Confirmation at Hope Lutheran Church is a three-year program for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Confirmation is by definition a program that
prepares young people for the Rite of Affirmation of Baptism. It has also been called by Rich Melheim, the founder of Faith Incubators, "The process of connecting the head to the heart." The Goal of
Confirmation is helping youth to:
1. Hear the Good News of the love and grace of Jesus Christ,
2. Experience that Gospel through their connection to a small group of caring youth and adults,
3. Share that
Good News with others through Christian service and participation in the life of Hope Lutheran Church.
Three Fold Focus: Learning, Service, and Fellowship
Our confirmation program has a three-fold focus:
1. Learning,
2. Fellowship
3. Service
Like a three-legged stool, all three facets of confirmation are necessary. Throughout the year, our confirmation students will meet every other Sunday for a learning event where they will study the
Bible and the Luther's Small Catechism. Learning events are taught in an interactive environment, where students will be invited to assist the teacher and small group leaders leader in presenting the lessons.
Once each month, each student will also participate in a service event or fellowship activity as a part of their confirmation instruction. These events are designed to build community and help
students move beyond themselves in service to one another and the world.
Small Groups
Another important facet of confirmation is the formation of
community. In our confirmation curriculum, small groups are used in all learning, serving, and fellowship events to create relationships and build trust. Parents and other caring adults, with the support of
the associate pastor facilitate these groups. We believe that small groups can help students form relationships that will keep them involved in our congregation long after they have been confirmed.
Parental Involvement
Parents play a key role in confirmation. Our young people learn the most from what they hear their parents saying and doing.
Because of this, we encourage parents to be actively involved in confirmation at Hope Lutheran Church. They can be:
¨ small group leaders,
¨ drivers and chaperones,
¨ record keepers,
¨ music or drama leaders,
¨ cooks and preparers of snacks
They are invited to come to learning events and participate in a small group of other parents that meets for the last half of the learning event. We hope that all parents will show their young person
how important confirmation is by their participation and support of the program.
Discipleship
Confirmation is an important journey for youth to
take. On this journey, each young person will explore the Bible and our church's teachings, and they will be asked to reflect on what these writings mean for their faith. They will also meet and grow close
to other youth and adults who will be present to support and encourage them. They will take part in service projects that help them to experience the joy of loving other people as Jesus has loved us. In confirmation, youth begin the process of taking on adult roles in the church, receiving the training and mentoring necessary to make a difference in this congregation. In short, our students will be
learning the joys and challenges of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
New Students
We welcome new sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students into the
confirmation program on a regular basis. All are welcome to be a part of our class, which occurs every other Sunday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
. For more information, please contact the church office at 248/553-7170 .
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