Confirmation
Confirmation is an important event in the life of any Christian. It’s a special time when we study our faith and ‘confirm’ the baptism we already had as children; this is the official entrance into church membership and faith life. For those who have not been baptized, this is also an opportunity to make that decision and be baptized.
Confirmation is traditionally offered to youth who are at least 12 years of age and up, and it is also open to adults joining the faith for the first time or for adults or youth who wish to ‘reconfirm’ their commitment to Christ. What is most important is that participants be able to make decisions for themselves and have a self-interest in being confirmed, so we encourage confirmands to enter into this process when they feel ready, based on their own decisions of faith.
We strongly encouraged every participant to go through the classes with a mentor/partner. This person should be someone mature in faith who is willing to discuss their own personal faith experiences and choices. Parents don’t serve as mentors, but other family members are great (aunt, uncle, older sibling, etc.). A Godparent is a perfect choice for this role if available, as this is the original purpose of the position. There are also many members of Grace UMC who would be honored to mentor a participant, and participants are encouraged to seek one of them – the pastors can assist with this if needed. Faith is not something we deal with alone; it is a community experience as well as a personal one. Let us use the wisdom and experience of our faith elders to lead us.
