Here are some curricular resources for adult formation:

Augsburg Adult Bible Studies.

The Lutheran Bible study series.

Companions in Christ: A Small Group Experience in Spiritual Formation. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2001.

An increasingly popular and interdenominational resource produced by Upper Room Books, Companions in Christ is a guide to creating small groups around the Christian practices of prayer, scripture reading, ministry, worship, study, and conversation. The program includes participants' books, leaders' guides, a journal, orientation and training events, and online support at www.companionsinchrist.org.

Disciple Bible Study Resources.

Methodist programs and resources.

Grenz, Linda ed. In Dialogue With Scripture: An Episcopal Guide to Studying the Bible. New York: The Episcopal Church Center, 1998.

Not just for Episcopalians, this essential resource includes thoughtful articles on Bible study as a faith practice, a section on planning adult Bible studies, methods of small group and personal Bible study, and an extensive list of annotated adult Bible study resources. The resource list alone is amazing—it covers multi-year programs, short programs, Bibles, daily readings, devotional literature, special needs and foreign language resources, audiovisual and computer resources, and a complete list of publishers, distributors, and contact information. If you want information and a wise guide to the maze of adult Bible study materials, this is your book.

Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville, KY: Geneva Press.

Inspired by the well-known Interpretation commentaries, Geneva Press provides an intensive and academically rigorous lay-version of Bible study in the Interpretation Bible Studies. Treating each book of the Bible in about 100 pages, this small group study includes questions for reflection, scholarly "call out" boxes with interesting quotes from the Interpretation commentaries, Greek and Hebrew vocabulary, biblical theology, and "want to know more?" sections. Each volume includes a bibliography and a Leader's Guide. The Bible Studies are served by a download site, www.ppcpub.org, that provides further information and teaching tips.

Kerygma Program.

The Kerygma Program provides three foundational courses (Discovering the Bible, The Bible in Depth, and The Bible and Theology) and ten elective courses covering different subjects—including one on Handel's Messiah. Leader's guides are sold separately as is The Adult Education Idea Book, a guide to implementing the program.

Renovare.

Renovare, from the Latin for "to renew," is an interdenominational effort working for renewal of all Christian churches around traditions of prayer, holiness, justice, and witness. They publish a large number of books and resources—most notably Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith, eds., Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups, Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin, eds., Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines, and James Bryan Smith and Lynda Graybeal, A Spiritual Formation Workbook: Small-Group Resources for Nurturing Christian Growth. The books typically take selections from classics of Christian spirituality and design discussion questions, devotional and spiritual exercises, and further reflection around them. All published by Harper Collins and Harper San Francisco. The Web site is very good—informative, with downloads, an online store, and contacts.