Believe it or not, the domain name for Different Voice was purchased way back in 2001, long before we had the time or desire to develop it. Back then, blogging was really in its infancy, Facebook was still three years from launching, and it was extremely tough to find any site that was really devoted to a progressive approach to spirituality. ExploreFaith.org launched in late 1999, even slightly pre-dating the megalopolis of religious sites, Beliefnet. In other words, they've had a long time to put together a community of contributors and a collection of useful resources.

Explore Faith is a nonprofit organization with an editorial board that is a Who's Who of progressive authors, particularly from the Episcopal Church. The site, though, is certainly not exclusive to one theological tradition within Christianity, but instead represents the diversity of thought on the progressive end of the spectrum. With dozens of contributors to various parts of the site, ExploreFaith.org has slowly but surely developed into a well-developed hub for any person of faith interested in faith formation.

In other words, it's not a Christian education-specific site, but one which the Christian educator will find beneficial in many ways. I have frequently linked to articles in emails I've sent to church members and friends, especially the Signposts daily devotion. The site's strength is its blending of spiritual formation with a progressive theology and interpretation of scripture. It's as much a gift to the heart as to the head, you could say, though the Sages in your congregation will certainly enjoy the very thought-provoking essays. 

I won't list all of the many things ExploreFaith.org covers, but I'll mention these minor criticisms. As is true of most faith-related sites (well, those I've explored the most, anyway!) there is a bias toward learners who enjoy the written word. Video, artistic expression, and auditory elements are much less represented in the site as a whole (particularly video). Certain pages seem to have been forgotten for a few years, though that's not uncommon in growing sites as new priorities emerge or certain writers depart. And while there are plenty of contributors to the site, it's not likely you're going to be one of them; that is, there are no forums or other ways for you to deeply participate in the site.

Those criticisms aside, ExploreFaith.org should be a regular stop on days when you make time for a bit of web surfing, and it also is a site you can enthusiastically recommend to your congregants. 

~ Tim Gossett