Confirmation Class of 2017
Confirmation
Wednesday Evenings at 6:00 pm
Frequently asked questions:
-What is Confirmation?
-What are we Confirming?
-Who is doing the Confirming?
There is a history behind Confirmation that goes back many, many years. Catechetical instruction is very important for those that are growing in their faith and knowledge of God and what He has done for us. Martin Luther noted the need for proper instruction, and eventually wrote a booklet of questions and answers aka a catechism.
The initial goal of the catechism was for parents to use it and teach their children in the home. The parents are to teach their children about their faith in Christ as they go about their lives. It is even something the parents and sponsors vow to do at the child’s baptism, “to pray for them, support them in their ongoing instruction and nurture in the Christian faith, and encourage them toward the faithful reception of the Lord’s Supper." The parents and sponsors are to at all times be examples to the child of the holy life of faith in Christ and love for their neighbors.
To answer some of the questions from earlier, Confirmation is the instruction of the faith that the Confirmand received in their baptism. It is exploring the different chief parts that our faith is based upon. These chief parts, the faith we receive in our baptism, these are the things that we are confirming.
Who is doing the Confirming? Is it the DCE? Is it the parent? Is it the Confirmand? Is it the Elders? Is it the congregation? The answer is yes, all of us have a part in Confirmation. We are to help encourage each other in our journey of growing in faith. We are there as examples of God’s love for us, and the need for a Savior.
Confirmation is continuing this year, and not just for the 6th-8th graders. The Rite of Confirmation is not a graduation, it is a profession of the faith that we have received in baptism. When we are confirmed, we make important promises. We acknowledge the gifts that we received from God in Baptism, we renounce the devil and all of his works and ways.
We profess our faith in the Triune God, and that we hold to the teaching of the Scriptures as the inspired Word of God. We promise to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully, and to live according to the Word of God and remain true to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit unto death and continue in this confession and to suffer all, even death rather than fall away from our confession.
In this confession, we acknowledge that we will continue to grow beyond our 8th grade confession throughout our life.
We as a congregation are here to support the new Confirmation students and encourage them and their parents as we move through this process.