Flourishing through Teaching and Discipleship

Maturity in the faith: Why We Teach and Make Disciples

“So that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28)

• God has made Himself known through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Through Scripture and the Holy Spirit, He continues to reveal Himself, calling us to know Him, love Him, and become more like His Son.

• Christian teaching is therefore more than passing on information about God. It is the work of helping people grow into the fullness of life in Christ- learning to worship God, understand His Word, recognize His presence, and live faithfully in His world.

• Faith is something we have received and are entrusted to pass on. Across generations, Christians have shared not only what they believe, but their lives, prayers, practices, and devotion to Christ.

• At Renewal, the Teaching and Discipleship Collective brings together those entrusted with teaching Scripture, particularly through preaching, children's and youth ministries, and catechesis.

• We gather to encourage one another, grow as teachers and disciples, and discern how our shared teaching is forming people in Christ.

Theology for Teaching and Discipleship

1. The Purpose of Theology Is Doxology: Knowing God Leads Us to Praise Him

• We study and teach because God is worthy of being known, loved, and worshipped. Theology is not simply the acquisition of knowledge but a response to the God who has revealed Himself.

• Good teaching should lead us toward wonder, gratitude, humility, and praise. As we grow in our understanding of God's character and works, we learn to delight in Him.

2. Knowing God Transforms How We Know Ourselves

• To know God is also to discover who we are before Him: creatures made in His image, sinners reconciled through Christ, and beloved children welcomed into His household.

• The ancient Christian saying, “A theologian is one who prays,” reminds us that knowledge of God cannot be separated from communion with Him.

• We learn to know God through prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience. Those who teach must themselves remain disciples—learning to listen, repent, trust, and follow Christ.

3. Seeing God Is the Hope Toward Which We Are Being Formed

• Our Christian hope is not simply to become better people or acquire greater understanding, but to dwell with God and behold His glory.

• This hope gives direction to our formation. We are being prepared for the fullness of life with God, when faith becomes sight and our joy in Him is made complete.

•  Even now, as we behold Christ through faith, the Spirit transforms us into His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). Teaching helps cultivate this vision of God, shaping what we love, desire, and hope for.

4. Hearing God: Scripture Forms Us Through the Triune God

• Scripture is God's written revelation, given through human authors and received by the Church as authoritative for faith and life.

• Through Scripture, we encounter the unfolding story of God's work: the Father creating and redeeming, the Son revealing and reconciling, and the Holy Spirit giving life and forming God's people.

• Scripture does more than inform us. It teaches, corrects, challenges, encourages, and trains us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

• We therefore approach Scripture with reverence, attentive interpretation, and a desire to obey. How we teach matters, because our teaching shapes how others understand God and His world.

5. Faith Is Passed On Through Teaching, Example, and Shared Life

• Jesus commissioned His disciples to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He commanded (Matt. 28:18–20).

• Christian formation happens through both instruction and imitation.

• Ezra devoted himself to studying, observing, and teaching God's Word (Ezra 7:10). Paul shared not only the gospel but his own life (1 Thess. 2:8). Timothy received the faith through his mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5).

• We pass on the faith through what we teach, how we live, and the relationships we share.

6. We Join the Church's Continuing Work of Catechesis

• We do not need to invent Christian formation from scratch. Across generations, the Church has taught the faith through Scripture, prayer, worship, baptism, and shared practices.

• Historically, Christian catechesis has drawn particularly on three foundations:

  • The Creed — What we believe: The story of God, His character, and His saving work in Christ.

  • The Lord's Prayer — How we pray: Learning to trust God, seek His kingdom, depend on His provision, and live in forgiveness.

  • The Ten Commandments — How we live: Learning a way of life shaped by God's grace, expressed through love for God and neighbour.

  • Together, these help form our understanding, our devotion, and our conduct. Catechesis is not simply preparation for baptism or church membership. It is part of the Church's lifelong calling to nurture disciples who are growing in maturity in Christ.

What Is Catechesis?

