ABOUT THE BOOK

Forming Visible Christians

A Novel Approach to the Method and Practice of Faith Formation

Forming Visible Christians: A Novel Approach to the Method and Practice of Faith Formation is a Christian non-fiction book that provides evidence that current faith formation (religious education) programs are not creating Christians who understand the Christian faith. The author proposes a fundamentally new approach to how our faith is taught, practiced, and lived.

Michael J. Conk, a lifelong Catholic and faith formation educator with more than 27 years of teaching experience, believes a significant component of this failure is continued reliance on outdated educational methods. Traditional programs provide approximately 324 hours of instruction over nine years—far too little to shape the values, identity, and lived conviction of a mature Christian.

At the core of this book is an expanded understanding of what it means to be a practicing Christian. It includes the conviction that a Christian’s faith is meant to be visible—a faith that shines naturally through a life shaped by justice, mercy, love, peace, and joy, so that all who encounter us can sense the presence of Christ in our words and actions.

Yet many who profess Christianity do not exhibit a faith that radiates these qualities. The true measure of a “visible Christian” is found in the fruits of one’s life: whether one’s words and actions consistently bear the marks of love, peace, justice, mercy, and joy.