Confirmation 2011/2012
For all eighth graders (and older youth who have not yet participated)
Confirm: 1) to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, or genuineness of; 2) to acknowledge with definite assurance; 3) to make valid or binding by some formal or legal act.
Traditionally confirmation is the process and/or ritual by which young people confirm the vows made on their behalf at their baptism (assuming that they were baptized as infants). Their parents' vow from so long ago becomes their own promise; they take the mantle of responsibility for their own faith. Unsurprisingly, we think about confirmation a bit differently at Shadow Rock. We don't feed our confirmands the tenets of our faith and then ask them to spit the right answers back out again. We don't drill them on the history of Christendom, of the United Church of Christ or even of Shadow Rock. We don't give them answers to life's tough questions.
So what do we do?
We welcome them to the journey. We welcome their questions and doubts and even their blank stares. Confirmation facilitators and mentors are something like midwives... helping young people bring their best thinking to light, giving birth to a thinking and discerning person of faith.
Join us in August as we welcome a new group of confirmands. They will need the support of many adults in the congregation: teaching, mentoring, cooking, driving, chaperoning. Each of you can be part of their journey by blanketing them in prayer.
Confirmands will gather two Sunday evenings a month from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
August 21
September 11 & 25
October 9 & 23
November 6 & 20
December 4 & 18
January 8 & 22
February 12 & 26
March 11 & 25
April 15 & 29
Confirmation Sunday: May 13, 2012
For questions about Confirmation or to register your youth for the Confirmation program, contact Karen Richter through the church office or by email.