Catechesis

At St. John’s, Lutheran catechesis for youth (i.e., confirmation instruction) is taught with the goal of providing the very best Christian education that we can for parents and youth who are motivated to grow in the Christian faith. Detailed instruction at this point is essential for helping young people remain firm in the faith.

Catechesis at St. John’s lasts for three years, with students typically taking Catechesis I in 6th grade and Catechesis II in 7th and 8th grade. (For details about the curricula, see the documents on this page.) Key texts include Luther’s Small Catechism, the Bible, and A Bible History.

After completing catechesis, students should be able to answer three fundamental questions:

• What do we believe, as Lutherans?
• What does this mean?
• Why do we believe what we believe?

The instruction is rigorous, and the expectations are high—a reflection of the critical importance of catechesis. At every step of the way we’re committed to work with and help our students learn the material, and we count on parents (or grandparents or guardians) to help.

The goal is the same for everyone: to help students, through the Word, remain in the faith into which they were baptized.