Catechism Lessons

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What is Catechism/Confirmation?

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

 "Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not turn from it."   (Proverbs 22:6)

A “Catechism” is a book of questions and answers that helps an individual study and/or teach the fundamental truths of the Bible in a simple, organized manner.  Martin Luther (1483-1546) specifically wrote his Small Catechism so that the head of the household could teach the Bible to his children.  We still use it today. 

Through this catechism instruction, the Holy Spirit strengthens (or confirms) the faith of the youth and leads him/her to confess that faith on Confirmation Day.  On that day, we invite the youth to become an “communicant” member of the congregation and participate in the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) for the first time.

Confirmation is NOT in the Bible.  It is a church custom handed down through the ages (as early as the First or Second Century).  We continue to use it because it remains a viable way to “impress” the Word of God on our children and “train” them in the way they should go.”

How do we do Catechism Instruction at Cross of Life?

The Approach

There are many ways that we could accomplish our purpose, but over the years we have learned that a balanced approach is needed to impact our young people the most.  

Flexibility:   We have tried to design a “no pressure” atmosphere.  There are very few time limits or deadlines.  The student and/or parents determine the pace. 

People Structure: Young people require the direction of more than one individual (or set of people) to shape them into the individuals God wants them to become.  Therefore, we encourage the participation of both the parents and the pastoral staff.  Details of roles will be explained later.

The Requirements

1. Parent-led instruction (Red book, PowerPoint)
2. Pastoral instruction (“Growing In Hope”)
3. 20 hours of Congregational Involvement (with a promise of 20 after Confirmation)
4. Final Project (e.g. Essay, PowerPoint, Bulletin, etc.)

A student begins catechism instruction in the Fall of his or her Grade 7 school year.  For most students the process will take about 2 years.   The pace is completely up to the student and/or parent.

Parent-Led Instruction

We believe that parents are the most influential people in a young person’s life.  Not only has current research suggested this, but God’s Word has been telling us this for thousands of years.  Therefore, parent involvement is a key component to this program’s success. 

How does this component work?  All the work is done at home.  The pastoral staff supplies all the books, materials, lesson plans, and media so that parents are readily equipped to teach each lesson.  An initial training session for all first year students and their parents will be offered to get started.  For those parents who feel they need something beyond what is supplied, special training sessions will be offered.  These training sessions can be scheduled with the pastoral staff at a time convenient for both.

Pastoral Instruction

While we believe the parents are the most influential people in their child’s life, we also understand the importance of the pastor being heavily involved since he is the spiritual shepherd of the flock.  Therefore, each young person will have the opportunity to study God’s Word with Pastor.  The student will take the “Growing in Hope” Instruction Course for a period of 21 weeks at a specific time and place with a group of other catechism students.

Congregational Involvement

Meaningful service in the congregation provides our young people with many blessings.  It gives them opportunities to use their God-given abilities, build camaraderie with fellow members, and share the gospel with the community.  Therefore, we feel it is important that our young people get involved for at least 20 hours prior to being confirmed and making a commitment or promise of another 20 hours afterwards. 

Involvement could include: Sunday morning task teams (projector, ushering, nursery help, or assisting the Sunday school teachers with their lessons), Bible camps, Soccer camp, planning and carrying out Tween or Teen events, folding bulletins, newsletter preparation, distributing flyers, accompanying pastoral staff on outreach or shut-in visits, administrative filing, etc.  There are plenty of opportunities.  The youth can report his/her hours on a “Congregational Involvement” tally sheet.  (Download it here.)

Final Project

After the components are completed, the student may ask Pastor for a final project.  This is the culmination where each child gets to show Pastor their understanding of what he or she learned in catechism, especially his or her understanding of the Lord’s Supper.

Sequence

 The first component of the catechism program is the Parent-led instruction.  This shows the young person that the parent is actively engaged and supportive of what is going on.  This must be completed prior to instruction with Pastor.

Pastor-led instruction is the second component.  A student can enter this phase only after the Parent-led instruction is complete.

Congregational involvement can be done at any time during the process. 

Final Project is the culmination of the program and will be assigned to the student after all other work has been completed.

Progress Cards

Each student will receive a card like the one below to keep track of his/her progress. This card should be presented to Pastor to get “punched” after a component is completed.  He will then record the completion in the official database as “finished.”

(Front of Card)
 

(Back of Card)
 

Pastoral Staff Involvement