• Catechesis is the intentional work of passing on the Christian faith, helping people grow in their knowledge, love, and devotion to Jesus Christ, toward maturity in Him (Colossians 1:28).

• The word catechesis comes from the Greek katēcheō, meaning to instruct or teach. Throughout the Church's history, catechesis has been a way of forming disciples, preparing people for baptism, and nurturing a lifelong faith.

• Catechesis is more than learning Christian beliefs or acquiring biblical knowledge. It is learning to inhabit the Christian faith—allowing Scripture, prayer, worship, relationships, and practices to shape how we understand God, ourselves, and the world.

The Shape of Catechesis

• Historically, the Church has drawn upon three foundational elements to pass on the faith:

  •  The Creed -What We Believe: Learning the story of the Triune God, who He is, and what He has accomplished through Jesus Christ.

  • The Lord's Prayer - How We Pray: Learning to know and depend upon God, seek His kingdom, receive His provision, and live in forgiveness.

  • The Ten Commandments - How We Live: Learning to respond to God's grace through a life of love, faithfulness, and obedience to Christ.

  • These are rooted in Scripture and find their expression in the shared life and worship of the Church.

Catechesis Is a Shared and Lifelong Work

• Jesus commissioned His disciples to make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He commanded (Matthew 28:18–20).

• Catechesis therefore belongs to the whole life of the Church:

  • It is intentional: We teach Scripture, explain the faith, answer questions, and cultivate understanding.

  • It is relational: Faith is passed on through people who share not only their knowledge but their lives, devotion, and example.

  • It is participatory: We learn the Christian faith through practising prayer, worship, hospitality, service, and obedience together.

  • It is lifelong: From childhood through adulthood, from preparation for baptism through a lifetime of discipleship, we continue growing toward maturity in Christ.

  • It is generational: We receive the faith from those who came before us and faithfully pass it on to those who follow.

Recognizing and Forming Catechists

• A catechist is someone entrusted with intentionally teaching and nurturing others in the Christian faith.

We seek to recognize and form catechists who:

• Know the Shepherd: Love Christ and cultivate a life of prayer, worship, and obedience.

• Know the Task: Understand how Christian teaching contributes to the formation of disciples.

• Know the Faith: Grow in their understanding of Scripture, doctrine, and Christian living.

• Know the People: Attend carefully to the lives, experiences, questions, and needs of those they teach

• Catechists are themselves disciples. Their formation involves theological learning, prayer, mentoring, observing others, practising teaching, and growing in Christian maturity.

The goal of catechesis is not simply that people know more about God, but that they come to know, love, worship, and follow Him more fully—growing together into maturity in Christ.

The Work of the Teaching and Discipleship Collective

1. Tending Our Shared Teaching of the Faith: We attend to the faithfulness, coherence, and clarity of teaching across Renewal.

• • Encourage faithful interpretation and teaching of Scripture.

  • Support preaching, children's ministry, youth ministry, and catechesis.

  • Ensure our teaching reflects the fullness of the Christian faith.

  • Identify resources and practices that strengthen our shared teaching.

2. Nurturing Teachers and Catechists: We recognize and encourage those entrusted with passing on the faith.

• Identify emerging gifts for teaching and discipleship.

• Provide mentoring, theological formation, and practical training.

• Encourage collaboration and shared learning among teachers.

• Attend to the spiritual health and ongoing growth of those who teach.

3. Tending the Rhythms of Christian Formation: We help the community grow through the shared practices of Christian discipleship.

• Support preparation for baptism and child dedication.

•  Encourage familiarity with the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments.

• Develop teaching appropriate to different ages and stages of life.

•  Connect formal teaching with the worship, relationships, and daily practices of the Church.

4. Discerning How People Are Growing in Christ

• We seek to understand how our teaching is bearing fruit in the community.

• Where are people growing in their knowledge and love of God?

• Where do we see Scripture shaping people's understanding and conduct?

• What questions, challenges, or spiritual needs are emerging?

• How can we better support children, youth, adults, and families in their discipleship?