Lutheran Education for Members New and Old

Whether your church welcomes lots of new members every year, or your congregation has been the same tight-knit group for years or decades, there’s a good chance your members could do with an introduction to or refresher on Lutheran beliefs and doctrine. Augsburg Fortress offers multiple ways to accomplish this, letting you decide whether you want to engage with Martin Luther’s words directly or focus more on what being Lutheran means in our current context.

By Heart

By Heart is a richly illustrated, in-depth exploration of Luther’s Small Catechism. It is suitable for group discussion, an adult study, or personal enrichment. This guide will generate meaningful conversations about the biblical and historical context of the Small Catechism, its link to the church’s faith, and its connection to Luther’s life and your life today. There is an accompanying facilitator guide and DVD that highlight the book for use in a seven-session course for longtime Lutherans and those new to the faith, as well.

Luther’s Small Catechism

Augsburg Fortress offers various editions of Luther’s Small Catechism. The latest edition is Luther’s Small Catechism with African Descent Reflections. “This edition of Luther's Small Catechism is not only the version of the Small Catechism widely used among Lutherans in North America today, but also includes reflections from a distinguished group of African descent Lutheran theologians. These brief commentaries offer additional context, language, and illumination from the experiences of African descent people, both past and present, to enrich our understanding of the Small Catechism and enliven faith.” —Excerpt from the introduction by the Rev. Dr. James Kenneth Echols (1951- 2018)

Baptized, We Live

Augsburg Fortress has developed a curriculum based on Daniel Erlander’s beloved book Baptized We Live. The rich sourcebook and curriculum guide equips you to lead the youth and adults in your congregation into a deeper understanding of a Lutheran way of life with inviting and appealing teaching tools centered on Baptized, We Live. The guide contains more than 130 pages; curriculum options include four youth specific sessions, a youth retreat, twelve adult sessions, five mini Bible studies and a self-study resource.

A Lutheran Welcome

Unlike By Heart and Baptized, We Live, A Lutheran Welcome is not a curriculum. Rather, A Lutheran Welcome is a series of illustrated booklets that combine Daniel Erlander’s artwork and ideas with Marc Olson’s theology. The series includes six booklets:

Place these booklets in your narthex or welcome area display rack, include them in new member packets, or keep them handy for times when people have questions about the basics of the Lutheran faith. Each booklet in this series includes five major claims about the Christian faith with a Lutheran flavor.

To learn more about Daniel Erlander’s resources, check out this blog post about the A Place for You curriculum, based on Erlander’s book by the same name, or this post about remembering our baptism, which explores the curriculum Augsburg Fortress has developed around Daniel Erlander’s baptism manuals, Let the Children Come and Water Washed and Spirit Born.