Articles and Books

• Laura Keeley and Robert J. Keeley’s Lifelong Faith journal article further explains the Building Blocks of Faith concept.

• In the article Christ Formed in Us to Bless His World, Syd Hielema introduces the Building Blocks of Faith model through a biblical lens. 
• In the book Dear Parent, Laura Keeley and Robert J. Keeley show parents how the Building Blocks can support family faith formation.

Assessment Tools

• Our Building Blocks Assessment Questionnaire invites people to evaluate their church experience through the lens of the four Building Blocks of Faith.
• Our Building Blocks Chart is a great tool for evaluating how the Building Blocks show up in your church’s ministries. It can be adapted for lots of different contexts. 
• Here are some helpful Variations on the Building Blocks Chart.

Building Blocks Framework

• Building a Faith Formation Framework in Your Church: A Step by Step Guide is an essential resource for church leaders.

Coaching/Consulting

If you’d like help working through how the Building Blocks of Faith can strengthen faith formation in your congregation, we invite you to contact your Regional Catalyzer. They can help you develop a Building Blocks-based faith formation framework for your church, help train staff and volunteers, or just brainstorm with you. Their assistance is free to Christian Reformed churches. 

Communication/Training Tools

There are many good settings for presenting the Building Blocks of Faith to your congregation, including at a potluck, a congregational meeting, a council meeting, an adult discussion group, or a church staff meeting. Here are some tools that can help:

• One-page summary of the Building Blocks
• Ten Ways to Use the Building Blocks of Faith
• Watch this 5-minute video summary of the Building Blocks of Faith, along with the more in-depth video explorations of the needs for 
  • Belonging
  • Knowing and Understanding
  • Having Hope
  • Being Called and Equipped
• Our Questions and Conversation Starters resource provides questions to start conversations in gatherings, such as a small group, a Bible study, or an intergenerational event.
• Use these Building Blocks Conversation Cards to spark discussion and encourage people to share faith stories. Try them with your church council, with ministry leaders, with small groups, and more. Also consider including one of the questions in your weekly church bulletin or social media. 
• Audio presentation by Laura Keeley and Robert J. Keeley, the originators of the Building Blocks concept. 
• Prezi presentation: A Plan for Using the Building Blocks of Faith

• Sample church newsletter article to modify for use with your own congregation

Examples of How Churches Have Used the Building Blocks

• Georgetown (Ont.) CRC uses the Building Blocks to support “Journey with Jesus,” a year-long mentoring program that prepares people of all ages for profession of faith. The Building Blocks serve as discussion starters as well as guideposts for sharing testimonies on the day of profession of faith.
• In short videos, a representative from each of the following congregations talks about their experiences with the Building Blocks of Faith:
  • Bethel CRC in Princeton, Minnesota, sent this invitation to the congregation to report on how their Building Blocks initiative was touching various ministries.
  • Cornerstone CRC in Chilliwack, British Columbia, used the Building Blocks of Faith to inform their new vision statement and logo as well as some strategic planning goals. Read a summary of their efforts here.
  • Immanuel CRC in Brampton, Ontario, used the Building Blocks to assess faith formation efforts and to shape a “40 Days of Faith Formation” series.
  • Hillcrest CRC in Denver, Colorado, used the Building Blocks to inform the dynamics between their English-speaking Anglo congregation and their Mandarin-speaking Chinese congregation.
  • Sonlight CRC in Lynden, Washington, created “Building Blocks experiences for kids.”
  • Spring Lake (Mich.) CRC used the Building Blocks assessment with the entire congregation to identify areas in which they could grow together.
  • Woodynook CRC in Lacombe, Alberta, used the Building Blocks to examine their church culture.

Visual Symbols for the Building Blocks of Faith

Feel free to use these Building Blocks icons in materials you create for your own congregation:

• Belong
• Know and Understand
• Hope
• Called and Equipped

Covenant Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alberta, constructed these Building Blocks props for worship: 

About Permissions

Permission is granted to your church or organization to use the tools listed on this page, along with other Building Blocks resources from this toolkit, within your congregation or organization. Please do not create materials based on the Building Blocks for distribution outside your church or organization. If you have questions about permissions, please contact Faith Formation.