Four Reasons Why Even (Very) Busy City Parents Should Catechize
by Jon Dennis
Comedian Jim Gaffigan once quipped about his growing family, “You know what it’s like having a fourth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, then someone hands you a baby.”
Humorous, but true. Parents often feel like they are drowning, no matter how many kids they have. Drowning with food prep. Drowning as a chauffeur. Drowning in clean-up. And then your church or someone else asks you also to catechize? No thanks.
My wife, Amy, and I for sure did not do everything perfectly. But if we could give parents of young children one challenge for raising children to love Jesus and understand their role as disciples in this world, it would be to use a simple catechism with them. Why? Four reasons:
Jesus is King.
As followers of Jesus, we know Jesus is King. But there are implications to Jesus’ kingship. Matthew makes clear that discipleship has a scope; namely, we are to teach others “to obey everything” Christ commanded (Matt. 28:20). Paul calls this “taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). And elsewhere Paul speaks of the privilege of proclaiming, warning, and teaching in order to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). Kingship demands thorough teaching.
Catechizing is portable.
A second reason to catechize is it can be done anywhere at any time. No classroom is needed.
In Deuteronomy, Moses tells God’s people that parents are to impress God’s Word on their children in a context of love. “Talk about [God’s commandments] when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Dt. 6:4–9). Teaching children doesn’t need to be static. It can happen—and it should happen on the go.
The city is already shaping your children.
Our culture shapes who we are. Netflix, reading, education, friendships all form us. Paul famously charged God’s people not to be “conformed to this world, but [to] be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Because we are being shaped by the world, we all—including our children—need intentional shaping towards Christlikeness. James K.A. Smith articulates this well: “Christian worship, we should recognize, is essentially a counterformation to those rival liturgies we are often immersed in, cultural practices that covertly capture our loves and longings, miscalibrating them, orienting us to rival versions of the good life.” Catechizing helps shape children by the only One who is worthy of our love.
Young kids are sponges.
Dorothy Sayers gave a fascinating talk years ago in Oxford, arguing that young children have an amazing ability to memorize. In The Lost Tools of Learning, she argues that the youngest children acquire knowledge orally. They are like parrots. In the same way that young children learn language through repeating sounds, they also are able to memorize concepts by heart.
What now?
So, if you wanted to try catechizing, any advice? Here are just two thoughts to begin:
Don’t panic and don’t try to be perfect. Parents are never perfect. Learn as you go. You won’t get it right the first time.
Start Small. Try out a simple catechism. Here are three to consider.
If you want uncomplicated, try Catechism for Younger Children: An Introduction to the Shorter Catechism. You can find all 145 questions here. Below are sample questions.
1. Q. 1. Who made you?
A. God.
2. Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.
3. Q. 3. Why did God make you and all things?
A. For his own glory.
I like this one because the questions are (a) short, (b) easy to remember, and (c) rooted in the historic stream of protestant confessions.
The New City Catechism is a terrific comprehensive resource with mobile versions. The only drawback is it is somewhat more complex, with longer questions and answers. On the other hand, the questions and answers have been set to songs enhancing oral learning.
Another favorite was created by Dave Helm back when Holy Trinity Church was starting out. It is called “Big Picture Bible Verses” and traces the content of the storyline of the Scriptures using 52 questions.
Young parents, I hope you enjoy trying out catechizing—even if it feels a little like drowning!
Dr. Jon M. Dennis is the Chairman of Together Chicago and Senior Pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Chicago which he helped found in 1998. He has five children and has been married to Amy for 34 years.