Tag: Acts 29 Network

After Tuesday’s review of Grounded in the Gospel, I began thinking more about the idea of catechism.

As you look at the stats, read our blogs, and browse the shelves of our bookstores, I suspect most of us would agree that this kind of ministry is absolutely needed in our churches today if we’re to combat the biblical illiteracy that is spiritually killing us and hindering our ability to be a witness among the nations.

So where do we start? What can we do to help equip believers with a solid grasp of Christian doctrine?

A few months back, Pastor Scott Thomas, President of the Acts 29 Network, released—for free—Theological Clarity and Application: Equipping Believers in Biblical Doctrine.

This is a fantastic curriculum based on the book Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem and Elliot Grudem. Here’s how Thomas describes the workbook:

This guide is designed to equip Christians in the core beliefs of Bible doctrine in preparation for church leadership or to help new Christians to distinguish truth from error. This guide can be used to prepare elders, deacons, small group leaders, Sunday School teachers and all those who want to learn more about maturing in their Christian faith and becoming equipped to give a gentle and respectful answer to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). An instructor in a class or small group or in a one to one environment can facilitate the questions or it can be utilized as a self-study or as a tool to equip a family in Biblical doctrine.

Theological Clarity and Application seeks to preserve the contents of Grudem’s Christian Beliefs by using questions to stimulate further understanding and application. The participants in this curriculum would benefit by first reading each chapter in Christian Beliefs before answering questions in the workbook. It is also highly recommended to have a respected study Bible and a copy of Grudem’s Systematic Theology available for reference.

Each chapter of this guide corresponds to the chapters in Christian Beliefs. At the end of each section, a prayer text and Scripture memory is included. . . . This material is not something that should be rushed through to complete. It is like a refrigerated locker full of meat that must be eaten slowly and systematically one meal at a time, allowing ample time to chew and digest the information and ideally to savor with others. One can complete the study in 20 weeks by covering one chapter a week or complete it in 40 weeks (approximately one school year) by covering one chapter every two weeks. The latter allows for a deeper reading of the accompanying Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem.

I’ve been reading through the workbook and am thoroughly impressed by the amount of work Pastor Thomas has put into this project. It’s one that I’d highly encourage any of  you looking for a place to dig deeper into your faith to pick up a copy of Christian Beliefs and  download a copy of Theological Clarity and Application (you can also purchase a print copy from Lulu).

Question: What resources have you found helpful in growing deeper in your faith?