Catechism Class Help Needed

[Brother John]

I will be teaching a Catechism Class to our churches 7th through 12th graders. The class will be held on Wednesday nights for about 45 minutes. I want to avoid a 45 minute lecture and find ways for the kids to enjoy learning the Shorter Catechism. We have a smaller group that is under a dozen.

Here is my initial plan:
-Open in prayer
-5 minutes of review of previous questions
-10 minutes learning/reviewing that weeks question
-30 minutes working through the catechism question from a Modified Inductive Study approach
(or in other words teaching while asking specific discussion questions with a final endpoint as our goal)
-Close in prayer

Please comment, critique or give counsel. I have never been a part of a Catechism Class either as student or teacher. My main goal is to run this class in such a way that the children will get excited about Wednesday night and actually put forth an effort to learn. Thank you!

 

[Dearly Bought]

Reformed Music |

 

[Brother John]

Reformed Music |

Thanks for the recommendation Bryan... I actually have all four of those CD's. To be honest I had not thought about using them. Are you recommending playing them in class or just letting the students know about them?

 

[Dearly Bought]

Reformed Music |

Thanks for the recommendation Bryan... I actually have all four of those CD's. To be honest I had not thought about using them. Are you recommending playing them in class or just letting the students know about them?

I'd encourage the students to use them and dedicate all of your time to teaching without trying to work on memorization in class.

 

[Brother John]

Reformed Music |

Thanks for the recommendation Bryan... I actually have all four of those CD's. To be honest I had not thought about using them. Are you recommending playing them in class or just letting the students know about them?

I'd encourage the students to use them and dedicate all of your time to teaching without trying to work on memorization in class.

Thanks.

 

[Brother John]

What would be an appropriate reward for this age group for accomplishing a memory milestone? I want to think that they will just want to memorize but the last teacher told me that he had a hard time getting any of the kids to actually memorize the questions. Thoughts...

 

[Jack K]

Rote memory is fine, but showing the relevance of the catechism is essential with this age group. Discussion will help a lot, so you're wise to try to avoid mere lecture. Talk about how to handle common objections to the material, how the world thinks differently, what makes the catechism difficult to believe, what makes it difficult to put into practice, how one would put it into practice in daily life, why believing it makes a difference in daily life... that sort of thing. Make sure it's not merely systematic theology, but practical theology as well.

Don't be a guy who who has believing and living the catechism all figured out. If there are parts you find difficult to believe or live out, or if you struggle to act in accordance with the implications of the catechism... admit these things to your students and talk about them. (If you don't think there are any such parts you struggle with, you need to examine the catechism and your life more closely.) Make the catechism a challenging, life-changing course of study—like it's meant to be.

If your class sees that the catechism is useful in life, this more than anything else will motivate them to memorize it and make them want to do the study.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

By your question and answer approach to a stated end, might I suggest you look over Fisher's Catechism on the WSC? His questions can be recast for the age group of the audience.

Available here online or as a pdf file:
Historic Church Documents at Reformed.org

 

[Brother John]

By your question and answer approach to a stated end, might I suggest you look over Fisher's Catechism on the WSC? His questions can be recast for the age group of the audience.

Available here online or as a pdf file:
Historic Church Documents at Reformed.org

Patrick thanks for the link. I will definitely look over Fisher's Catechism.

Got love a catechism on a catechism... Only us reformed folks would do that

 

[Brother John]

Rote memory is fine, but showing the relevance of the catechism is essential with this age group. Discussion will help a lot, so you're wise to try to avoid mere lecture. Talk about how to handle common objections to the material, how the world thinks differently, what makes the catechism difficult to believe, what makes it difficult to put into practice, how one would put it into practice in daily life, why believing it makes a difference in daily life... that sort of thing. Make sure it's not merely systematic theology, but practical theology as well.

Don't be a guy who who has believing and living the catechism all figured out. If there are parts you find difficult to believe or live out, or if you struggle to act in accordance with the implications of the catechism... admit these things to your students and talk about them. (If you don't think there are any such parts you struggle with, you need to examine the catechism and your life more closely.) Make the catechism a challenging, life-changing course of study—like it's meant to be.

If your class sees that the catechism is useful in life, this more than anything else will motivate them to memorize it and make them want to do the study.

Your advice on relevance and talking through objections to the catechism is helpful. Thanks

 

[ProtestantBankie]

The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) has produced an edition of the Shorter Catechism which has been formatted in an easier-to-memorise format. (All Ministers, before being Ordained, have to have the catechism memorised...) It has proved useful to young people and adults in the denomination. The idea was that memorising it can be done easier at home and Sabbath schools could get down to the important stuff of teaching what it means.

 

[Brother John]

The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) has produced an edition of the Shorter Catechism which has been formatted in an easier-to-memorise format. (All Ministers, before being Ordained, have to have the catechism memorised...) It has proved useful to young people and adults in the denomination. The idea was that memorising it can be done easier at home and Sabbath schools could get down to the important stuff of teaching what it means.

Alastair where can I find this formatted edition?

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

May also give this a look:

View attachment wcrobinson.pdf

 

[Edward]

I'd recommend G.I. Williamson's book.

Amazon.com: The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes (9780875525211): G. I. Williamson: Books