All Saints Episcopal Church

Catechism Classes for Youth and Adults

The sacrament of Holy Baptism is the rite of initiation into the Christian faith and commissioning for ministry in the name of Jesus in the church and the world. As such it is sufficient within itself, and needs no further sacramental rite to “complete” it, except regular participation in the Holy Eucharist. This is the implicit teaching of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, and the Episcopal Church has gradually made this teaching more explicit since the Prayer Book was introduced.

There are occasions, however, when a baptized person might wish to make a public reaffirmation of his or her baptismal commitment to Christian faith and ministry. Two such situations happen once in a lifetime, and one has historically been considered sacramental (that is, symbolic action mediating a unique spiritual grace). In the first instance, called “Reception,” a person baptized in another branch of the church reaffirms his or her baptismal vocation in the context of the Episcopal Church. In the second, called “Confirmation,” a person reaffirms baptismal vows made at a less mature stage of faith or made on his or her behalf as an infant. In a third instance, the Reaffirmation of Baptismal vows, an individual who confirmed or received in the past, but is returning to active ministry in the Church after a long hiatus, will make a public renewal of their baptismal promises.

Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation take place in the presence of a Bishop, as the pastoral representative of the church’s unity and universality and continuation in the apostolic teaching and fellowship. The Bishop’s laying-on of hands is traditionally understood as an empowerment with the grace of the Holy Spirit for continuation and renewal of a life centered in Christ. Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves visited All Saints in January of 2008 for our Celebration of New Ministry. Because we were one of the first parishes to be visited in her new episcopate, we will not be visited again on a Sunday until sometime next year. Her visitation schedule for 2009 has not been set, but it is not too soon to begin getting ready.

It is customary to prepare for the renewal of baptismal promises with prayer, self-examination, holy conversation and study. The content of such catechumenal study can be tailored to meet individual needs; some may be seeking a deeper understanding of the basic doctrines of the church, while others may need to strengthen their sense of Anglican/Episcopal identity, or a clearer vision of their spiritual gifts and direction for ministry. In order to design a program that best meets your needs, we need to know who is interested. There is the possibility of separate classes for youth and adults, depending on the level of participation, or of a single inter-generational class. The Prayer Book also says that the normative minister of the sacrament baptism is the Bishop, so any youth or adults who are considering baptism are strongly encouraged to explore this opportunity. A separate program of baptismal preparation for parents and godparents of young children is available on an ongoing basis.

Please contact the Associate Rector if you are interested in preparation for Confirmation, Reception, Reaffirmation or Baptism.