At the baptism of our children, we declare that they belong to God. The church also promises to raise them in faith. In time, we pray that they themselves would affirm the covenant made at their baptism. For our congregation, confirmation is an important step in that process.

The confirmation process is a full one, requiring commitment on the part of every young person and family. However, we do not want it to become overly burdensome. As a result, we would suggest for your family to incorporate the requirements within your regular patterns of worship and life.

WORSHIP

• Lord’s Day Service Attendance. We will be expecting all the confirmands to attend Sunday worship during the time of the classes. They will also be filling out a reflection sheet during worship to be discussed during the next Confirmation Class.
• Brief Statement of Faith. This statement is one of the confessions of the Presbyterian Church USA. It is short, around 630 words long. As a devotional time, the confirmands will be reading it at home once a week for the course of the class.
• Private Prayer. We expect that the confirmands will take time for prayer at least five times a week. Weekly emails will be provided with topics and model prayers.
• Family Prayer. We are asking families to share a prayer before shared meals during the confirmation process.

STUDY

• Sunday Morning Classes. Classes are at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings beginning February 6. Attendance is required unless there is an illness. We can also accommodate students via Zoom if necessary.  We will reschedule any classes that are missed.
• Memory Work. Committing Scriptures and other resources to memory is a way to internalize the wonderful promises of God. The list is not long, and the items should already be familiar to those who have attended church regularly.
• Cloud of Witnesses. The confirmands will be sharing with their fellow students a brief biography of a disciple of Jesus Christ. What can we learn from those who went before us?
• Gospel of Luke. All the confirmands will be reading the Gospel of Luke at home chapter by chapter. After reading each chapter, the confirmand will write down a sentence, a question or some key points in a journal.

SERVICE

• Mission Project. This year we will be partnering with First Presbyterian Church in Huron by helping serve their community meal.  We will be using the experience of the group as we discuss the role of service in the life of a believer. If someone is unable to attend, we will be happy to discuss other possible projects.
• Ministry Project. Each confirmand will be working on an individual service project with the leadership of FPC.  This could involve helping in the nursery, assisting in worship, weeding flower beds, helping the deacons, or even shadowing the pastor.

STEWARDSHIP

• Mentors. Each confirmand will receive a mentor who will be supporting him or her throughout the process. The mentors will meet weekly with the confirmands and be praying for them.
• Retreat and Faith Impact Statement. We are asking the confirmands to write a brief statement about how their faith speaks to an important area of their lives. This statement will be finalized at a weekend retreat. An alternative to the assignment such as the creation of a piece of art, a PowerPoint Presentation, or even a performance can be discussed.
• Examination by the Elders. At the end of the process, the elders will examine the confirmands. Questions will be asked about their work and their faith. Our desire is that the confirmands will also examine the elders. Dialogue is always an opportunity to learn.

RETREATS / FIELD TRIPS

• Retreat.  We are establishing times for retreat with the other confirmands, including an overnight visit during the Christmas break.
• Field Trips. Two field trips will be offered to the class to experience how others worship God.  For the class we will participate in worship at St. Paul Catholic Church and with our Hispanic friends at Templo Genesaret.