The peace of Christ be with you
Welcome to the North American Association for the Catechumenate (NAAC), an ecumenical organization which provides training and support for churches engaged in the process of baptismal conversion and making Christian disciples.
Welcome Ministry Practitioners and All Engaged in Spiritual Formation
We believe that the catechumenate is an important tool for discipleship in today's church that not only prepares people for baptism but also for baptismal living. We invite you to be in conversation with others in the larger Christian community. Check out NAAC's Open Forum known as "Living Wet" for a sharing of faith stories, questions, suggestions, and resources. Let us know how your congregation is reclaiming the ancient rite of the catechumenate.
2010 Gathering Features Lathrop and Ramshaw
Plans are underway for next year’s annual gathering that will be held at the beautiful Duncan Conference Center in Delray Beach, Florida — about two hours south of Disneyworld. The theme of the 2010 event is “When Heaven Touches Earth: Reclaiming the Mysteries of Faith for Baptismal Living Today.” Special focus will be on the triduum, especially the Easter Vigil as a highpoint of the catechumenal journey. The event features Dr. Gail Ramshaw, Professor of Religion at LaSalle University, and Dr. Gordon Lathrop, faculty emeritus at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia; Mark Mummert, Minister of Music at Christ the King in Houston, has agreed to head up our Music and Worship Team. Mark your calendars NOW for July 29 - August 1, 2010. For details on the Gathering, go to Annual Gathering page.
The Gathering has three primary components:
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Worship experiences modeled after the primary Holy Week liturgies (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter;
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Plenary sessions that expand our worship experiences
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A broad range of workshops covering topics for those new to the catechumenate and to seasoned practitioners.
For a full listing of the workshops and leaders, click here.
Register Online or print out the Gathering brochure and registration form and mail it in. You will notice on your credit card billing that there will be a small fee added to help cover costs of online registration.
"Font to Table or . . ." Presentation
The talk given by Bryon Hansen at the Annual Gathering in Niagara Falls has been posted. See Resources under Presentations at Annual Gathering. His talk is titled "Font to Table or Table to Font." A wide listing of articles, books, videos, and other catechumenate materials are to be found on this site under Resources.
NAAC Spring 2010 Newsletter
The ninth issue of the NAAC News has been mailed to the membership in the spring of 2010. Download a PDF copy here.