WELCOME The Catechumenate
All are welcome at The Episcopal Church of The Ascension. You do not have to be baptized to worship at the Ascension. We prepare and encourage all interested in Christianity and active in life at the Ascension to be baptized. In order to be a registered member of the Ascension you must be baptized. All baptized Christians can become baptized members of the Ascension by simply asking the church office to request a letter of transfer.
We also encourage all active baptized members to make a commitment to Christ and the Christian faith through Confirmation. Those who complete the education process involved will be confirmed by the Bishop of our diocese on his annual visit. The Ascension has a three-stage catechumenal process to help adults and older youth discern the decisions involved in Baptism and Confirmation, and to learn the fundamentals of Christianity and Anglicanism (The Episcopal Church). We call this the catechumenate. The catechumenate has its origins in the very earliest days of Christianity. Candidates preparing to receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism would spend from one to three years learning the basic tenets of the faith. The Ascension offers a contemporary version of this early Christian practice. This three-stage preparation consists of the same classes offered to newcomers, and those transferring membership from other traditions. These classes are a wonderful way to learn about our faith and to meet people in the parish.
We ask all interested adult candidates and youth over 16 will follow a three-stage catechumenal process. (Youth in the sixth grade begin a year-long preparation for Confirmation through an extended catechumenate.) We offer these classes beginning in January and going through May. In addition to the three-stage catechumenal process, we ask candidates for Holy Baptism and their sponsors, or godparents to attend a workshop the Saturday preceding Baptism. Below you will find a brief description of the classes in the three-stages of the catechumenate.
All are part of a class we call Anglican/Episcopal Identity.
• Anglican/Episcopal Identity: These classes teache you about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. This stage consists of classes focusing on theology, history and worship of the Anglican tradition. The classes include: Anglican History: Our Anglican Origins and Development; Anglican Worship: The Book of Common Prayer – Lex Orandi/Lex Credendi (Praying Shapes Believing); Anglican Belief: The Creeds; The Sacraments: Christ’s Visible Presence in the Church, and; Instructed Eucharist.
• What We Believe: These classes introduce you to the basics of Christian faith. The classes cover the following subjects: Creation and the Love of God; Revelation and Covenant: The Holy Scriptures; What is Faith?; Jesus Christ ;The Holy Spirit ; The Church; Evil, Sin and Salvation, and; The Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
• Baptism Workshop: This workshop meets on the Saturday before Baptism. It seeks to teach candidates, parents and godparents/sponsors about Baptism (history and meanings), how to live the Baptismal Covenant, and how to raise children in the Christian faith.
