Ten spyte daarvan dat die meeste skoolgaande jongmense in die Ned Geref Kerk kategese deurloop, en self in die finale jaar van kategese, word daar nie veel aandag aan lewenstories van die katkisante geskenk nie. Hierdie studie oor geloofsontwikkeling by `n groep katkisante word gedoen vanuit pastoraal teologiese perspektief en `n sosiale konstruksieteorie diskoers. Oor `n tydperk van `n jaar is daar deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing `n proses gevolg met `n finalejaarsgroep van nege-en-twintig katkisante met die doel om geloofsontwikkeling te laat plaasvind, deur aandag aan hulle geloofsverhale te gee met die oog op die skryf van `n eie geloofsbelydenis. Na die tyd is oor die proses gereflekteer. Drie aspekte het die studie gerig. Die konteks waarbinne die studie plaasgevind het, wat bestaan uit die gemeente, breër samelewing, paradigmas, verbande en verhoudinge waarbinne die proses plaasgevind het. Die inhoud van die kategese, wat deelnemend gekonstrueer was. Die groep van nege-en-twintig jongmense wat met finalejaarkategese besig was, word binne konteks betrek by deelnemende pastorale kategese. My metode was om binne die gemeente, in die kategese, `n ruimte te skep waarbinne die katkisante deelnemend die kategetiese proses gekonstrueer het. Sodoende sou die klem op deelname val wat die hooffokus van die studie is. Die aandag wat daar aan die katkisante se lewensverhale gegee word maak die narratiewe diskoers relevant vir hierdie studie. Kategese binne hierdie studie het 'n deelnemende karakter. Die volgende benaderings het die deelnemende karakter ondersteun. Die kategesepraktyk skuif na `n pastorale benadering. Die leerinhoude se klem verskuif na verhoudings. Die kategetiese inhoud word sosiaal gekonstrueer. Despite the fact that most youth from the Dutch Reformed Church are of school going age during their final year of catechism, insufficient attention is given to the life stories of these young people. My research project on faith development with a group of young people involved in catechism was shaped by a pastoral theological perspective and a social constructionist discourse. Over a period of a year a process of qualitative research was conducted with a group of twenty-nine young conformants. The aim was to encourage faith development by given attention to their faith stories with the intention for them to write their own confessions of faith. Afterwards the process was reflected on. The study was guided by three themes. The context in which the study was conducted, consisted of the congregation, society at large, paradigms and relationships in which the process took place. The context of the catechism was conducted is a participatory manner. The third theme was the group of twenty-nine young people that participated in their final year of catechism in which the context of participatory pastoral catechism was focused on. The approach that was followed, was create space within the congregation for catechism to be conducted in a participatory manner with the twenty-nine young participants. In this way participation which is the main focus of this study is accentuated. The attention to the life stories of these young people makes the narrative discourse relevant to the study. Catechism according to this study has a participatory character that is supported by the following approaches. The practice of catechism shifts to a pastoral approach. The content of the catechism shifts to relationships. The content of the catechism becomes socially constructed. / Practial Theology / D. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie navorsing vorm deel van die kerk se roeping tot barmhartigheid en fokus op daardie aspek van die bediening wat gemoeid is met die welsyn van die tagtig plus ouer persoon in die besonder. ʼn Kwalitatiewe studie binne ‘n prakties-teologiese raamwerk is deur middel van in-diepte onderhoude onder die tagtig plus ouer persone, geestelike leiers en verpleegspersoneel betrokke by bejaardesorg, in Mosselbaai gedoen. Die bou van verhoudings, die voer van ‘n sinvolle en menswaardige bestaan, om verstaan te word en onvoorwaardelik aanvaar te word, het duidelik uit die resultate na vore gekom. Dié navorsing noop die gemeente om nuut te dink oor die verouderingsproses en hoe ‘n holistiese benadering tot bejaardesorg empatiese pastorale ondersteuning tot gevolg kan hê waar die afgetrede deur middel van bemagtigingsprogramme die nodige vaardighede ontvang om hulle verder instaat te stel om mekaar in ‘n omgeeverhouding te versorg. / This research forms part of the Church's call for compassion and focus on that aspect of the ministry that is concerned with the welfare of the eighty plus elderly in particular. A qualitative study within a practical theological framework through in-depth interviews among the eighty plus elderly, religious leaders and nursing staff involved in eldercare, were conducted in Mossel Bay. Building relationships, conducting a meaningful and dignified existence, to be understood and unconditionally accepted, clearly emerged from the results. This research compels the congregation to rethink the aging process and how a holistic approach to eldercare can result in empathic pastoral support where the retired through empowerment programs receive the necessary skills to develop their ability to care for each other. Key terms: / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Pastorale Terapie)