Journey to Jesus
Faith Formation into Christ and Community
- Discipleship & Christian Education
- Publisher: Cascade Books (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2025
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Publisher's Description
When many Christian congregations are asking, “How can we draw new members into our midst?” the authors reframe the question: “How can congregations make new disciples and deepen the faith of long-time Christians?” Rediscovery of the early church catechumenate provides a means to form new disciples in today’s culture. Inspiring case studies of four congregations emphasize the contextual flexibility of adult faith formation. Interviews with catechumenal leaders and participants in adult faith formation reveal how a catechumenate that is central to congregational life can energize and orient the people of God toward the mission of God. Opening windows into congregational life, especially at worship, those who had journeyed through the adult faith formation process describe their experiences and the profound changes that took place in them. Adult faith formation is a journey—not a program—of belonging, believing, and behaving that draws people into Christ’s orbit for life. As one participant said, “For the first time I understood what it meant to be a Christian.” Through the adult catechumenate she heard the voice of Christ, calling her to new life and a rich baptismal identity.
Endorsements (5)
“Schuler and Burreson hit the sweet spot of offering solid scholarship and research, contemporary congregational experiences, and winsome prose to encourage the adoption of the ancient church’s practice of forming new Christians. Anyone committed to bringing the good news of Jesus to the world will want to add this book to their shelves and embrace its message in their ministries.”
“With firsthand experience of the privileged accompaniment that church leaders offer individuals exploring faith, the authors provide a clear, engaging guide through the spheres of evangelization, catechesis, and worship. Roman Catholics like me who engage in similar ministry will find much to inspect, ponder, and celebrate while reading about the gift of newfound faith through a Lutheran lens.”
“This groundbreaking work offers us a theologically rich account of four Lutheran churches creatively engaged in the formation of catechumens today. More important, in light of the data, Burreson and Schuler invite us to ask: What might our own churches look like if we dare to be hospitable to neighbors looking for belonging by incarnating missionally and enacting ritually the catechumen’s journey to Jesus? If you dare to find out and be changed in the process, read this jewel!”
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