Confirmation should probably be called Affirmation of Baptism, but the Confirmation industry would have to start from scratch. At a child's baptism, their parents made a promise that they would raise them in the Lutheran faith, would bring them to church, would teach them the Lord's Prayer, 10 Commandments and creeds. At some point, however, it is expected that the child will affirm the promise their parents made at their baptism - namely, that this faith is no longer the parent's promise, but his or her own.
Students are confirmed in one year at Our Savior, either in class as an 8th grader or above, or on-line as a 9th grader or above. We see Confirmation not as a graduation from Christianity, but a rite of passage into a mature understanding of their faith. The basis of our Confirmation curriculum is Martin Luther's Small Catechism.
In the column to the right, you will find the nuts and bolts of our program, including the schedule and a basic information sheet.
Service has always been a part of Confirmation, but this year, our staff has made an attempt to diversify the student's service time, in order to serve in different parts of the church. See Living Stones Ministry.
Parents are a huge part of confirmation. Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism for two reasons: he realized that some small town German pastors were more interested in being theologians than shepherds to their people; and that German parents needed some assistance in making sure their children received the basic truths of the Christian faith. It is never the intention of Our Savior or its youth workers that we marginalize parents from their children’s religious education. Parents are always welcome to attend class and are encouraged to hear students’ memory work. Parents who check their children’s confirmation lessons have a two-fold blessing – they get a refresher course on Lutheranism and they are spending valuable time in God’s word with their kids. We heartily encourage as much parental involvement as possible.