DEEPENING FAITH THROUGH CONFIRMATION

            Confirmation is an ancient rite in the Christian church.  It is the opportunity for a young person to decide on their own that they wish to be a part of the Christian church and community.  For many young people, it is the confirmation of a choice made for them by the adults raising them when they were babies or young children.  For others who did not grow up in the church, it is a time to declare their desire to enter into the Christian community even though the adults raising them are not a part of the church.

            Most local churches in most denominations have long traditions around the rite of Confirmation.  For some churches it is a two-year process, for others a six-week process, and everything in between.  Some churches offer confirmation to Jr. High age youth, others wait until the young people are in high school.  In some churches it is expected that all youth reaching a certain age will go through Confirmation classes and be confirmed, in other churches only a few of the youth choose to “do” confirmation. 

            Every denomination has its own confirmation curriculum that can be purchased through the denominational publishing house.  I believe it is good to get a copy of your denominational curriculum, even if you chose to design your own program. 

            My opinion about confirmation is that it is better to do it with high school kids, even if that means you lose a few.  If confirmation is about faith development and making deep and yet somewhat abstract decisions concerning belief and commitment to Christ and church, I believe that one needs the ability to question and think in a deep abstract way.  Developmentally, most Jr. High kids just aren't there.  

            Another thing I believe about Confirmation, regardless of what curriculum or design you use, is that it is important to include faithful adults from within the congregation as mentors for the confirmands, preferably adults who are parent or grandparent age, and who the young person does not have a prior relationship with.  The more connections a young person can make with adults in the congregation, the more integrated that young person will become in the life of the church.

            If you decide to design your own program, or use extra activities to supplement your denominational curriculum, there are a few activities in this section that I have developed over the years that might be helpful.  I also think the activity on the Trinity found in the Deepening Faith Through Bible Study section might work well in a confirmation program.

            A few Confimation ideas:

·       At least two or three overnight retreats

·       A retreat of several churches’ Confirmation classes together

·       Going to services at a Synagogue and having a discussion on the similarities and differences in worship

·       Writing their own Faith Statements or Creeds

Deepening Faith:  Youth Ministry Resources and Some Miscellaneous Advice

Rev. Lizann Bassham, Front Porch Spirit Press

Copyright © 2001