What is Confirmation Ministry?

At its heart, Confirmation ministry at St John is about passing on faith to students in 7th – 9th grades in a way that they can use it in their daily lives. Confirmation ministry always seems to be under construction in the church, and that is because we as leaders are trying to discover what it is that God is doing in students’ lives and what we can do to help them discover their faith.


The weekly lessons will emphasize:

  • Bible: how to read, get around, and use it for daily life. 
  • Small Catechism: why the Lord’s Prayer, 10 Commandments, and the Apostle’s Creed are teachings we still can use today.
  • The story of the Church­ how God continues to work through history 
and our lives in lots of ways

Our hope is that this ministry will teach students what it means to be disciples of Christ, encourage them to be active members of the St. John community, and send them out into the world with the language and confidence to live out their Lutheran faith.

FAQs

How is Confirmation structured?

We believe that our faith grows best in community. So we structure Confirmation using a large group/small group format. The 7th graders will start off meeting in a large group to introduce the lesson and do some fun activities. The 8th & 9th graders will meet separately in a large group. After the large group all the youth will then go to their small groups with trained adults to lead them. They will share their highs and lows and God sightings as well as discuss the particular lesson. 


What do we talk about in Confirmation?

The first year of Confirmation in 7th grade will be an introduction to what it means to be in confirmation and part of this community. We will introduce them to the main themes of the Bible, give them an opportunity to explore their faith, and show them what it means to be a member of St. John. The next 2 years (8th & 9th grade) will focus on the essentials of being a Lutheran and how we use all of these things we learn in Confirmation to become part of the larger church.


What books/materials will we be using?

The Bible will be our main source book. We will be using Bibles that will accompany a curriculum called: Colaborate. We are excited about this curriculum because it is more student centered and allows them to ask questions like, “why are we even studying this?” It also uses a video to highlight the theme of the day. The 9th graders will also be using Luther’s Small Catechism. We also provide opportunities for fellowship and service throughout the year. We will ask the confirmands to keep their Bibles and books at church to be sure they have them each week.


How can parents be involved?

Parents are critical to how confirmation will be received and accepted by confirmation students. We will be inviting parents into certain lessons throughout the year so they can have the opportunity to confirm/affirm their faith and beliefs with their student. We also encourage parents to regularly attend worship with their student, find ways to be active in the St. John community, and model their faith at home.


Still have questions about Confirmation at St. John?

Check out our Confirmation Handbook in the "Materials" section above or email jonfry@stjohncf.org with any questions.