Catechism Climate The official church teaching of her youth
Catechism Climate The official church teaching of her youth
The church offers many opportunities for young people and adults to meet each other within her community- within the family, Sunday at church, at catechism, at the youth club, and in the Reformed schools. This article will look only at catechism: the official church education for youth in the church.
We will focus on whether the youth are truly being cared for and guided there, and whether they themselves are open to this guidance.
1. Instruction⤒🔗
During the weekly catechism hour young people are instructed in the Reformed doctrine, whenever possible by their own pastor. Prospective ministers are trained for this type of tuition at the Theological Universities. Among others, they therefore take subjects like Church History, Dogmatics and Catechetics.
My subject, too, Didactics of Catechism plays its part. It is my task to prepare students in a practical way for the first catechism classes they will be teaching. During the lectures on didactics they learn how to prepare the lesson at home; how best to arrange the material; how to use the blackboard; what the best way is to ask questions, and how to deal with the answers; how to use a method; how to test; how to explain something; how to maintain order, and other instructional skills. In short, just like prospective teachers at primary and secondary school, they learn how to teach. And, just like those prospective teachers, they do an internship during their study. They have to attend a few catechism classes in a congregation and after that also give a few lessons. And also, just as at a teachers training, at least one of their lessons must be attended and assessed by a supervising lecturer. While the two types of training are comparable in this way, parallels can also be made between catechism and other types of education. For the instruction in the doctrine of the church must also simply be good teaching.
2. More than instruction←⤒🔗
Many lecture hours are spent on what is good teaching and what is not. However important this may be, I do not want to further address that now. For there is also a whole other side to catechism. Catechism is also guiding young people to ‘learn to believe.’ For this, knowledge and insight is extremely important but simply having much knowledge, facts and ability to repeat answers from the catechism does not mean that our youth are there yet. For the ultimate goal is sincere faith and a connection with God: love for our Heavenly father and for our Saviour Jesus Christ. Because this is the goal, too much attention to facts, theory and all sorts of deep intellectual thoughts can in some cases even work out negatively. To be sure, the doctrine must be according to Scripture and be communicated clearly, but the atmosphere, the climate during catechism is at least as important. A good atmosphere can be a bedding for a positive acceptance by the youngsters. A negative atmosphere can give rise to estrangement and even resentment. If, for example, the catechism hour is boring and unpleasant, if the minister limits himself to explaining and testing, if he does not come across as warm-hearted and does not radiate enthusiasm, if the group has a negative attitude and certain youngsters do not feel at home at all … then the inner acceptance of the doctrine and growth in faith is made very difficult.
The atmosphere is determined by the people present. These are the pastor (catechist) and the young pupils present (catechumens). We will now focus further on how the catechist as well as the catechumens (catechism students) influence the catechism climate.
3. Catechist and climate←⤒🔗
The catechist can influence the atmosphere positively or negatively in all sorts of ways. Does he teach well? Is he enthusiastic about the material he is bringing across? Is he friendly? Can he maintain order? And thus we could name many more aspects. Some of these factors are of more a technical nature, so to say. You can more or less prepare your lessons. You can, to a certain extent learn to explain things clearly. You can do your best to find good examples for the lessons. You can involve the pupils more in the lessons by using certain work methods. These are all things that can work positively and can, to a certain extent, be ‘planned’.
Other factors are less easy to plan and are more of a personal nature. For example, being able to maintain order, coming across as positive and friendly and being capable of dealing in a correct way with a personal problem that pops us in the lesson. I would now like to concentrate on two important factors from this personal aspect. This may hardly be noticeable during the lesson at first, but they are ultimately of crucial importance to a positive teaching climate.
- Does the catechist display authenticity?
- Does he have a connection with his catechumens?
Authentic faith←↰⤒🔗
As the youngsters are in a critical phase, not accepting things as is, and taking great notice of how an adult functions, a catechist must, first of all, have a true, authentic faith: a true connection with God and Jesus Christ. And the catechumens must be able to easily observe this faith and that connection. They should be able to see it by the way the catechist talks about things, for example, by his attitude, by his joyful singing and the tone of his prayer. Youngsters see straight away: Tis real, this is not an adopted attitude.
Many catechumens are insecure and searching, on their way to a steady faith. They hope to see in adults, and in their pastor in particular, what it is like when you have progressed in faith, when you are further than they are. If they are able to observe how wonderful a true faith can be, this cannot help but make a lasting impression. Many adults can give us examples of how much someone with a living faith meant to them in a certain phase in their development.
That is why it is distressing when many young people are disappointed and tell us they see more real and enthusiastic faith in sects and groups than in their own church.
Authentic person←↰⤒🔗
Authenticity is something more too. During the catechism classes, a catechist should also come across as a true, authentic person.
In the first place this is to say: he may not just take the position of ‘lesson provider,’ preferring to leave his own person outside the door. In the second place it means that a catechist must never give the impression that he himself is an almost perfect example. He must rather show that he, just as all other people, and just like the catechumens, also has his problems. If the age of the group and the moment is suitable, he should be able to come forward honestly with the fact that he has also had difficulty with certain parts of the doctrine. That it is not all that simple, and that he sometimes still finds some issues difficult. That he also has his faults and confrontations with them. But also, that he would like to be different, because that is what the Lord wishes.
