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Confirmation
What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is a Rite within the Lutheran church, where baptized youth participate in a process of instruction, discernment, and growth in their faith. It ends with the Affirmation of Baptism, which is a youth’s opportunity to “say yes” to a God who “said yes” to them in their baptism and to commit themselves to the church and its mission. At Nativity, youth participating in the confirmation process will grow in their understanding of the Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments) as well as Lutheran history and theology, and they will be given regular, intentional, and supported opportunities to discern their own identity as a Child of God and their calling in the church and to the world.
Who participates in Confirmation?
Currently at Nativity, a youth will, typically, begin the confirmation process in November of 7th grade and will affirm their baptism in October of 10th grade. (PLEASE NOTE: this is the “typical” process, and the Nativity staff is willing to work with a youth who would be starting the confirmation process later or coming back after a break; though a youth cannot start confirmation earlier than 7th grade.)
When is Confirmation?
Confirmands in 7th – 9th grade will meet on various Wednesday evenings between the months of November and May. 7th & 8th graders will meet together from 7 – 8 pm and 9th graders will meet from 7:30 – 8:30 pm.
Confirmands in 10th grade will meet on Wednesday evenings in the months of September and October. 10th graders will meet together from 7 – 8 pm .
(Please reference your Confirmation Schedule for more details)
What are the expectations of Confirmation?
PLEASE NOTE:
Confirmation is NOT an expectation of membership at Nativity. A youth doesn’t have to participate in the process if they are unwilling and/or unable. This is not a “have to” but a “get to”.
Confirmands are able to miss 3 of the 12 Wednesday evenings throughout the year, and are encouraged to attend their annual retreat to Luther Park in Danbury, WI. If a confirmand does miss more than 3 Wednesday evenings during the year, they will be expected to go through a missed lessons at home with a parent/guardian.
Confirmands are expected to complete 10 Service and 10 Growth Experiences throughout the program year.
- Service Experiences can be acquired by volunteering within or outside the Nativity community (so long as they are deemed appropriate and do not satisfy a requirement of another organization). Service opportunities will be made known to confirmands on a regular basis. After the Service Experience, confirmands should fill out a Service/Growth Experience Form, available on Wednesday evenings and at the Welcome Desk. Turn these forms in to Pastor Ben personally or his box in the church office.
- Growth Experiences can be acquired in two ways:
1) Participation in a Nativity Growth Opportunity and filling out a Service/Growth Experience Form.
2) Participation in worship and the completion of a Worship Experience Form; available at the Ushers’ Tables at the entrances to the Sanctuary. Turn these forms in to Pastor Ben personally or his box in the church office. - Advocacy Experiences are a special kind of Service/Growth opportunity where Confirmands participate in service projects, visit to organizations to learn about the good work being done in our community, and attend workshops on social justice subjects. Confirmation Small Groups are expected to do at least one of these experiences together, and Confirmands are expected to participate in at least two in total. Kelly Sherman Conroy will work with Confirmands and Small Groups in deciding which experiences they want to participate in. For more information, contact Kelly at kelly@nativitychurch.org.
PLEASE NOTE: All yearly Service and Growth Experience expectations will be satisfied when a confirmand participates in one of Nativity’s summer Youth Service and Learning Trips (excluding the Confirmation Small Group Advocacy Experience expectation).
There is a suggested payment of $75.00 for each student, with a family maximum of $150. You may pay by check or by following the instructions on the confirmation page after you submit your registration.