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TheCatechumenatefor 11th-12th graders interested in being Confirmed at St. Pauls.

10 AM, Barnabas

In the course of their Christian development, those baptized at an early age are expected, when they are ready

and have been duly prepared to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the

responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the Bishop. BCP p.412

WhatisTheCatechumenate?- Catechumen:cat|e|chu|men KAT uh KYOO muhn, noun. A person who is being taught

the elementary principles of Christianity. SYNONYM(S): neophyte. < Latin

< Greek one being instructed- Catechism:cat|e|chism KAT uh kihz uhm, noun. a book of questions and answers about

religion, used for teaching religious doctrine, especially of a given church- Catechist: cat|e|chist KAT uh kihst, noun. A person who catechizes, especially a deep and

persistent questioner

- Catechize: cat|e|chize KAT uh kyz, verb,-chized, -chiz|ing. To teach by questions andanswers.

Historically:The apostles in the early church initiated individuals and entire families into this new faith through baptism and thelaying on of hands. Initiates were not only washed in water but were anointed and sealed with oil and the laying on ofhands praying for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A three year preparation period for this initiation came to be known as theCatechumenate. As Christianity spread, a more formal means of this initiation became needed as many convertswere of pagan or other philosophical roots. And so by the end of the 2nd century a formal process of initiation hadcome into practice by the church. As early as the 3rd century the church had a very elaborate liturgy to mark baptism.

As the churches grew this initiation become more of an assimilation process for new members into the congregation.By the 4th century, the basic components of presentation to the community followed by several years of formation and

instruction were the norm. After Christianity was legalized, becoming a Christian became a title in society that wasrevered. So this influx of converts plus the growing culture of fear regarding infantile death and the question of whatdo we do with new-born babies born into Christian homes ( both resulting in the popularity of infant baptism), left theformal Catechumenate process on the verge of extinction by the 6th century, not to return until the 16th century.

The Orthodox and African churches, confirm immediately following baptism, just like the early church. The Romanchurch began to wait several years before confirming. Thus as the church began to grow and Bishops wereresponsible for more and more congregations over a much broader area, priests were given the authority to baptize atany age. Catechumens had to wait for the Bishop to come (which wasnt every year, as in our case now).

At St. Pauls we call our confirmation instruction for 11th and 12th graders the Catechumenate as a reminder that what

were doing here, goes back to the beginning of the church. We call it the Catechumenate as a reminder that we are apart of something much bigger and much older than what our 1827 sanctuary holds. We call it this because theCatechumenate goes back to the time of the Apostles and the Bishop who will lay his hands on your head and anointyou sealing you with the gifts of the Spirit, is part of the apostolic succession.

Practically:The Catechumenate at St. Pauls is a class for 11th and 12th graders based on the catechism (found in the back of theBCP) as a preparation process for Confirmation.

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Do you have to be confirmed or baptized to take part in the Catechumenate? No.

When is confirmation for the Catechumenate? Weve requested April/May its bound to fall on someones prom What does Catechumenate Class look like? You get a BCP. You also get a very cool book called, Velvet Elvis (thatwell read together). You get a notebook. Youll get lots of handouts. Youll end up with some sort of a referencemanual when youre done. We will deconstruct much of our faith and church so to understto discover new meaning. And

I HOPE & I PRAY that it will be conversational and engaging, including more questions than answers, but this is up toyou. It will be what you make of it.

What is required of Catechumens? That you do your best to be present in class and when you cant make that happen,that you communicate with me and take the initiative to get what you missed. Prepare your Spiritual journey byDecember. Read Velvet Elvis. Prepare a Rule of Life by April.

How is this Catechumenate different from older catechumenates? Well catechumens used to have memorized word forword the catechism and be able to recite any part of it upon demand for the Bishop when he came.

What is our hope for the Catechumenate: That through this year you will say yes to God by assuming responsibility foryour baptismal vows and living in such a way that fosters a growing relationship with Christ and His church.

Pilgrimage:A journey offered in June for all catechumens and other adults from the parish to Great Britain. Catechumens arestrongly urged to mark their inward spiritual journey with this outward physical journey. Pilgrimage creates space tolisten, to see, to seek and to understand more fully who they are, who God is, the plans He has for them and the churchin which they grow. Pilgrimage becomes a rite of passage leading into the practice of faith as adults. Please knowthat to travel on Pilgrimage to Great Britain, you must participate in a retreat that prior school year.

Sponsors:

Despite how much we know, despite how faithful we might be, despite our determination, we need other Christians to

live a life with God in this world. We cant do it on our own and were not supposed to. Community was part of Jesusplan. And so sponsors in one, way, shape or form have been a long-time part of the confirmation process. A sponsoris someone who willpresentyou to the Bishop and be witness to your commitment to Christ and his church. Sponsorshold a twofold purpose beyond the practical responsibilities during the rite:

1. To walk with the catechumen through their time of instruction, sharing their faith and commitment to Christ andhis church. 2. To help usher the catechumen more fully into the adult world of the church.

Guidelines for Catechumens and Sponsors:1. Meet together two or three times prior to Confirmation to talk about living a life with God in this world.

a. Bring your Notebook, have conversations surrounding topics from class

b. Read a book of the Bible together; Read Velvet Elvis together.c. Hear their faith story. Ask your questions.

2. Sponsors are welcome and encouraged to come to class (hopefully at least once)3. Sponsors should be a confirmed attending adult at St. Pauls who is not a member of the clergy or the catechist

(i.e. me) since we already have roles to play in the rite of confirmation and we want to share the gift of being asponsor with others in the church who do not play such a direct, spiritual role in your life.

4. If you dont know who to ask to be your sponsor? Ill help, just ask!

It is our hope that this concept of having a sponsor will be more than someone who stand up for you before the Bishop.It is also hour hope that this will provide a model for the rest of your life as something every Christian needs in their life.