Catechism: Planting Seeds of Understanding

Written by guest contributor Stephanie Chatt, member of the Southwest Campus

This past October, I participated in FAC’s first Catechism Class. Every Tuesday night that month, I joined with members from other campuses as we came together to learn more about how to live a life that honours God.  

In the ABCD’s of FAC’s Discipleship Pathway, Catechism falls under C for Classes, joined by Alpha, Baptism, and Discipleship Bands. Catechism was my final step on this pathway, and while you don’t have to go in order, I do believe that each step has played a huge part in my discipleship journey.   

After I was baptized on November 26, 2023, I couldn’t wait to dive deeper into my faith. I soon signed up for Alpha and was blown away by its depth and invitation to explore and ask questions. A few months later, when FAC launched Discipleship Bands, I joined 4 other ladies who have challenged and encouraged me beyond what I could ever imagine. 

Even with the support of my Alpha group and my Discipleship Band, I still had a lot of questions, most of which had to do with what we as a church believe in: what are our core beliefs and practices as Christians? What does it mean to be a Christian alongside my brothers and sisters? Much like the song we often sing, I wanted to build my firm foundation on the core tenets of our faith. 

When I heard about the launch of FAC’s Catechism Class, my curiosity was piqued; I had heard the word catechism before, but what did it mean, and how could it impact my own walk with Christ? 

Pastor James describes catechism as a practice of the church through many generations that helps us not just grow in our understanding, but helps us grow in a life that’s lived honouring God, resembling Jesus as he works in us. For me, this class sounded like an excellent opportunity to gather with who I assumed would be new Christians to grow in our faith and understanding of the Lord, and to continue to strengthen and clarify the foundational beliefs I was looking for.  

However, to my surprise, when I showed up on that first Tuesday evening, the room was full to the brim with not just new believers, but with people from every stage of the faith journey! I even saw one of my first Alpha facilitators, there to learn more about how to live a life that honours our Creator. I knew from that moment on that this would be an incredible journey to explore and grow alongside those in the room with me.  

The Catechism Class is organized into 4 parts: 

1. Beginning with Christ – The Gospel 

2. Believing in Christ – The Apostles’ Creed 

3. Belonging to Christ – The Lord’s Prayer 

4. Becoming like Christ – The 10 Commandments and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount  

Each class focussed on one of these parts, as we were guided through questions and answers about various aspects of the Christian faith. Each week brought fresh insights, meaningful discussions, and deeper relationships with those around me; it quickly became a safe space where questions were not only welcomed, but encouraged, and I could feel myself becoming more confident in my identity as a child of God. 

Growing up, I was fortunate to be in the presence of a few family members who exemplified the love of Christ; people like my Great-Great Aunt, my Great Grandmother, as well as my Grandma, showed me what it was like to seek God in all you do. For me, when I was young, this looked like reading stories about Noah and David, watching movies about Joseph and Moses, and participating in Sunday School.  

While all of this planted the seeds for understanding Christianity, it was still very surface-level, and it didn’t get to the heart of who Jesus is. It wasn’t until I was older and had returned to my faith that I realized how much more these women in my family had been modelling for me: immersing themselves in the Word, giving their time and resources to people and the Church, and most importantly, living as one with Jesus in all they said and did.  

The question, then, is how do we continue watering the seeds of our Christian faith, making sure to develop strong foundational roots along the way? For me, FAC’s Catechism Class was the perfect way to strengthen my foundational understanding of what it means to live a life that honours God.   

Naturally, I still have lots of questions (don’t we all!?). However, after the class, I feel as though I have resources and skills to help not only myself, but also those around me. Of course, we can’t possibly know the answer to every question that comes our way. However, if we remember to always start with Jesus, believing in and belonging to Him, we are well on our way to living a life where we can become like Christ, and can set an example of this way of life, encouraging others do the same. 

As we continue with our lifelong discipleship journey, let’s not forget the importance of building and maintaining strong roots, remembering who we are, what we believe, and why, keeping our eyes on fixed upon Him each step of the way. 

Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your experience in the Catechism Class!