Forming Faith Blog

What Do We Mean by Forming Faith?

Posted on June 25 2024 by Gregory Rawn

In the next month or so, I will be reflecting on a blog series called “What Is Faith Formation?” I wrote back in 2019. Partly, this is because it’s an important topic that is always relevant to our work here at Spirit & Truth Publishing. The other part is that I’m a bit buried in work, so a little respite from blog writing is a huge help. 😉

We believe that one of the church’s primary purposes is to facilitate faith formation between us and the God we meet in Jesus. But what do we mean by faith formation? What is faith formation to you?

A dad helping his toddler at a pottery wheel, shaping the clay and their relationship.
Defining Faith

Our small company, Spirit & Truth Publishing (of which I’m the owner and publisher) creates faith formation resources. But what do we even mean when we talk about faith formation?

Let’s start with the basics: what do I mean when I use the word “faith”? In church, we use the word in two main ways. We talk a lot about faith as a gift from God that saves/justifies us. We also use the word to mean the content of the teaching we believe, as in a faith statement. Out in society, the term is either used to indicate a particular religious category (e.g., the Christian faith) or as confidence or trust in another person (e.g., “I have faith in you.”)

A Relationship with God

In the New Testament, the same Greek word (pistis) is translated as “faith,” “belief,” and “trust.” These correspond to our uses above: the gift of faith, what we believe, and whom we trust. For me, the most important thing about faith is that it is all about a relationship. All three of these relate to this relationship with God.

  • The Gift of Faith- A relationship with God is truly a gift, freely given. God is the one who establishes the relationship with us through the work of Jesus and the agency of the Holy Spirit. This faith is not an object, as we so often think of gifts. It is a personal, two-way connection.
  • What We Believe- A relationship with God is substantively different than a relationship with another human being. However, in either case, part of a relationship involves sharing information. We learn more about another person by sharing stories, conversations, and experiences. Our teachings in the church help us learn about who God is and how God sees and interacts with the world. You can’t have a strong relationship with a person if you don’t know anything about them.
  • Whom We Trust- Trust is not required for a relationship, but it is for a good, healthy one. What we learn about God teaches us that we can trust God. Our God is a keeper of promises. God is steadfast. No matter what we do, nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Love, Love, Love

We hear a lot about love in the church (or at least we should). There’s a good reason for that. Love is what it’s all about. Love is so important to God’s message and character that we can say that God is love—unconditional, unstoppable love for us. This is what God contributes to our relationship. Love is also the perfect summary of the life God calls us to live, specifically loving God back (our contribution to the relationship) and loving others as fellow image-bearers. Beyond this, it’s just details (though important details).

Defining Faith Formation

So, now that we’ve covered faith, it’s time to ask: what do I mean when I talk about faith formation? The basic definition I use is:

Every action, experience, or relationship that nurtures a transformative relationship of trust with the triune God and shapes the way we see and interact with God’s world.

For me, faith formation is huge. There are no limits to when, where, how, or with whom faith formation occurs. It happens when we act, experience, and interact. And, it is certainly not limited to the time spent in Christian education or small groups.

Everywhere, Every Time

As a note, I think that “faith” formation is happening everywhere, at every time, with every person we encounter. The question is, who are these interactions building relationships with and what is the worldview being formed? I do not mean that we should only spend time with other Christians, nor should our time with those outside of our faith tradition be focused on evangelism (as in, making other people Christian)! Building diverse relationships is important in expanding our understanding of the world, and critical in spreading peace and justice throughout society. But we should be cognizant of how all of our relationships are forming us. Do our relationships help us be more loving, joyful, and just, or do they tear us and others down and encourage hate and intolerance? Note: This is a great question to ask of our relationships with others inside the church as well!

The Mission of the Church

When I think of the mission of God’s Church, the Body of Christ, I see one mission with two aspects: one inside and one outside. Within the community of the faith-filled, the mission is faith formation, nothing more, nothing less. Beyond the walls and boundaries of our communities, the mission is to spread God’s kingdom of hope, love, justice, and peace throughout the world. Inside we train, outside we put that training into action.

Our goal within the church is to facilitate faith formation between us and the God we meet in Jesus through the pages of our Bibles.

The important thing is that these are two aspects of the same mission, not two separate missions. In practice, the lines are blurred. Our faith is formed when we are out serving and loving others. And, you cannot form faith merely by sitting in a classroom (though that’s important, too). We must get out there and exercise our faith in the “real” world. The difficulty here, though, is to balance both the inward and the outward aspects of our mission. If we focus on faith formation and neglect service to our neighbor, we become insular and lose the faith we are trying to form. If we focus on service and neglect faith formation, then we risk going into the field without the proper tools, training, or strategy. Without a healthy, loving relationship with God, we stop faithfully representing Jesus to others.

Forming Faith

So, the goal of faith formation ministries in our congregations is to help participants grow in their relationships with God, living lives shaped by God’s love. It is to train and equip disciples, internally and externally, to be the hands and feet of Jesus out in the world.

God’s blessings on your holy work!

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Order Faith Formation Resources

Order now for the 2024-2025 program year! Narrative Lectionary, Revised Common Lectionary, Classic Sunday School, and more. The fall and winter quarters for all products (with the temporary exception of our NEW mini lessons for the NL and RCL) are available for immediate download.

Are you still looking for resources for the summer: VBS, family/intergenerational events, or Sunday school? Check out our Learning Together series, a set of five-lesson units on a variety of topics. You can read outside reviews on both our newest Created to Care and Do Justice units! Our faith formation resources are easy-to-use, theologically sound, and inclusive.

Introducing our newest Learning Together unit: Created to Care! Wonder at God’s creation and learn about what we can do to protect and heal it in these five lessons, intended for children and intergenerational groups, family or churchwide events, or Vacation Bible School. This curriculum is published in collaboration with BibleWorm, a weekly Narrative Lectionary podcast, to accompany their summer series on Creation Care.

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