• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Building Faith

Building Faith

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • Our Writers
    • Author Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
  • ARTICLES
    • Articles by Topic
    • Most Recent Articles
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • RESOURCES
    • Curriculum Center
    • Intergenerational Resources
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Webinars
    • Episcopal Teacher
  • SUPPORT US
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Adult Education/Curriculum Review: Pilgrim

Curriculum Review: Pilgrim

Pilgrim retains an unapologetic focus on Christian fundamentals and fellowship, while acknowledging a need for individualization and cultural sensitivity among contemporary inquirers.


Building a Foundation for Christian Life

There seems to be a fresh movement in the Episcopal Church and other mainline churches, one the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry calls “The Jesus Movement.” In congregations across the country we are talking more about joining God’s mission and following the Way of Jesus. What do we really believe? Why does it matter? How do we follow Jesus when we are not in church? The need and desire for basic instruction in the Christian faith is palpable.

Pilgrim, from Church Publishing, is an attractive, accessible, and affordable resource for adults to build a solid foundation for contemporary Christian life. The aim of Pilgrim is clear: to help people become disciples of Jesus Christ. The small group format blends Christian practices of hospitality, prayer, study, and reflection to provide a rich learning environment that welcomes questions and introduces foundational texts and themes of Christianity.

Pilgrim draws from strengths of earlier discipleship programs such as Alpha, Disciples of Christ in Community, and even Cursillo, by retaining an unapologetic focus on Christian fundamentals and fellowship, while acknowledging a need for individualization and cultural sensitivity among contemporary inquirers.

Stages of Discipleship

Pilgrim has two stages, Follow and Grow. Each responds to the same four core questions: What do Christians believe? How do Christians know and worship God? How do Christians live? What is the Christian vision for the world?

Follow, for inquirers and those who are new to the faith, is structured around four central texts: The Baptismal Covenant, the Lord’s Prayer, the Commandments, and the Beatitudes.

Grow provides a deeper response by inviting participants to engage major themes of Christian life: the Creeds, the Eucharist, the Bible, and the Church in the World.

Follow and Grow share a consistent structure and clear theme throughout the courses. Each course consists of six stand-alone sessions of 75-90 minutes. Every session follows the same outline:

  • Opening prayers
  • Conversation starter
  • Reflection on scripture
  • Reading of a two-part thematic article
  • Discussion
  • Concluding prayers
  • Sending out

Small Group Format

The Pilgrim materials are flexible and adaptable. The range of biblical texts and the variety of contributing authors provide a breadth of theological perspective. The editors recommend that an experienced group leader with theological education facilitate Follow to provide mentoring support for those newest to the Christian tradition. Grow is designed for participants to self-guide the program.

The greatest strength of Pilgrim may be the Leader’s Guide that introduces the program by rooting it soundly in the catechetical history of our Church. The distinctive Anglican characteristics and instructional methodology of the program are explicit in the Guide, which also includes excellent resources to guide leaders from program promotion through implementation. Pilgrim: A Course for the Christian Journey Leader’s Guide offers any Christian formation leadership team a useful overview of the state of Christian formation in the Episcopal Church, whether or not it intended to use the program.

Training to Participate in the Jesus Movement

As Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry describes in the forward, “Jesus did not establish an institution, found a religion, or create an organization. Jesus began a movement!” Pilgrim offers training – one 6-week course at a time – to prepare individuals for a lifelong commitment to the Jesus Movement.

Originally published in 2013 in the United Kingdom, Pilgrim has been adapted for the Episcopal Church. All Pilgrim resources are available in print and e-book formats from PilgrimProgram.org.

About the Author

  • Lisa Kimball

    Dr. Lisa Kimball is the Associate Dean of Lifelong Learning and the James Maxwell Professor of Lifelong Christian Formation at Virginia Theological Seminary. She recently served on The Confirmation Project Advisory team, representing the Episcopal Church in a five-year study of youth confirmation, and is currently directing Baptized for Life: An Episcopal Discipleship Initiative, two outward expressions of her passion for equipping people of all ages to live courageous Christian lives.

    View all posts
Print PDF

December 9, 2016 By Lisa Kimball

Filed Under: Adult Education Tagged With: adult education, curriculum, discipleship, small group

About Lisa Kimball

Dr. Lisa Kimball is the Associate Dean of Lifelong Learning and the James Maxwell Professor of Lifelong Christian Formation at Virginia Theological Seminary. She recently served on The Confirmation Project Advisory team, representing the Episcopal Church in a five-year study of youth confirmation, and is currently directing Baptized for Life: An Episcopal Discipleship Initiative, two outward expressions of her passion for equipping people of all ages to live courageous Christian lives.

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe to Building Faith

You’ll get new articles, plus free weekly updates in your inbox.

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy here.

Search Our Site

New Articles

"Visually Safe Disability Pride Flag" with red, yellow, white, light blue, and green diagonal stripes from upper left to lower right on a dark gray background

New and Recent Resources for Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month in the U.S. As Lizzie Cox explains in her article "Disability Pride …

Continue Reading about New and Recent Resources for Disability Pride Month

Two hands of a person with dark skin tone shaping bronze-colored clay on a pottery wheel in front of a blurred blue background with brown spots

“Nobody’s Perfect”: A Resource for Talking to Youth about Sin

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault and racial violence. In November of 2018, …

Continue Reading about “Nobody’s Perfect”: A Resource for Talking to Youth about Sin

Circular dots of various colors aligned in rows and columns on a gold surface

Intergenerational Insights: What Is Intergenerational Ministry?

This article is part of a series on Intergenerational Formation Insights written after a literature …

Continue Reading about Intergenerational Insights: What Is Intergenerational Ministry?

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe to Building Faith

You’ll get new articles, plus free weekly updates in your inbox.

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy here.

Search our site

Search by Topic

Keep In Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

Upcoming Webinars

Eventbrite Registration

Building Faith

Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22304

Footer

Keep in Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

Building Faith

Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22304

Copyright © 2025 · Building Faith · A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

Design by Blue+Pine Creative, Inc.

Subscribe to Building Faith

Get articles and resources by email

Privacy Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.
If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.