With a heart for spiritual seekers—especially young adults who identify as “spiritual but not religious”—the Rev. Richard Nelson created Following The Way, a six-part video and workbook resource designed to foster deeper discipleship, interfaith awareness, and spiritual reflection.
Drawing on two decades of ministry and formation work, Nelson’s project explores the Great Commandment as a framework for holistic faith—loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength—and how this vision resonates across multiple world religions. Through professionally produced videos and a companion guidebook, Following The Way introduces four core spheres of life (vocational, relational, intellectual, and incarnational) and invites participants into dialogue, storytelling, and personal reflection.
Originally conceived as a series of recorded interfaith interviews, the project evolved in response to practical challenges and vocational shifts. Nelson was called mid-year to serve as Founding Director of the Community of Saints Francis and Clare, a residential program for young adults in Kerrville, Texas. With support from EES, he pivoted his grant to create a high-quality video curriculum and is preparing the accompanying book for release. A robust group of over 60 test readers—including clergy and lay leaders—offered feedback on the first draft, underscoring the project’s relevance and accessibility.
Nelson’s work has already borne fruit as a form of evangelism: a video editor with no religious affiliation remarked on how the content unexpectedly resonated with him—revealing the potential of Following The Way to speak to those outside the church. Future plans include offering the curriculum through the Iona Collaborative, embedding it within the formation of the intentional community, and expanding the website with ongoing sessions and spiritual resources.
This project models evangelism as invitation—not persuasion—and embodies the Episcopal tradition’s openness to wisdom across cultures and faiths. In Following The Way, Nelson offers a grounded, generous, and spiritually rich tool for anyone longing to connect faith with real life.
Explore more at www.followingtheway.me
