Q&A

…about Catechesis

Who is Catechesis intended for?

It’s for you. Whether you’re a lifelong Christian or merely a curious seeker, this space is designed for you. It’s a place where we will foster discussion, ask questions, and explore the fullness of the Christian Tradition. It’s a place of learning… but not merely intellectual learning. We’re cultivating practices and nurturing a holistic approach to faith formation and deepening discipleship.

For those who are seeking, this is the space for you to ask your questions. When you ask good and challenging questions you give our church a gift in that you force those of us who believe to have to think more clearly. Please come. Please ask your questions.

Some of the learning modules are more focused on Christian basics, others are a bit more in-depth and challenging. In many cases, Catechesis will begin a conversation that will continue over coffee or lunch or in a Table Group. It is intended to be catalytic to the life of our church.

For those who have been Christians for many years… this space will give you new paradigms, stretch your understanding of the gospel, challenge you to take on new practices, and deepen your wonder at the beauty of Christ and His Kingdom. Yes, you NEED this. It isn’t merely elective / supplemental. In the ancient church, catechesis didn’t stop after baptism. It continued under the label of “mystagogy” – ongoing, life-long faith formation. More than ever, we need this in our era. We have underdeveloped and malformed faith… and it’s deeply inhibiting our Christian witness. We all need formation and catechesis.

You can think of what we’re doing in terms of being more deeply enculturated into Christ and His Kingdom. We’re aliens and sojourners in the world; our citizenship is in Heaven. And yet, we’re still foreigners to our own culture in many ways. But taking on culture isn’t an individual pursuit. Culture is communally held and expressed. Weekly Formation | Catechesis is the place where we’re articulating and deepening our understanding of the culture of the Kingdom of God.

Does Catechesis cost anything?

No, but sometimes we recommend that you buy a book for certain modules.

Do you need to attend the first class” or all of the “classes” in a module in order to participate on a Sunday morning?

No. You can jump in any Sunday. Visitors are always welcome. We do, however, encourage people as much as possible to attend an entire module. The sense of continuity makes for great discussions!

We do, however, encourage people as much as possible to attend an entire module. The sense of continuity makes for great discussions! However, if you do happen to miss a discussion you can listen to them here.

How does Catechesis relate to baptism, confirmation, and leadership?

In order to be baptized and/or confirmed we ask people to enter into a special study of the Christian faith. For more details ask a member of the pastoral staff.

With regard to leadership… we expect that those who are leading others in any substantial way at Eucharist Church will be ongoing learners and regularly involved with Catechesis themselves.