Confirmation

What is Confirmation?

The Rite of Confirmation is a time for people to confirm or affirm the promises made to them by God in their Baptism. This is also a time to publicly announce the understanding of our responsibilities as Christians, knowing that we live under the forgiving power of the risen Christ and how we are called to spread the good news of God’s love in Christ by loving and serving others.

What are Confirmation Classes?

Confirmation “class” is a place where young people learn about the promises God has made, why He has made them and how this impacts our lives today. In order to understand this we need to look deeply into the Bible, as a complete book, in order to see how God has worked throughout history and still continues to work today.

What Grades are involved?

7th, 8th and 9th grades. The grades all meet together for Theme Events. These theme events will cover the entire Bible, Sacraments and Catechism over a 3 year period.

Year A: LIVING SCRIPTURE — Old Testament, New Testament, Life of Christ (2011/12)
Year B: LIVING FAITH — 10 Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, Hot Topics (2012/13)
Year C: LIVING LUTHERAN –Martin Luther, Apostles’ Creed, Baptism, Communion and Worship (2010/11)

How are the classes taught?

Well, in our program we have done away with a class so to speak. We strive to teach young people in a way that will make the material relevant, fun and go to their heart. This is why we call this program h2h (HEAD TO HEART). Studies show that lecture based confirmation classes are not as effective in our current society. With the influx of technology, television programming and the Internet, young people respond more favorably to an interactive program. Of course this is a generalization; however we find that more often than not, students learn by participating in theme-based activities than by sitting listening to a lecture. Therefore this program is a based on a three-legged stool approach. Our goal is to get young people connected; to God, to each other and the church.

Three legged Stool?

A three-legged stool never wobbles and more importantly the stool will fall over without all three legs firmly in place. Our program has three legs:

1. THEME EVENTS: Two Sundays (check the schedule closely) each month during the school year we will hold theme events in the Parish Hall of the Church. These Theme events include music, stories, skits, projected video and any other creative way we can present the theme for the night. Also, at certain times in the event students break into small groups of 6 and with their assigned Faith Mentor (GUIDE) they will discuss the theme for the day, pray together, review scripture and plan activities for their small group to participate in as required in the next two legs of our the stool. There are 16 events this year, students may miss 3 events.

2. SERVANT & FELLOWSHIP EVENTS: Throughout the year there will be planned opportunities for youth be involved in acts of service called HANDS AND FEET. This event is designed to foster group building and also reveal the value of servant hood to the students. Also, throughout the year there will be planned fun, fellowship events. This activity is designed to foster relationships within the group and help build the community of God into a family.

3. WORSHIP LIFE – Students are required to regularly worship with their families throughout the year. Regular worship attendance is crucial for spiritual life as we try to help young people know the love of God. More information about this will follow in the parent orientation. We will also require that 2 sermon reports per month be completed.

What is the point system?

Each year your child is required to fulfill 10 service/fellowship points. On the schedule you will see next to service and fellowship events a number, this value is the number a specific event is worth. For example, a game night is two points, attending a youth gathering is 3 points and so on. This year 7th & 8th graders have the opportunity to earn 39 points and the 9th graders can earn 52 points, 10 should not be too difficult.

What kind of parental involvement do you require?

As much as you can give! Parents, whether we wish it to be or not, will ultimately be the primary faith builders in a child’s life. No question! So the more you can help the better the team will be to foster faith building in your child. We do understand that families are finding themselves increasingly busy. We encourage parents to attend any of our 16 theme events. We also ask parents to be involved in their child’s homework assignments. Please see below.

Is there homework?

Of course! But this homework is unlike any other we have assigned in the past. We will not call this homework, we call this a Family Check-in. After every theme event, there are pages in your child’s book after the theme lesson of the night where they will be asked to write out their high’s and lows for 2 weeks and answer the four questions at the end. With the Family Check-in, we ask families to:

1. Check- in daily – share your Highs and Lows of each family member’s day with each other

2. Read & Reflect on the daily Bible Passage. Your child will be asked to highlight this verse in their Bible and bring it with them to the next theme event.

3. Pray together.
This assigned Family Check-In should take no more than 10-15 minutes per evening. We ask parents to sign their child’s Family Covenant, which is located in their book at the end of each theme lesson. Then your child should bring the book with the Family Covenant signed to the next Theme Event.

There will be 15 homework assignments this year, we allow students not to complete two homework assignments.

Cost?

There is a $50 per student fee that helps us cover the cost of materials, supplies, and helps us recognize the volunteers. Please make checks payable to St. James Lutheran Church. If a family finds they are unable to pay the fee, please speak directly to the Pastor.

