Throughout church history, Christians have used catechisms to pass on the core doctrines of the faith. A catechism is simply a set of questions and answers, written to be memorized and recited. The format is plain, but it has lasted for centuries. When truth is put into short, memorable words and repeated over time, it sinks deep into the heart and mind, and it can be carried with us. Parents have taught their children this way, pastors have taught their congregations, and new believers have been grounded in the basics of what they believe.

The New City Catechism  is short and covers 52 questions and answers on God, human nature, sin, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and more. That works out to one a week for a year, though it can also be read devotionally or recited aloud. We think it would serve families, churches, small groups, and Christian schools well, since it gives children and adults the same simple, memorable foundation in the basics of what we believe.