About Confirmation
In the rite of Holy Baptism, we are brought to the font where we hear God’s promise of freedom from sin, salvation, and life everlasting. There is water and word, oil and the sign of the cross, a candle to remind us of these promises, that we have been marked with the cross of Christ forever, and that the light of Jesus shines in us. In addition to God’s promises, parents, baptismal sponsors, and our church community also make promises to support, nurture and help us grow in your faith as a member of the body of Christ – otherwise known as – the church. Most likely, you are not able to remember these promises, or didn’t get the opportunity to make them yourself. That is what this thing is about.
While the sacrament of baptism happens only once, the gift of baptism carries on throughout our lives. Affirmation of our faith, or Confirmation as it’s often called, is the act of not only hearing the promises God makes in baptism, but saying yes (affirming) your faith as a baptized child of God. Because our faith rests in community as the body of Christ, we also gather to hear the congregation affirm the promises made to you and one another once again.
Preparing for Confirmation
St Mark’s participates in a City-Wide Confirmation Program with pastoral and lay leadership from multiple ELCIC Lutheran Churches in metro Winnipeg and the MNO Synod. The program is designed to begin in grade 7 and end in grade 9, with the confirmation service in the autumn of a student’s grade 10 year. Our goal is to help you learn more about the Christian faith, the Lutheran tradition specifically, the life of the church, and provide a place to ask questions, build community and have fun to prepare for the rite of the affirmation of baptism (Confirmation Sunday). Each year will focus either on the Bible (one year for focus on Hebrew scriptures, another for the New Testament Epistles and Gospels), and a Catechism year where we review Luther’s Small Catechism, the history of the Lutheran Church and the way in which we understand ourselves as church today.
We will gather in-person on Sunday afternoons from 2:00PM-3:30PM for two 8-week blocks per year. Within each 8-week block, two congregations will host 4 weeks each. This is to equalize travel time for all participants over the course of the program. One program block will be in the Autumn and one program block will be in the winter of the preceding year. Our classes will rotate between congregations, as scheduled each year. Each week, class will be recorded and available to view for those unable to attend in person. In addition to our Sunday classes, there will be additional opportunities to connect faith and life through field trips (TBA) and the MNO Synod’s WinterQuest (location and full agenda TBA) which is considered part of the confirmation program. Confirmation materials will be presented to confirmation students at the start of the year.
Confirmation students are expected to attend the Sunday afternoon classes, as well as the Lumineers Sunday School classes on Sunday mornings, unless they have taken on an active participation in the worship ministry of our congregation, (either: serving as an acolyte, lector, greeter/communion server, on the Tech Team, on the Music team, or choosing to be one of the Assembly in the pews). It is also hoped that our young folk will also participate in the Prayer Partner Program that the Youth & Young Adult Committee is coordinating.
For further information, please contact the church office or Pastor Zsofi at pastor@stmarkslutheran.ca