a missional approach to Forming Lutheran Disciples
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The Role of the Catechist: Facilitating Bible Study and Prayer
I recently had a conversation with Pastor Daniel Eggold about his experience introducing an adult catechumenate at his current parish, Grace Lutheran Church in Lafayette, Indiana. Key to his vision was doing—not talking about—Christian practices. As he said, “Instead of talking about Bible study and the importance of it, we just do it; instead of […]

Where to Begin? A Vision for Transformation
We have a Readers’ Group at my congregation and we just finished reading The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Hobbits are a very contented lot. Change is not something in which a hobbit believes. Adventures and journeys lead Hobbiton to question the character of […]

Where to Begin? Centering on the Word of God
Two weeks ago (forgive us for the week hiatus) we entered a new series focused “Where to begin with initiating catechumenal practices in your congregation.” I (Kent) offered some insights from the Roman Catholic RCIA about beginning a catechumenal process. Central to those insights was that the catehumenate is about transformation, the transformation of a […]

Where to Begin?: Insights from the Roman Catholic RCIA for Starting a Catechumenal Process
This week we begin a new series entitled, “Where to Begin?” Where do you begin if you are planning to initiate an adult catechumenal process in your congregation? I believe the Roman Catholics have some insights to offer Lutherans. They have been at this for a while with the renewal of the Rite of Christian […]
Events
Upcoming Events: Help Us Plan What You Need
Although we are beyond the grant-funded phase of Forming Lutherans, we are still eager to share the results of our research and our knowledge of adult faith formation with LCMS pastors. These are ways in which we can do so at no cost to participants. All options require equipment for a Zoom gathering (strong internet connection, projector and screen, good microphone, and tech person on your end to manage the technology in the room with multiple people).

Congregational Meeting
If you, the pastor of a congregation, would like to introduce congregational leaders to a process of adult faith formation, we could meet virtually with you and your lay leadership, offer resources to introduce the idea of the adult catechumenate to the leadership, and/or lead a session on the type of Scripture study appropriate for […]

Pastors’ Retreat
If one or more circuits has a one- or two-day retreat, we could offer an extended program with a mix of presentations, discussions about current practices for receiving new members, and visioning about how individual congregations might benefit by introducing aspects of adult faith formation incrementally in a congregation. For a successful event, the retreat […]

Winkel Gatherings
Looking for a topic for an upcoming Winkel gathering? If your gathering place has the equipment for a Zoom meeting with a small group, one or both of us could lead a short presentation and discussion on the benefits of an adult catechumenate model. We can tailor the presentation to various times, from a minimum […]