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Catechism course

Dr. J. I. Packer considers himself a life-long catechist. We heard him exhort us to take seriously the responsibility to learn our faith, at the Men's breakfast, at Learner's Exchange, and on Sep 12 after the morning service. Learning our faith – both its essential doctrine and practices – is not something only for those who are new to Christianity. It is a life-long process.

We have launched an adult catechism course this fall at St. John’s for ages high school and up. The course will be based on a three-part curriculum co-written by Bronwyn Short and Beverly Greenwood. Bron and Bev have been long at work on this curriculum, which has been edited by Dr. Packer, among others.

The full course consists of three parts:

We are offering the first course, Good to Know, this fall. This course explores essential elements of Christian doctrine, offering answers to questions such as Who is Jesus?, What is the Bible?, and Why did Jesus die on the cross? While the course covers “basic” doctrines, it is far from simplistic in its approach. You will find much to learn and think through, whether you are new to Christianity or have been following Christ for decades!

Looking ahead, Good to Live will be offered starting in January and Good to Go in the spring (April/May), with the entire sequence repeating annually. While everyone is encouraged to take all three courses, they are also preparation for adults seeking confirmation.

Good to Live begins January 25. The class will be on Tuesday evenings, 7:30-9:00 pm. Advance registration is required – please send an email to me at, keith(at)sjvan(dot)org, if you have further questions or wish to register.

Learner's Exchange: Dr. J. I. Packer explain why we should study catechism