Anglican Catechism Class
Tuesdays, February 20th - March 26th
7:00PM - 8:15PM
If someone asked you, “What must a person believe and do to be a Christian?” how would you respond? Depending on which sermons you’ve heard, which Bible studies you’ve attended, or various books you may have read, your answer could be very accurate or far from the target, possibly even straying into heresy. This class is designed to impart to you the timeless foundational principles of Christianity. It will help you articulate what all true Christians believe. As the title implies, it is what must be believed and lived “To Be a Christian.” It will spur you on in your love for God and others. This class is for all members of Grace Anglican Church, especially those who are new to Christianity and those who desire Confirmation. It is an ideal follow on to the Alpha Course. In Alpha you’ve gotten to ask lots of questions. Here we offer you the most important answers.
A “catechism” is a specific type of instruction that comes from a Greek term meaning “to make hear.” Instruction has always been a necessary part of Christianity. However, since the days of the Reformation and the printing press, the Church has published various catechisms to concisely teach the essentials of the Christian faith to its members. A catechism is a short, printed manual usually arranged in a question and answer format. The first Anglican Book of Common Prayer composed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549 included a short catechism. Our own Province, the Anglican Church in North America, published an updated catechism in 2020. It’s titled “To Be a Christian” and is published by Crossway. It will serve as the text book for this course. We recommend having this Catechism to follow along in class. You can add this into your registration and we will have the book available for you when you come to class, or you can purchase a book at the first class (by cash or check). The books are $24 each. You can also download a PDF version to follow along for free here.
This catechism is organized in four sections each starting with a “B” word.
BEGINNING WITH CHRIST
Week #1 – Salvation through the Gospel
BELIEVING IN CHRIST
Week #2 – Holy Scripture, the Creeds & the Trinity
Week #3 – The Sacraments
BELONGING TO CHRIST
Week #4 – Prayer, Worship & a Rule of Life
BECOMING LIKE CHRIST
Week #5 – The Law of God
Week #6 – Justification & Sanctification
Note: This class is mandatory for all adults desiring to be Confirmed when the Bishop comes each August. For the confirmands, there will be a 7th class scheduled a few weeks before the Bishop’s visit to go over the specifics of the confirmation service. Teens who desire to be confirmed are encouraged to attend the Journey Retreat in August.
