Confirmation

In Baptism, we recognize God's claim on our lives. With Confirmation, students have an opportunity to claim the relationship God freely offers them.

Confirmation is a season of preparation for students to empower them to take on the vows their parents made for them at their baptism and claim faith for themselves. This program will help the students gain insight to the aspects of one's faith. The year-long confirmation process is targeted for sixth graders, however any students who are older than sixth grade are welcome to participate. We also offer a shorter, 10 week program for students who are older than sixth grade and have not gone through confirmation. This group begins meeting in January, and is offered every two years. The next time this class will be offered is 2019.

Objectives:

• Teach confirmands basic Christian theology to help them understand and take ownership of their faith
• Explain the traditions and doctrinal emphasis of the United Methodist Church that are unique
• Encourage confirmands to develop spiritual disciplines such as daily prayer, reading Scripture, and serving others
• Assist confirmands in recognizing and exploring their spiritual gifts
• Foster Christian community and relationship building
• Empower each confirmand to make a personal declaration or decision of faith

Confirmands have two options for Sunday School:

• 9:55am: Single-gender classes are offered for youth in 6th-8th grade.
• 11:10am: A large-group class is available for middle school students

All confirmands are required to attend Confirmation on Sunday afternoons from 4:00-5:30. This time consists of two essential components to faith formation. Students have 45 minutes of instructional time, led by a teacher, where they will learn about our history as United Methodists and our theology. Students will spend the other 45 minutes in their family group. A family group consists of 4 or 5 students and two adult mentors. This group meets weekly to reflect on assigned journal entries, but also to foster small group community between peers and their mentors. Most confirmands list their family group as one of their favorite components of confirmation.

Retreat:

The Confirmation Retreat is held at Lake Junaluska in the Spring.

Curriculum:

Advent uses the curriculum We Believe for our Sunday afternoon studies. We Believe is a study for the youth where students learn about our church, the entire church community, and what it means to be a part of the Advent church.

Confirmation Dinner & Rehearsal:

A dinner for the confirmands, their parents, and their mentors is held the Saturday evening before Confirmation Sunday in the Christian Life Center. Rehearsal for Confirmation is held immediately following dinner.

Contact Pastor Laura-Allen Kerlin for more information about Confirmation.