Skip to main content

External Providers

Lessons.church is not limited to its own curriculum. Third-party curriculum providers can publish their content through the Open Lesson Format, and that content appears alongside Lessons.church's built-in programs for a unified browsing experience.

What Are External Providers?​

An external provider is any organization that publishes church curriculum using the Open Lesson Format -- a standard that allows lesson content to be shared across platforms. When a provider makes their content available in this format, Lessons.church can pull it in and display it just like its own programs.

This means you get access to a wider selection of curriculum without having to visit multiple websites.

Browsing External Content​

External provider content works exactly the same as built-in content:

  1. Programs from external providers appear on the Lessons.church home page alongside other programs.
  2. Click on a program to see its studies.
  3. Click on a study to see its lessons.
  4. View lessons with the same layout -- sections, roles, actions, videos, and downloadable materials.

There is no special process or separate section for external content. Everything is integrated into a single library for easy browsing.

Adding Provider Connections​

If your church uses a curriculum provider that supports the Open Lesson Format and you want their content available in your Lessons.church portal:

  1. Log in to your Lessons.church account.
  2. Navigate to the provider settings in the portal.
  3. Add the external provider's connection URL.
  4. Their programs and studies will become available for your church to browse, schedule, and use in classrooms.
info

Adding an external provider connection is done through the Lessons.church portal and requires a logged-in account. Browsing content that has already been added by the platform does not require an account.

For Content Creators​

If you are a curriculum publisher interested in making your content available on Lessons.church, the Open Lesson Format provides a standardized way to share your programs, studies, and lessons. Contact the Lessons.church team or visit the developer documentation for integration details.