Bible Study
St Mark's has several Bible Study groups. Some, like our annual Lenten Study groups, meet for a short time and then disperse. Others meet for many months, or even years. One group has been meeting together for Bible Study for 25 years (as of October 2009)! If you are interested in joining a Bible Study, contact one of the clergy.
The Catechumenate
Being baptised, is possible at any age!
If you want to become a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, you can ask to be baptised at any age.
The Catechumenate for adults is a way offered by the church to anyone who seeks God and desires to become a Christian in preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist. Before receiving these Sacraments, we are able to live a time of the “Catechumenate" in which we find Jesus' teaching, the relationship to God in prayer, and life in the Church. Adults who have been baptised and confirmed and wish to Reaffirm their faith, or to be received into the Anglican Church from another denomination, can also be part of the Catechumenate.
St Mark’s Catechumenal journey begins each year in August with an Information Session to explain the process - prior to Inquiry Stage sessions where enquirers are invited to ‘Come and See’ – to come with your questions. At the end of Inquiry Stage a personal decision is made whether to enter the Catechumenate which may lead to Baptism, Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation of Faith, at the following Easter, if the candidate chooses to continue. A commissioned team of catechists is responsible for guiding the formation process of the members of the group.
The goals of the Catechumenate are:
- To help each individual develop a deep, personal commitment to Jesus Christ and an openness to the work of the Holy Spirit.
- To provide knowledge and understanding of the basic tenets of the Christian Faith, the sacraments, and the practice of the Anglican Church.
- To help each individual establish healthy patterns of prayer and spiritual discipline.
- To help each individual discern his or her personal ministries and spiritual gifts.
- To experience the power of Christian community and fellowship.
- To enjoy meeting together in the process.
If you are an adult seeking Baptism or Confirmation; or wish to Reaffirm your Christian faith; or be received into the Anglican Church from another Christian tradition, we invite you to ‘Come and See’.
For more information please contact the Catechumenate Co-ordinator, Barbara Brumby, on 5476 7040
