Since the early days of Christianity, churches have used catechisms to teach and recall foundational truths from Scripture.
Now, following this tradition, Tim Hayward of Deeside Christian Fellowship Church in Aberdeen, has created the inclusive “All Together Catechism” to support churches in teaching and enjoying God’s truth “all together.”
“We never grow out of learning and training ourselves in sound doctrine,” said Hayward, who began to develop the new catechism (alltogethercatechism.co.uk) after trying to teach his children basic Christian principles using existing formats.
Although Hayward holds a high view of historic versions such as the Heidelberg or Westminster catechisms, he recognised the need for a catechism not tied to one denomination that could be used by a variety of independent churches.
“It’s designed to be very simple,” said Hayward, noting that the 52-question catechism avoids addressing some secondary issues, for example, focusing on the “why” of baptism rather than the “how”.
In keeping with his desire for simplicity, Hayward kept questions in the catechism to no more than 15 words, making it accessible for children as well as adults. “We’ve been using it as a tool for children’s talks in the service,” he said, describing the content as “scaffolding” for deeper conversations and questions.
