Why We Need Parent Catechesis
When I became a mother in my early twenties, I was in a panic. I knew very little about caring for small children and even less about raising them into godly adulthood. I can look back now with over a decade’s perspective and say with confidence that the smartest thing my husband and I did then was “copy homework,” as we called it, from other parents in our church and extended family to figure out what to do. I turned to the parents in my small group and other family members to learn how to swaddle, to wean, and to know what products to buy. I would call my sister-in-law to figure out how to sleep train, I would attend local mom groups to learn how to use a baby sling, and I would have long, rambling phone conversations with my older sister on the woes of raising a toddler boy. Exhausted and intimidated, we clung to the life raft of community in order to survive those early years in particular. But what was motivated by survival became the soil for rich relationships that would sustain us beyond the diaper years.
As parents—as humans—we need each other. We have a lot to learn from the community in which we live our daily lives and in which we are raising our children. We have the opportunity to seek teachers in our local parishes to lead us, those who know the particular context of what it means to raise a child in our city and in our current social milieu. We have the chance to seek out experts from afar and study their work together, side by side, and translate their knowledge into our own context. We have the privilege to learn from each other and to be known by each other as we all ask the same questions and grow along side one another right here at Redeemer.
In a technologically advanced age where you can find an expert on any niche topic you desire with a few clicks on any social media page, we often ignore what is offered by living in committed, sustained Christian community. Instead of running to the soothing voice of a content creator with tidy, short-form video solutions to our deepest parenting fears and questions, we can find a family a few years further along the journey who knows us deeply, can speak words of wisdom, and pray for us by name. This takes a level of vulnerability that a screen and a thousand miles of separation doesn’t require, but it also offers a depth of relationship and spiritual connection that can sustain us beyond our immediate needs. There are certainly moments for seeking out experts in a field of study, but we also have so much to learn from the stories, cautionary or aspirational, from the people sitting beside us in the pews.
Join me as a student of our own community here at Redeemer as we begin parent catechesis courses this fall! (More details about each class below.) Redeemer offers adult catechesis each quarter to help our parish bear the missional presence of Christ into our city, and that includes our own homes and families. There are wise leaders among us whom I have had the privilege of learning from and now want to provide the opportunity for other parents to learn from as well. Let’s join in the rich biblical tradition of learning in our own community (Deut. 6) for the glory of the Lord. We cannot do this noble and exhausting work of parenthood alone, so let’s come together to encourage one another and hear from those in our congregation and our city who have wisdom to share.
In Christ,
Casey Cisco
Director of Redeemer Kids
Fall Parent Catechesis
Parenting with the End in View | October 4
I approached Jim and Nancy earlier this year to ask if they would be a voice of wisdom for younger families in our parish as we begin these catechesis courses. I have known the Reynolds for 7 years and have had the privilege of watching them serve our communities in many ways (not the least of which was as a children’s director: Nancy led this ministry before I started in 2020!). They have 3 grown children and welcomed their 2nd grandbaby this summer! They spoke of a desire to offer hope and perspective to parents of little children who are feeling the weight of anxiety and worldly pressure to “produce” a good person. I am so excited to get to sit under their teaching alongside you all and to meet others in our parish who are asking the same questions and seeking wisdom from more experienced parents in our community.
Redemptive Imagination in the Digital World | October 28
As a parent of a preteen child, the question of how to introduce/monitor/not lose my mind over technology creeps into my daily life. How can we engage our ever-growing technological world as parents and believers without giving in to the fear of or putting too much hope in the digital world? Dr. Charlie Cisco spoke on a podcast recently around the topic of guiding students to be wise stewards of AI as those who are seeking to honor the Lord with their work now and in their future vocations, and I asked him to lead a parent catechesis for the families in our parish who are asking these same questions on behalf of their children. Our hope is that we can ask these hard and relevant questions together and can return to the Scriptures as a base of truth in a rapidly developing world.
Raising Men of Virtue | November 5
Men’s Fellowship is partnering with our catechesis team to welcome author and speaker Zachary Wagner to Redeemer for a weekend of teaching! He will speak to parents of boys on the subject of raising them into virtuous men, then will follow by speaking at the men’s retreat on being men of virtue. You can check out his work more in depth here.
Presence & Practice | November 15
As a long-time fan of and participant in the work of the local counseling group the Barnabas Center, I reached out to ask what it would look like to bring their good work of studying redemptive relationships to a parenting course in our parish. I was so encouraged by their heart for our city and for seeing the church thrive through healthy relationships, with each other and with our Creator. I am so excited to welcome Kim Greene and Severin Yaccarino of the Barnabas Center team to speak to our parish about nurturing strong, healthy relationships with our children through different ages and stages, and to benefit from their extensive clinical experience.