What else?

The three legged stool will only work if all three legs are firmly in place and at the top of the stool is WORSHIP. There are 37 Sundays during the Confirmation/school year. The goal is that you and your children worship at least 20 of those weeks. If a student misses three weeks of worship in a row a reminder postcard will be sent to you. Please be sure your child signs in at worship in the narthex. Along with attending worship on a regular basis, we will require that your child(ren) complete 20 sermon reports.

Your child is also expected to serve the church in one of several ways:

Acolyte – receive training and once every month serves as an acolyte at one worship service.

Assistant Teach Sunday School – Weekly assist a teacher in the Sunday school program on Sunday mornings from 9:45 – 10:45 am.

Bell-a-Teen Group – Rehearse 5:15pm on Thursdays

Join the Theme Event Band – Sing/play with the h2h band. Rehearsals are Wednesdays at 4:00 pm.

Service Corps—Monthly the students deep clean areas of the church

Usher—with a parent. Receive training and once a month serves as an usher at one worship service.

SEE THE SERVICE LETTER FOR MORE INFORMATION

All the above goals are designed to help young people stay connected to their faith and church. With so many competing interests consistency is the goal. We understand that schedules are busy if you have a problem completing the above requirements please contact the Pastor to discuss other options.

What is the FAITH 5™?

There is a simple faith practice built into the core of every Faith Inkubators system, resource,
curriculum and product. It is called the FAITH 5™, or Faith Acts In The Home.

The FAITH 5™ connects church to home, faith to life, and parents to kids in a powerful way.
The five steps of the FAITH 5™ are:

1. Share highs and lows. Name something good and bad you experienced today. Can’t
think of a personal one? Check out the headlines from the news and teach empathy and
compassion for the broader world.

2. Read a verse from your Bible. (Each Faith Inkubators’ curriculum includes suggested
verses that kick off at church and go home for families to explore every night.)

3. Talk about how the verse relates to highs and lows. Unpack the verse a bit. What does
it mean in your own words? How might it relate to where you are today in your highs
and lows?

4. Pray for one another’s highs and lows, for your family and for the world. Simply talk to
God, bringing your highs and lows and the concerns of others along. Praise God, thank
Jesus for the good, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in specific problems.

5. Bless one another. Trace the sign of the cross on one another’s forehead or palm as a
reminder that you belong to God and to one another.

Start at Church and Move to Home

It’s one thing for churches to encourage families to be more intentional about faith practices at
home. It’s another thing for churches to equip families to do so. Set your church up as a testing
ground for families. Role model all five steps on a regular basis at worship, during Sunday
School, at adult education classes and even at board meetings. Over time, all of your people will
become familiar with the practice and have an easier time transitioning church to home.

From Home Back to Church

When an opportunity is provided for families to share stories about their faith practices in the
home, growth abounds. Lives deepen. Traditions are built. Relationships are strengthened. The
way a congregation functions changes. Setting an expectation to practice these five steps has
made a difference in the way families connect and in the way we look at how we “do church.”
The body is only as healthy as its cells. Healthy, growing families contribute to a healthy,
growing congregation.

Why Faith Acts in the Home?

Our founder, Rev. Rich Melheim, once asked his friend and mentor Dr. Tony Campolo a
question: “What’s the healthiest thing a kid can say?” The sociologist from Eastern College
answered: “We always do it this way in my home.”

Wow.

Let’s think about that. “We” means together, not off in our own separate places. “Always”
means there’s a ritual and continuity-something that happens on a regular basis. “This way”
means an action-not something passive. “My home” means ownership, identity, security,
safety.

What more could anyone want than for their kids to be saying this?

Acts, of course, is also the name of the book in the Bible that connects the Gospels to the rest
of the New Testament. The beginning of Acts moves right from the life of Jesus to the birth of
the church, Pentecost. In the early church, they met in homes, dedicated themselves to the
Apostles’ teaching and prayer, and they shared everything. The church did’t spread
like wildfire across the Roman world because of their philosophy or ability to argue. It was the
“see how these Christians love one another” that took the world by storm.

These “house churches” changed the world once before. They can do it again.

Back to the Future

The FAITH 5™ isn’t really anything new. It’s as old as Acts 2. Or maybe Deuteronomy 6.

“Keep these words which I command you today in your hearts. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise…”

If you would like to learn more about the FAITH 5™ and join the conversation, visit
www.faithink.com and join Rich Melheim’s blog at www.richmelheim.com.

Also be Watching For:

The FAITH 5™ book (Fall 2010 release): For a sneak peak go to www.faithink.com.