A lively catechumenate should lead to congregational growth, at least incrementally if not substantially. That should be an expectation that any congregation has at the beginning of a new catechumenal ministry. As Paul Hoffman says in his book, Faith Forming Faith, There is a culture of expectation that living together under the cross of Chris […]
Ritual scholars remind us of the universal experience and meaning of shared meals—that they do more than nourish the body with the food. By their corporate nature, the meals build community; the feast celebrates an important event, present or historical; the food and drink can take on symbolic meaning, whether it’s a champagne toast by […]
This is part 2 of my video conversation on adult faith formation with the Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor of Holy Cross and Immanuel Lutheran congregations in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. In this excerpt, Pastor Filipek references the key scriptural texts emphasizing the presence of God that serve as turning points in the biblical narrative. I […]
The faith formation process (catechumenate) is a journey, a lifelong journey toward the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). It is a journey on the formation highway, not the information highway. We best leave that to Silicon Valley. Not that there is no place in faith formation for information. […]
This is the second blog post based on my participation in an ecumenical working group associated with Journey to Baptismal Liturgy tasked to adapt the catechumenal process appropriately for those already baptized. One section of “A Guide for Walking with Spiritual Seekers” is a detailed description for leading a “church tour” with two or more […]
For nearly two years I’ve been part of an ecumenical working group associated with Journey to Baptismal Liturgy tasked to adapt the catechumenal process appropriately for those already baptized. We meet regularly via Zoom and are getting close to finishing “A Guide for Walking with Spiritual Seekers,” intended to be used by a catechetical team […]
Continuing our series slow walking our way toward changing our adult faith formation practices, this week we focus on what exactly the WAY is. I will use descriptions throughout this post from Paul Hoffman’s Faith Forming Faith, the primary book anyone considering reforming their adult instruction should read before embarking on that journey. As Hoffman […]
As announced last week, in this fall series of blog posts we aim to help pastors and other church leaders who want to change or refresh their congregation’s adult “new member class.” We believe that moving toward an adult faith formation model (reflecting the historic catechumenate practices of the church) provides the most enriching and […]
As congregations mark the beginning of the “academic” new year with Rally Sunday, prayers for students and teachers, and resumption of Bible classes, Sunday school, and confirmation instruction after a summer hiatus, Kent and I are launching an eclectic set of posts with a common goal: to help pastors and other church leaders who want […]