Confirmation is one of the highlights of my ministry! It has been a life-changing program for students (Confirmands) and for myself as the Pastor.
Throughout February, we will be continuing our Confirmation program until Sunday, April 11th (the Sunday following Easter) when we will have the joy of welcoming eight new Confirmands into full church membership.
The highlight will be the opportunity for some of the Confirmands to share with you their Praxis Credo of personal beliefs. It will be a Sunday that you will want to put on your calendar and be present in the service or via the ONLINE ZOOM link.
During the same time, our Sunday worship services will be focusing on “Believing: Confirming our faith through the Apostles Creed.” It will be an “Adult Confirmation” for everyone. A refreshed course on “What I Believe.” As Christians, what we believe is critically important. Why? Because as Christians (and disciples), our beliefs are so important. In 1 Peter 3:15, we are admonished as believers to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone that asks you to give an account of the belief that is within you.” Our beliefs guide us each day and in every decision we make. Our life and living, as ambassadors of Christ emanates from “what we believe.” That is why knowing what we believe and having that belief based in and on the scripture is so important to us in following Jesus.
One of the struggles in the early church took place from 150 AD to 350 AD. The struggle came about when many of the early Christians were straying from the true faith by substituting their personal beliefs for the true biblicallybased faith. It was during this time that the church fathers put together “The Apostles Creed” to set up the first complete statement of the true beliefs based on Holy Scripture. It was the “gold standard” for measuring true Biblical faith. That is why I am basing the Adult Confirmation on the “Apostles Creed” on Sunday mornings. (This is also the Creed that is the basis for our Confirmation program: “The Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith.”)
The confirmands attending are: Colton Brady (Mingo UMC) – Parents: Jolene & Mike Brady; Tyson Lillegard – (Farrar UMC) – Parents: Amy & Shane Lillegard; Keira Fick – (Farrar UMC) – Parents: Denise & Brent Fick; Landon Sparks – (Farrar UMC) – Parents: Julie & Chad Sparks; Jocelyn Harder & Cole Harder – (Farrar UMC) – Parents: Laura & Eric Harder; Chesney & Coy Steenhoek – (Farrar UMC) – Parents: Dani & Jay Steenhoek.
Please pray for them, their parents and their sponsors. Sponsors for this class of confirmands include: Bruce Carney, Lori Cory, Brent Fick, Tom Hay, Carol Kimberley, Marilyn & Bob Matthews and Marcia & Warren Neilson.
God is at work in the lives of so many in our congregation. Would you like to be involved beyond prayer? Encourage everyone in this program as we prepare the next generation to “Go be the church!”
