| Adult Catechumenate Task
Force sclutheran.org  |
WELCOME TO CHRIST…………the Adult Catechumenate The Catechumenate is shaped
by four stages: Inquiry, Catechumenate, Baptismal Preparation, and Baptismal Living. Each
stage is marked by a rite within the context of worship. In many communities, Lutherans are being increasingly graced by the opportunity of having unbaptized adults drawn into their lives of faith and worship. Congregations and leaders often rush in joy to share the sacrament with the seeker. We often leave the seeker without time to prepare for such a lifechanging gift. Rediscovery of the early church's process of the Catechumenate gives the church in our own time some valuable tools for this preparation. -Pastor Paul Hoffman, Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington |
Adult Catechumenate Sites: |
South Carolina Synod Catechumenate
Committee The South Carolina
Synod Adult Catechumenate Committee was established in 2000 for the purpose of introducing
the Adult Catechumenate and serving as a resource for congregation leaders interested in
launching the Catechumenate model in their congregations. For information please contact
one of the members of the committee.
Rev. Mary W Anderson Barbara Rowell Rev. Russell Peek Rev. Melvin Amundson |
Common Terms and Definitions of the Catechumenate Catechumenate: An apprenticeship in the Christian faith focusing on the sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Catechumenate stresses the catechesis and formation of adults preparing for baptism, and it involves the entire Christian community in which that baptism will take place. Catechesis: Oral instruction in the Christian faith. Catechesis may take place in a classroom setting, but it also occurs at times of worship, scripture reading, prayer, and ministry. Catechumen: An unbaptized adult who has been formally welcomed in the Catechumenate by the public Rite of Welcome. Catechist: A teacher and model of the disciplines of the Christian faith. The title catechist is given to those who are formally called by a congregation to be teachers of catechumens. Formation: Giving form and structure to the Christian life. More than just a cerebral activity, formation involves the whole person – body, mind, heart, and soul. The focus is the central disciplines of the Christian faith: worship, prayer, scripture reading, and ministry in daily life. Inquirer: A person exploring faith in Jesus Christ. In the Catechumenate, this name applies to those unbaptized adults involved in the First Time of the catechumenate. Neophyte: A newly-baptized Christian. For those Baptized at Easter, the newly-baptized are called neophytes during the Great Fifty Days following their baptism. Sponsor: One who walks alongside a baptismal candidate throughout the journey of the Catechumenate. A sponsor is frequently a friend or family member of the candidate, but may be any baptized Christian who agrees to accept the role of friend, mentor, guide, and catechumenal participant throughout the journey to baptism and beyond. Scrutinies: Public rites of examination during the third time of the Catechumenate. Using as focal points the biblical narratives of the Woman at the Well, the Man Born Blind, and the Raising of Lazarus, both catechumens and congregation members are encouraged and admonished to scrutinize themselves regarding the reality of evil and the presence of the Evil One in their lives. Presentations: Public occasions of instruction at which time catechumens may be presented with the Bible, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the book of worship, and the Small Catechism. Rather than simply a passing out of information, the Presentations are a handing over of the traditions of the church, and thereby a time of teaching as to that which is central to Christian faith and life. Mystagogy: Another name for the fourth and final time of the catechumenate. Normally taking place during the Great Fifty Days of Easter, mystagogy is a time to explore the mysteries of the faith and sacraments. Drawing on the sacramental experience of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper in which the newly-baptized have now participated, the focus is on the mission and ministry of Christ in everyday life. Bishop Robert D. Hofstad, 1996 |
| BIBLE STUDY METHODS: CLICK HERE FOR DOCUMENT IN MICROSOFT WORD |
The Catechumenate: Sequence and Timeline TIME II: Inquiry |
Principles of the Catechumenate
Bishop Robert D. Hofstad, 1996; Used by permission |
| SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY +DENOMINATIONAL RESOURCES+ ELCA Catechumenate Series (Augsburg Fortress) Welcome to Christ: A Lutheran Introduction to the Catechumenate, 1997. Welcome to Christ: Lutheran Rites for the Catechumenate, 1997. Welcome to Christ: A Lutheran Catechetical Guide, 1997 Welcome to Christ: A Guide for Sponsors, 2002 What Do You Seek? Welcoming the Adult Inquirer, 2000 Welcome to Christ (video), 1998
United Methodist Church Series (Discipleship Resources) Benedict, Daniel T. - Come to the Waters: Baptism and Our Ministry of Welcoming Seekers and Making Disciples, 1996 Felton, Gayle Carlton - By Water and the Spirit: Making Connections for Identity and Ministry, 1997 Sperry-White, Grant - Echoing the Word: The Ministry of Forming Disciples, 1998 McDonald, William P. - Gracious Voices: Shouts and Whispers for God Seekers, 1996 Ruth, Lester - Accompanying the Journey: A Handbook for Sponsors, 1997
Roman Catholic (Paulist Press) Barbernitz, Patricia - RCIA Team Manual: How to Implement the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in Your Parish, 1989 |
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come
to the waters; Isaiah 55: 1-3 |
| Synod staff: Rev. Mel Amundson |