In Baptism, we recognize God’s claim on our lives. In Confirmation, students have an opportunity to claim the relationship God freely offers for them.
Confirmation preparation is a class for students sixth grade and up, who are interested in publicly affirming the call on their lives to be disciples of Christ. The class helps the students gain important insight to the aspects of one's faith: Baptism, Holy Communion, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the history of the Christian church, and the history of the United Methodist Church. The class is designed to prepare the students to answer the all-important question:
"Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in His grace,
and promise to serve Him as your Lord,
in union with the church which Christ
has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?"
Advent's confirmation preparation experience for sixth graders is geared toward nurturing their maturation as teens and as growing Christian disciples. An emphasis is placed on preparing the students to “claim the name” Christian. The class is meant to be both informational and transformational through a series of lessons, events, and retreats all aimed at helping the student make a meaningful profession of faith in Christ. By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism describes it this way:
When persons who were baptized as infants are ready to profess their Christian faith, they participate in the service, which United Methodism now calls Confirmation. This occasion is not an entrance into Church membership, for this was accomplished through baptism. It is the first public affirmation of the grace of God in one's baptism and the acknowledgment of one's acceptance of that grace by faith.
This moment includes all the elements of conversion-repentance of sin, surrender and death of self, trust in the saving grace of God, new life in Christ, and becoming an instrument of God's purpose in the world. The profession of Christian faith, to be celebrated in the midst of the worshiping congregation, should include the voicing of baptismal vows as a witness to faith and the opportunity to give testimony to personal Christian experience.
Two things should be noted here: One, Confirmation is not becoming a member of the church. Baptism already celebrated that! Two, Confirmation is a person's first public affirmation of the faith of the church as being his or her own faith. In other words, the Confirmand is taking responsibility for living as a member of the body of Christ and for fulfilling God's purposes. By Water and the Spirit illuminates this further:
An infant who is baptized cannot make a personal profession of faith as a part of the sacrament. Therefore, as the young person is nurtured and matures so as to be able to respond to God's grace, conscious faith and intentional commitment are necessary. Such a person must come to claim the faith of the Church proclaimed in baptism as her or his own faith.
Deliberate preparation for this event focuses on the young person's self-understanding and appropriation of Christian doctrines, spiritual disciplines, and life of discipleship. It is a special time for experiencing divine grace and for consciously embracing one's Christian vocation.
So, confirmation preparation aims at leading youth and others to embrace their vocation-the calling of God to live and witness to the reign of God announced in Jesus Christ.
-An excerpt from "What Is the Appropriate Age for Baptism and for Confirmation?" by Daniel Benedict.
Structure
Confirmation preparation at Advent is structured around four major components:
- Retreat
A Confirmation Retreat will be held November 7-9 at Lake Junaluska.
- Sunday School
Sunday School for Confirmands meets at 10:00 a.m. in Room 207 and 208 of the Christian Life Center.
- Large Group Experiences
From early Fall until January, Confirmands meet on Wednesday nights from 6:15 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. in Room 207 of the Christian Life Center.
- Mentor Relationships
Beginning in January, relationships between Confirmands and Mentors will be a vital part of the confirmation experience. These meetings are scheduled by the adult mentors and are called "family groups." The majority of family groups will meet on Sundays and on Wednesday nights.
Cirruculum
For the Wednesday night sessions, the curriculum will be Claim The Name.
For the small "family groups," the curriculum will be Making Disciples by Bishop William H. Willimon.
Worship and Worship Notes
Participation in Worship is always expected of followers of Christ and especially of those in Confirmation at Advent.
Each Confirmand is asked to complete a minimum of six satisfactory worship notes during the year. These simple notes help the Confirmand learn how to listen actively during worship and aids in the process of learning how to integrate worship into daily life.
Worship notes are to be completed on, or shortly after participating in worship. The notes should then be returned to Pastor Pete. He will review the notes, provide commentary and return them to the Confirmand. Parents may enjoy completing a worship note themselves and using the opportunity to compare highlights of the worship experience.
The worship note may be download using the link to the left and printed for your use. Paper copies are available in Pastor Pete's office.