Adult Initiation and the Catechumenate
Come to the Waters: Baptism and Our Ministry of Welcoming
Seekers and Making Disciples is an invitation to pastors and
congregations to make the transforming power of God in Christ
accessible to all persons. Christendom, with its orientation to
baptism as an almost exclusively infant rite, is passing, if not dead.
Transactional approaches to God's grace will give way to
transformational strategies. The post-modern, post-Christian
context in North American culture requires a major readjustment to
initiating men and women into the coming reign of God. This book
faces squarely the emerging mission frontier and proposes a
daring alternative based on the way the ancient church made
disciples. Part 1 focuses on welcoming and walking with persons
on the journey of conversion. Part 2 provides model services and
commentary that congregations may use in celebrating the stages
and transitions of this conversion journey.
Is your church ready for adult and youth seekers who are asking
questions? Seeking something to believe in? What basic practices
will you form them in?
The church doing the basics (worshiping, reflecting on Scripture,
praying and ministry in daily life) is at the core of essential and
embedded evangelism and formation (Acts 2:42). This book will
help you think through and discern if the Spirit is calling your
congregation to a more robust and faithful way of caring for those
looking for a deeper journey. Be warned. It is calls for courage to
step away from familiar membership orientation/pastor's class
approaches.
Available from Cokesbury or Discipleship Resources as well as
Amazon.
Seekers and Making Disciples is an invitation to pastors and
congregations to make the transforming power of God in Christ
accessible to all persons. Christendom, with its orientation to
baptism as an almost exclusively infant rite, is passing, if not dead.
Transactional approaches to God's grace will give way to
transformational strategies. The post-modern, post-Christian
context in North American culture requires a major readjustment to
initiating men and women into the coming reign of God. This book
faces squarely the emerging mission frontier and proposes a
daring alternative based on the way the ancient church made
disciples. Part 1 focuses on welcoming and walking with persons
on the journey of conversion. Part 2 provides model services and
commentary that congregations may use in celebrating the stages
and transitions of this conversion journey.
Is your church ready for adult and youth seekers who are asking
questions? Seeking something to believe in? What basic practices
will you form them in?
The church doing the basics (worshiping, reflecting on Scripture,
praying and ministry in daily life) is at the core of essential and
embedded evangelism and formation (Acts 2:42). This book will
help you think through and discern if the Spirit is calling your
congregation to a more robust and faithful way of caring for those
looking for a deeper journey. Be warned. It is calls for courage to
step away from familiar membership orientation/pastor's class
approaches.
Available from Cokesbury or Discipleship Resources as well as
Amazon.
We are living in a time of dramatic change. North America and much of the world are becoming post-modern,
post-Christian, post-denominational, post-establishment, post-culture-with-a-center. Familiar practices and
approaches seem to be broken and inadequate. Oddly, we are closer to the situation of the ancient church
than at any time in the last 1300 years. The ways the churches of Jerusalem, Rome, Carthage, Milan and
Antioch formed new Christians can illuminate our own situations today. Some call the catechumenate an
artifact of the future-- an ancient-future way of evangelization and formation.
post-Christian, post-denominational, post-establishment, post-culture-with-a-center. Familiar practices and
approaches seem to be broken and inadequate. Oddly, we are closer to the situation of the ancient church
than at any time in the last 1300 years. The ways the churches of Jerusalem, Rome, Carthage, Milan and
Antioch formed new Christians can illuminate our own situations today. Some call the catechumenate an
artifact of the future-- an ancient-future way of evangelization and formation.
| Copyright © 2007 Daniel T. Benedict, Jr. All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. |
For an extensive list of resources
and organizations to help you deepen
your awareness and ministries related
to Christian initiation click here.
and organizations to help you deepen
your awareness and ministries related
to Christian initiation click here.
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