Our Journey Together: Catechesis for Adult Catechumens in the Church, China

by Gaby

Jesus himself came up and walked by their side. (Luke 24:15)

With the improvement of living standards, people in China have ample clothing and food. Delicious cuisine and frenzied shopping cannot fill the void in people's spiritual lives. In recent years, an increasing number of young, middle-aged, and even elderly people have begun to contemplate the ultimate meaning of life. Therefore, they come to the church seeking answers.

This phenomenon reflects that in contemporary society, the abundance of material in life cannot fully satisfy people's needs for spiritual fulfillment. After their material conditions are met, many turn to exploring the meaning of life, faith, and spiritual dimensions. As a result, the number of catechumens in each diocese is continuously increasing. The Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) facilitators in major city churches are searching for ways to catechize that suit modern people.

To meet the needs of modern people, the Church is continuously adjusting and innovating the design of the catechumenate courses. Traditional methods of teaching catechism no longer fully align with contemporary learning habits and ways of thinking. Therefore, in 2025, the Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation is organizing a Pastoral Exchange and Visit program in Leuven to assist parish priests in nurturing Christians to practice their faith in daily life. During this program, participants will be introduced to adult catechumenate courses, methods and the book “Our Journey Together” to parish priest participants to help them become as efficient as possible in their catechetical work. This training is designed to help the priests quickly understand these methods so that they can apply what they have learned upon returning to their parishes in China.

Our Journey Together is a systematic catechetical manual for adults joining the Church and a guide for establishing new evangelization communities. It is a catechetical course specifically focused on the needs of contemporary adult catechumens, designed to incorporate personal life experiences, active participation, interaction, and practical application, to help catechumens deepen their understanding of faith and live out the spirit of Christ in their daily lives.

This book originates from South Africa and, with the consent of Bishop Oswald Hirmer, the Chinese version was published with the support of the Verbiest Foundation in Taibei in 1996. It was republished in 2016 with the support of the Verbiest Foundation at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. This book, known for its practical approach, was reissued in 2018. It has become an essential resource for Chinese catechists to lead and accompany catechumens, serving as an effective and versatile tool for spreading the Gospel.

The methodology in this book is the Lumko approach. Every lesson follows the three-step approach of practical theology, SEE (reflection on life), JUDGE (listen to the Word of God), and ACT (acting in faith), making it easy for catechumens to connect faith with daily life. The catechumens discover Christ step by step in a relaxed, free, open, interactive community, on the journey to becoming a Christian.

The core belief of this book emphasizes the concept of "community." The church is a communion of believers, and becoming a believer means entering the body of Christ—the church. One must be intimately connected with Christ, the head, and the other members of the body. For this reason, the book is titled "Our Journey Together”. The entire process of catechumenate takes place within the community. Consequently, the believers who emerge from this process are nurtured in the embrace and cradle of the Church.

The facilitator leads the seekers through a catalytic teaching approach, first by focusing on the realities of their daily lives. Then, by listening to the Word of God, the facilitator connects the course themes with thought-provoking questions, guiding the seekers to reflect on and revisit their own experiences. This process gradually transforms and elevates the seekers, teaching them to view situations through the lens of Christ and to think and solve problems in Christ's way. They come to understand the teachings of the Church and, based on their circumstances, are continuously transformed in their response to the Lord's repeated calls. Throughout the catechumenate, seekers gradually come to know God, yearn for truth and build a relationship with Him. This approach effectively avoids creating a perception of God as an aloof and unapproachable deity, steering clear of one-sided indoctrination. Instead, this interactive and catalytic teaching method makes it easier for seekers to draw closer to the Church and God. It helps more seekers "enter and stay" in the Church, and also enhances the quality of newly baptized Christians, deeply rooting their faith in their hearts.

In 2016, Father Zhen Xuebin the parish priest in the Beijing North Church (Beitang) at that time, boldly experimented with using Our Journey Together as a blueprint of a new process parallel with the lectures for the catechumens.

During eight years of training in the Beijing North Church, facilitators guided the catechumens using the Our Journey Together method. The facilitators reported significant improvements in their own faith lives. All facilitators reflected on their experience, saying, “I do not dare say that I am a good facilitator, but through training and facilitating catechumens, I have been, first and foremost, deeply transformed.” The method also helps more seekers to come in and remain as members of the Church. The faith of the newly baptized has been deeply rooted in their hearts.

Gaby is a friend and contributor to the USCCA Blog.

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