You have got to see this to believe it. Simply amazing.
Pastor Michael Mohr, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Strasburg, Illinois (LCMS) has developed a complete program of congregational catechesis.
This is a coordinated approach for the whole congregation. In this program, youth are not over in one mind while adults are somewhere else in another mind. Everyone is together, learning and refreshing the same things during the same week.
Not only are all the ages united, but the several activities of the congregation and homes merge into one. Worship is not separated from confirmation, confirmation is not separated from family devotion, and family devotion is not separated from congregational worship. There is, if I may say, a sort of a Trinitarian design to this unified program.
The portion of the Small Catechism and the Bible texts associated with that portion are used in the Divine Service, in confirmation instruction, and family devotions.
For each week, the material provides families with preprinted:
- family devotion
- prayer
- additional readings
that are coordinated with the week’s portion of the Small Catechism and the Bible texts.
People are united. Activities are united. The Small Catechism provides the center and unity of this elegant agenda. This is an organism of catechesis that can breath life into a fellowship of confession in which we all come to understand, believe, and confess in common with each other one shared faith.
The coordination is well illustrated by one of the sets of materials in the program, the bulletin inserts. The front of the inserts are to be read as part of the worship service or family devotion time, with students (and adults) memorizing given sections according to their level and reviewing (and rememorizing) those sections assigned to lower levels. A devotion is included on the back of the insert for families to use in their devotions during the week. An example of the front and back of the inserts is shown below in this blog post.
The materials are designed with levels built in according to age-related ability.
Inserts for each week of the academic year (September through May) cover the Six Chief Parts. Inserts for the summer months cover the Table of Duties and the Nicene Creed. Booklets include just the memory work portions and are intended as a resource for students who want to work ahead in completing memory work assignments. A schedule is also included to assist in publishing the correct inserts on the correct Sundays.
Because the text of the creeds is different in The Lutheran Hymnal than it is in Lutheran Worship or The Lutheran Service Book, a separate set of inserts is available for congregations using TLH who wish their students to memorize the text that is used in that hymnal.
Downloads available include:
High Resolution Masters for Bulletin Inserts
School Year Inserts (TLH Version)
Summer Inserts (TLH Version)
Low Resolution Masters for Bulletin Inserts
School Year Inserts (TLH Version)
Summer Inserts (TLH Version)
Quiz Resources
“First Try” Quizzes (some words omitted, first letter of word given) (TLH Version)
“Second Try” Quizzes (some words omitted, no letters given) (TLH Version)
“Third Try” Quizzes (all words omitted, punctuation given) (TLH Version)
Quiz Administration and Grading Guidelines
Other Resources
Student Booklets (TLH Version)
Schedule for Inserts
Table of Bible Verses and Passages
As you can see, this is a turn-key deal. It is all there for you. Simply print and go.
Here are the front and back of one bulletin insert so that you can quickly get the idea of the content and coordination of this program.
Thanks for the accolades. I am reminded that I need to update the web resources. I have made some revisions updating the Scripture quotations to the ESV in most places (except where the CPH catechism includes the NIV in the Explanation). I also really need to update the schedule. That is a project for this summer, I believe. I also want to update some of the devotions. My dream is to have a three year rotation of devotions.
One other thing to note about the schedule – I realized that most congregations do not have classes and most families might be a little less concentrated during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s, so I included the Table Prayers around that time rather than a portion from the Six Chief Parts.
Thank you for these labors for the Church. I will be asking the members of our Facebook group to remember you in prayer.