Presentation on best practices for student faith formation at the Council of Independent College's Netvue conference. http://www.cic.edu/Programs-and-Services/Programs/NetVUE/Pages/default.aspx

1. Brian Beckstrom
Campus Pastor
Wartburg College (IA)

2. Wartburg College
Waverly, IA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA)
Context:
• 1,700 Students
• 15% Int’l; 10% American Ethnic
• 30% Lutheran, 25% Catholic
• Increasing population of
“none’s” & students from multi
faith backgrounds

3. What is it?
• Semester long faith exploration
and formation process
• Catechumenate
• Began 2013-2014 academic year
• Students, faculty, and staff may
participate.

4. The Way of Jesus: Why?

5. What is the
Catechumenate?
• Spiritual formation process for
people with little or no faith
experience.
• A Pre Christendom model for a
post Christendom world.

6. 
The Way of Jesus
 Goals
 Finding a place to
belong
 Explore and ask
questions
 Practice faith in a safe
environment

7. 
 Overview
 Semester long process
 3 week exploration period
 Rite of Welcome
 6 weeks of preparation.
 Worship weekly on campus
 Take time to pray or reflect daily
 Meet weekly with small group
 Rite of Baptism/Affirmation of Baptism
The Way of Jesus

8. 
 Session outline
 Welcome
 Examen
• Most alive?
• Least alive?
• Where have you seen God?
 Dwelling in the Word (Pastors leave)
• Don’t ask what does this mean or tell others what it means.
• 1st Reading: What do you hear/notice?
• 2nd Reading: What questions do you have for the text?
• 3rd Reading: What is God saying to you through the text?
 Prayer
The Way of Jesus

9. 
 Way of Jesus Leadership
 Mentor or small group leader for the next “Way of
Jesus” class
 Next year students will lead all the groups
 SALT (Service and Leadership Team)
 Intentional community comprised of campus faith
leaders and “Way of Jesus” graduates
 Meet monthly over a meal to discuss what God is
doing on campus and continue to grow as disciples
What’s Next?

10. 
What we’ve learned
 Keep it simple & get
out of the way
 Experiment
 Some students are
scared of ritual

11. 
 Diana Butler Bass
• Christianity after Religion (2012: HarperCollins)
• Christianity for the Rest of Us (2009: HarperCollins)
 Pastor Paul Hoffman
• Faith Forming Faith (2012: Wipf & Stock)
 Jessica Krey Duckworth
• Wide Welcome (2013: Prisms)
 NAAC (North American Association for the
Catechumenate)
• http://www.catechumenate.org
Resources