Genesis 18:19

Two sharply contrasting symbols represent two radically different approaches to the cultivation of Christian faith: the bench and the catechism. The “bench” symbolizes the place where faith is born in a moment of crisis and it is what is prescribed for people who have grown up within the walls of the church as well as for those who have never darkened her doors. The “catechism” symbolizes more than a book of instruction since it points beyond itself to a system of Christian nurture whereby children of believers are instructed in the faith both in home and church in the context of public worship on the Lord’s Day with the help of the prayers of the people of God. This message explores the concept of the catechism system as the means God has appointed to cultivate faith in the hearts of covenant children.