Catechumens can identify with such a catechist. They then see that a sincere believing adult is not perfect and is like them in this regard. But they also see that he would like to be different and that he is continually listening to what God has to say. They see, moreover, that faith is not in the first place about keeping a set of life rules, but that it is a close connection with God. A catechist who takes this attitude can be a role model to them and shape their lives.
A connection←↰⤒🔗
A good relationship between the catechist and the catechumens promotes acceptance of the teaching by the youth. The connection is already there when the minister has the characteristics we just discussed: a visible faith and being recognizable as a normal human being.
That relationship can be strengthened and deepened, when the minister makes an effort to give the individual catechumen his personal attention. This can be done during the lesson, by listening to the youngsters without prejudice and being open to their reactions and (critical) remarks. The youngster will then feel accepted as a person.
It can also be done before and after the lesson. Asking about home, problems at school, first with the one catechumen and then with another. That cannot be done in large groups. That is why I am against such groups. It also will not succeed with a tight roster in which the one group leaves the class while the next is already stumbling in. Chatting before or after the lesson is then impossible. It is true that a roster with more space takes more time, especially if the pastor has many groups. Therefore, in order to make better contact, some ministers have come up with other solutions. There are, for example, pastors who invite groups of catechumens to their homes to chat and get to know one another. There are also those who arrange a weekend camp with each new group, usually with the aid of some suitable people from the congregation, who take care of the organization and go along as supervisors. A camp can work in a positive way, but… it does also take a lot of time and energy.
I hope church councils will realise all the more that good catechism instruction demands time and effort. For the preparation but also for the commitment in and around the lessons themselves. Let the church councils allow their pastors sufficient time for this within their weekly schedule.
4. Catechumen (catechism students) and climate←⤒🔗
A catechist can do a lot towards a good atmosphere and a positive climate, but it cannot all come from one side. Often it is more because of the group than the minister that the atmosphere is not optimal. There are pastors who truly try all sorts of things but cannot succeed with a specific group. There are groups in which certain girls or boys just appear to be trying to impress others. They chat, whisper, laugh and continually make funny remarks. And their eyes are watching the others: do they see how cute I am? Do they see how I dare? It is probably not their intention to make things difficult for the pastor. No, they are in fact only busy with themselves. But the result is that the group is continually being distracted. Because of this constant buzz, concentration is impossible. Hardly anything is learned and the catechist is dead tired after an hour.
There are also groups that consider it ‘the in thing’ not to appear too diligent or too pious. Whoever does participate is seen as a saint and is out. And because nobody wants that, everyone keeps their mouth shut, leaning back, drawing or whispering. If the pastor asks something they even pretend not to know the answer–to the distress of the pastor and of those who, in their hearts, would prefer things to be different, but adapt to the group. For the power of the group is great.
Boys, girls it is understandable that you don’t want to be left out in your peer group. For you see that the whole group acts this way. And you take care not to stand out. But be aware that it is usually only a few in the group who are really being negative. And that most of the catechumens are actually just going along and do not dare to admit that they would really prefer a different atmosphere. It sometimes occurs that only two or three catechumens decide to carry on participating in a positive way. Sometimes that can result in more pupils gradually joining in. Not that it is all suddenly fixed, but a little courage can make things a lot better at catechism.
I would also like to point out something else. There are catechumens who feel lonely and isolated at catechism and usually also at youth club. There can be all sorts of reasons for this. It can be because of the catechumen himself, who may behave so strangely that nobody takes him seriously. Or a catechumen is so silent and closed that others don’t even notice him anymore. However, in many cases it can be because of the group.
For example, a catechism class can have a high average level of thinking, but a catechumen who is less clever will then feel out of things – especially when the others make it clear to him that his answers were way off the mark and that they don’t want him to ask more questions because that only takes up time. Well, then he will decide to remain silent from that moment on.
Or the situation may be exactly the other way around. The group as a whole finds the material challenging. But one catechumen understands everything straight away. Not that he lets them notice it. But the pastor will get around to him at some point with his questions. And of course he will, once again, know the answer. There comes a time that the group may shun him. He is different from the rest and so does not belong.
A girl is being bullied at school. Not at catechism, fortunately. But she really dreads going to catechism and youth club because she will see the same bullies again. She feels inhibited and cast out. And this happens also among our Reformed youth.
There can be many causes to feel loneliness and isolation. But whatever the cause may be, often the group plays an important role. Sometimes directly: by grinning, whispering laughing at someone. Sometimes less directly: by ignoring someone or just not noticing them. Someone who experiences this becomes isolated, just sits there and goes home again, alone. No, Reformed youngsters are not always very social. And in this way they can become an obstacle for a peer. Because resentment of the atmosphere in a church community can easily lead to resentment of the doctrine of the community; resentment of the climate can lead to resentment of the catechism. For how can you be open to what is being discussed, and enjoy going to catechism, if you feel exiled or ignored? Now that would really be a miracle!
5. Effort and prayer←⤒🔗
Such miracles do exist. God can work faith in spite of a less talented catechist and a terribly irritating group. But we must not expect such a miracle beforehand. We must make an effort towards a good catechism climate. One may expect from a catechist that he does all in his power to create a good atmosphere. And catechumens should exert themselves not only towards a good working climate (and luckily that is present in many groups) but, even more, that a climate can develop of mutual acceptance and support.
That does not occur of its own accord. That demands prayer - firstly in the catechism class, but also in the gatherings of the congregation, and at home by the young people themselves.
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