A new year provides a great opportunity to develop new habits. Some might plan to read through the Bible in a year. Others may select a section of Scripture to memorize. For our children, a great habit to start this new year is learning the catechism. The catechism is a learning tool that involves memorizing answers to questions about the Bible.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is the one we use at our house. The Westminster Confession of Faith was written in the mid 1600′s. A group of “learned, godly and judicious Divines” met over a period of five years at the request of English Parliament to provide advice on doctrine, worship, discipline, etc. for the Church of England. As a result of these meetings, the Westminster Confession of Faith and what’s called the Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism were written. Since that time, churches around the world have adopted the Westminster Confession as a summary of their standard of doctrine, after and subordinate to the bible. (There are other catechisms I’ve seen that other churches have adopted, checking with your own church on what they recommend). The catechism provides an excellent summary of the teachings in scripture in a question and answer format. Examples of such doctrines covered include: the Trinity, original sin, justification, the covenants, ten commandments, and much more.

Here are a couple of examples of questions asked:

Q2.: What authority from God directs us how to glorify and enjoy him?

A: The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments.

Q 86: What is faith in Jesus Christ? A: Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

We know from scripture that hiding God’s word in our hearts helps us in our battle against temptations and sin. In addition to memorizing scripture, learning the catechism can aid in understanding what is being taught in the bible. When I memorized the questions in high school, we also learned a supporting Bible verse with each question. Since I learned those questions as a teenager, I’ve found myself recalling certain questions when faced with a question about the faith. It’s one thing to read the bible, it’s another to know and understand what it means and learning the catechism is one way to do that.

For school aged children, I highly recommend Training Hearts Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism It is a devotional that we have used in conjunction with learning the catechism. Each day of the week there is a devotion and scripture passages to read that explains each question and how it applies to our lives. For younger ones, there is a children’s version adapted from the same catechism that children can start learning as soon as they can talk in complete sentences. Examples of such questions for the young ones are: “Who made you?” and “What is God?” We have also enjoyed Susan Hunt’s book, Big Truths for Little Kids: Teaching Your Children to Live for God, that uses the catechism questions along with short devotional stories.

We’ve also listened to songs about the catechism. There are also catechism apps for devices like phones and tablets. For one on iTunes, click here. Tim Keller has a catechism that his church uses and an accompanying app for that. Click here to see it.

For my kids, we have the current questions they are working on hanging on a bulletin board in the kitchen, next to the table where we eat. Each morning at breakfast time, we review the questions until they know them.

I am always amazed at what my children can memorize. If only I could memorize things as quickly as they! Memorizing catechism questions is a great way for children to learn more about what Scripture teaches. And who knows, we might end up memorizing them as well:)

One of my old college friends makes catechism books and sells them at her Etsy store, The Purple Carrot. One reader today will win one of these books. Simply leave a comment below and you’ll be automatically entered. The winner will get to pick the fabric design for the book. Random.org will select a winner on Sunday, January 13 at 8:00pm EST. Update: Random.org selected Melissa as the winner of this giveaway. Congrats!

Do you use a catechism with your children?