Confirmation
Hey parents and families of incoming confirmation students,
We look forward to walking with you and your students through these years as they grow to know Jesus. Studies still show that kids this age are significantly influenced by parents and trusted adults in their lives. Our efforts matter as they mature and learn to confirm the faith professed by so many generations of people before them..
On this page you will find 2 sections.
Our four main components for the confirmation program at christ the rock
1-Sunday Morning assists the confirmation process. This fall we plan to separate 6-8th grade from 9-12th grade students on Sundays. Katie Lopez will lead the 6-8th graders, where they will learn the foundational bible stories and connect with each other. This time will be leveraged to contribute to our confirmation process.
2-6th and 7th grade family catechism devotions: Parents of 6th and 7th graders will work through “Luther's Small Catechism for kids” as a family. This book provides simple, guided discussions to help your family learn the catechism together at a very casual pace. CTR will host occasional recap and discussion evenings for the main sections being covered, like the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer…
3-8th grade Confirmation class. We have found a great ONE YEAR curriculum that is less classroom oriented and more discussion focused. The class will be a small group, led by the pastor and our incoming vicar. Students will be expected to complete short journal/workbook pages during the week that will be discussed when we get together. This year will build on and round out the Sunday Bible class time and the Catechism devotions.
4-Faith Steps Sunday: At the completion of their 8th grade year the students will be invited to confirm their faith in a “faith steps” service, much like Confirmation Sunday.
Our rationale for this method
1-Family needs and busy schedules: We are all busier, so asking for 2-3 years of classroom commitment on an additional night is hard. This new style is more flexible and allows for continuous learning and discussion in multiple formats and with different groups of people and still gives us a three year window of time.
2-Relational and applied instead of content to be learned: Following Jesus is about joining others as they are growing to understand who Jesus is and what that means for daily life. We are aiming at a three year intentional stewing process where faith can be discussed, taught, shared, explained and questioned with different, trusted people.
3-A faith step not graduation: The Christian Church has struggled with a graduation mentality. Student involvement drops off after confirmation because it has been siloed as a 'program' that you complete. Instead of isolating it we want to layer different learning in this catechism process and combine confirmation into the larger journey of faith, with New Membership and kids phasing into new Sunday School classes
4-A larger discontentment: Christ the Rock is not the only church trying something new. Many churches see the frustrating results of continuing to use the method that was developed almost 100 years ago. Many churches have contributed to the development of the 8th grade journal, and the LCMS is listening to the needs of our sister churches. The resources we plan to use represent current teaching approaches.
At the end of the day, our desire is to help you anchor faith into your child's hearts and minds. As always, call or email me if you have questions or concerns.
God's blessing as your family grows to know Jesus!
Pastor Jim.
For more information email me here
