Sermon Series – New City Catechism: Basics of Christian Beliefs in 52 Weeks

Late August 2023 marks the beginning of a new Sermon series based on the New City Catechism. The word “catechism” may sound like an old timey or ritualistic word but it simply means “to teach by word of mouth.” It’s a method to teach and learn Christian doctrines and beliefs in a Q&A format.

And guess what? Our Kids and 180 Students will be using this also! That means everyone, no matter their age group, will be learning and working together on the same topic. How cool is that?! We want to encourage parents to ask their children what they learned, talk about what you learned, discuss the Q&A throughout the week, and use the app to reinforce, meditate upon, and perhaps even memorize the Biblical truths being learned!

For a bit more introductory info, see this “Scott‘s Thoughts” where our Lead Pastor gives a brief explanation and introduction to why we’re doing NCC.

Structure of the New City Catechism
The New City Catechism (NCC) is comprised of 52 questions and answers, one Q&A for each week of the year. We will be doing NCC in 3 separate parts, alternating with the Exodus series we began in January 2022.

Its 3 Parts are divided into key doctrinal headings that follow the main trajectory of Scripture:

• Part 1: God, Creation and Fall, Law – 20 weeks
• Part 2: Christ, Redemption, Grace – 15 weeks
• Part 3: Spirit, Restoration, Growing in Grace – 17 weeks

Also helpful to notice is that there are 3 categories in each of the 3 parts, and that they correspond to each other in a vertical manner. The first words are the Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—which is about how God relates to Himself. The 2nd category of vertical categories is a statement about the condition of the world relative to God and His plans—Creation & Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. And the 3rd category speaks to humanity’s condition relative to God and His work in Christ—being condemned under God’s law, under what God commands, under His grace, and then growing in grace.

More specifically, each week’s content…

• starts with a Question that focus our attention on a key doctrinal or theological theme.
• provides an Answer that is a Biblical and time-tested truth. This will, in effect, be the bottom line of each week’s sermon as well as each week‘s kids’ and students’ teaching and curriculum.
• highlights a Key Bible Verse/Passage that will guide our Sunday sermons (as well as the kids and students environments).
• includes a short Devotional Commentary developed from the writings or sayings of both a past and contemporary preacher/theologian, to help us reflect on the topic being explored.
• ends with a short, original Prayer.
• can be simplified and even includes a song when in “Children’s Mode” (see below.)

And One More Thing: There is an NCC app with everything above for handy reference! It’s great for throughout-the-day reference, for yourself, with your spouse, with your kids, during Life Group, etc. That being said, we will also be printing out each week’s content and making them available on that particular Sunday. (And no, we cannot compile them for you. That’s called a “book” and we don’t have publishing rights for that.) But, all that being said. we will have a hardcopy of NCC available for purchase at cost at The Hub at every campus!