent insight into embracing the power of the spiritual imagination through play and playfulness, and we are deeply grateful for her profound insights into formation leadership.

    Artwork by Angela Hider, EDOT Senior Graphic and Creative Designer

    Editing by Daniel Villarreal, EDOT Webmaster, Videographer, and Social Media Coordinator

    Songwriting and Music by Kelley McRae, EDOT Area Missioner


    Resources and more…

    Serve at Happening

    Happening #188

    Sept 25-27, 2026

    Formation Certificate: Iona School

    Formación certificado: Escuela Iona

    Formation Micro-Grant

    Microbeca de formación

    Faith & Deliberation

    Fe y deliberación

    Continuing Ed Grant (Clergy)

    Continuing Ed Grant (Lay)


    Contact Us!

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