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Christian Education >
Confirmation > Confirmation
Objectives > Attaining Our Objectives >
Summary
In order to accomplish these goals of knowing, doing,
experiencing and being, implementation will be through the following
means at Trinity Lutheran Church. This implementation is designed
around student and parent participation in the four components of
worship, learning, fellowship and service.
- Worship - Worship is the central
act of the body of Christ. It is through the experience
of the worshiping community that we come to know more about Christ
and his church.
What does this mean?
- Confirmation students and their families
are to attend worship regularly.
- Confirmation students will complete 20 worship
reflections between September and May of each year they
are in confirmation.
- Confirmation students and their families
will be encouraged to attend and participate in leadership for
Advent and Lenten
mid-week worship services.
- Confirmation students will be encouraged
to participate in worship leadership as readers, through music,
or use of other creative arts or in a variety of other ways.
- Confirmation students and their family members
are encouraged to develop the practice of daily personal
devotions and prayer.
- Families are encouraged to find daily times
of joint devotions and prayer and to utilize mealtime prayers
as forms of worship.
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- Learning - Instruction for Confirmation is
different from Sunday School and other classes. It is centered
on the integration of Bible study, Lutheran theology, faith in
daily life, and the workings of the church. It requires thought,
participation and some reading and writing.
What does this mean?
- Students attend each Wednesday evening confirmation
class.
- Students attend Sunday School every Sunday
morning.
- Students may be held accountable for learning
that takes place on Wednesday evenings and Sunday morning through
some written work. - Resources
- Students will be expected to complete make-up
work for Wednesday evening and Sunday morning classes that
are missed for any reason. Work may be completed the week
in advance of the absence (when absence is anticipated) or
in the week following the absence. - www.herewestandconfirmation.org
- Students will be encouraged to attend other
learning opportunities that may arise throughout the 7th - 10th
grade years, including but not limited to Trinity retreats and/or
lock-ins, summer Bible camp, weekend Bible camp retreats, and
local, state or regional retreats for middle school and high
school students. Riverside
Lutheran Bible Camp, EWALU
Lutheran Bible Camp, Waldorf
College, Wartburg
College, Luther College,
and the Northeastern Iowa
Synod.
- Parents will be asked to help with some activities/events
and are encouraged to participate in adult education opportunities.
- Confirmation students and their parents are
encouraged to participate in and/or help with Vacation
Bible School and other inter-generational learning events
that may be scheduled throughout the year.
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- Fellowship - Life in the 21st century is complex
and challenging. It often erodes our faith and our faith perspective.
One of the greatest gifts of God’s grace is that we are
not only called to individual faith, we are established as members
in the faith community – the communion of saints. Engaging
in a variety of activities together with other Christians helps
build, maintain and strengthen our faith as we face the complexities
and challenges of everyday living in the contemporary world.
What does this mean?
- Confirmation students will attend specified
meetings/activities as a Jr. High Lutheran
Youth Organization (LYO) (to be announced as plans are made
and details become available). There may also be joint activities
with the Sr. High L.Y.O. which will be encouraged, but optional.
- Confirmation students will be encouraged
to attend and participate in other
fellowship events and activities at Trinity Lutheran Church and
at other places sponsored by selected other institutions
or organizations including, but not limited to Riverside
Lutheran Bible Camp, EWALU
Lutheran Bible Camp, Waldorf
College, Wartburg
College, Luther College,
and the Northeastern Iowa
Synod.
- Parents will be asked to help leaders and/or students
plan and/or chaperon Jr. High L.Y.O. and/or other events and
activities.
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- Service - Providing (physical, mental, emotional
and/or spiritual) care and/or help for one another is one of the
primary ways in which we live out our faith in our daily lives.
In John chapter 13, Jesus washes the disciples feet, and then
tells them, “For I have set you an example, that you also
should do as I have done to you.” Christian service takes
many forms and is done either through individuals or by individuals
working together in groups. Christian service is done both through
the mission and ministries of the church, and as Christians participate
in other service organizations. Christian service also occurs
when individual Christians take action on behalf of others for
the sake of the gospel either through the church or independently.
What does this mean?
Confirmation students will participate in at least 3 acts of Christian
service per year (7th – 9th grades), and complete an “Service
Action-Reflection” sheet for each endeavor. Service endeavors
may include, but are not limited to the following possibilities:
participating in worship leadership (i.e. reader, special
music, assisting minister, music leadership, etc), any service
project open to members of TLC (i.e. through the Jr high or
Sr. High LYO or joint Jr./Sr. LYO, WELCA, assisting with VBS/Day
Camp, helping with properties projects, etc); any service project
through any organization in which the student regularly participates
(i.e. Boy/Girl Scouts, Campfire USA, school/class service projects
community projects, etc); as an individual (i.e. volunteering
to help with a friend/neighbor’s needs (i.e. lawn work, snow
removal, etc where no financial payment is received), visiting
a nursing home resident, other “shut-ins,” or someone
who is hospitalized; providing goods to raise funds for a church
or community endeavor, etc. Students must have pre-approval for
an non-church related or individual activity to be identified as
an act of Christian service (for the sake of learning about service
and reflecting on the relationship between service and our relationship
with Jesus Christ and the people of God).
Conclusion
What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is a ministry of the congregation helping youth grow
in faith, love and obedience to God's will.
The tasks of confirmation ministry are:
- to reflect on the familiar questions and answers of the Christian
faith using Martin Luther’s Small Catechism
- to strengthen our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and
with the body of Christ, the Church.
- to deepen our trust in God and God's promises
- to strengthen our sense of Christian vocation
- to equip us better to live out that vocation in witness and
service to the world.
Parents may be asked to be present at a few classes or events during
the year. Their participation, encouragement and support is important
to their child’s growth in faith.
Along the journey, students will be invited to participate with
their parent (or another significant adult) in experiences that
go beyond the confirmation classroom or Sunday morning worship and
Sunday School.
Students and parents are invited to carefully consider their participation
in this ministry.
We encourage students and their parents to choose to enter confirmation
when they are both willing and ready to fully participate in the
confirmation process. Participation goes beyond mere attendance.
It means being committed to involve one's self, time, and talents,
energy and resources.
Confirmation is not a sacrament of the Lutheran Church.
Confirmation is a rite within the church.
You are a member of the Lutheran Church by way of your
baptism, whether or not you are confirmed.
When you enter into Confirmation instruction, you are
expressing an interest in becoming an active member: an adult, voting,
contributing member of the church.
If you are not ready to invest yourself, your time, your
talents, your intellect and your resources, either as a parent or
a student in this process, that is your choice.
It is our responsibility as the called staff and the elected
and designated leaders of this congregation to see that this program
is both the best it can be, and also that the people who confirm
their faith in this congregation are serious about their commitment.
We ask a lot, but we pray that it will be a labor of love,
for us and for you, the parents, students, their families, and the
Confirmation Companions of this congregation.
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