WHAT IS CONFIRMATION?
Confirmation is our introduction into the life of the Church. It is designed for 6th grade students to explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus, to be transformed by His Spirit, and to take their place in the narrative of God’s mission in the world.
Confirmation is designed to give students and families a place to belong, a foundation for belief, and an invitation to become the Church. When students finish our confirmation process, our hope is that they don’t see themselves as crossing a finish line. This is not a box to be checked to gain membership in our church or heaven. Rather, students are stepping up to a new starting line. We see confirmation as a launching point from which they will BE the church and lead a life-long faith that bears the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
Each Sunday morning at 9:45 am we'll meet in the game room before heading to the Scout Building for a weekly lesson that covers a foundations of Scripture, faith, and following Jesus.
In addition to Sunday mornings, the heart of our student ministry is built around our life groups. These are small groups of students, typically organized around grade and gender, who meet weekly on Thursdays from 6:30-8:15 pm. Life Groups offer students an invitation to take ownership of their faith, to know Jesus personally, and to learn how to follow Him in the context of relationships.
Registration
You can click here to register for Confirmation and our Retreat. There is a $15 cost for the Confirmation class to cover supplies and our class t-shirt.
The Process
Sixth grade at Chapelwood UMC is an important step in both a student and family's faith journey. Our mission is to immerse our confirmands and parents in a holistic and comprehensive process that is designed to foster spiritual formation leading families to respond to Jesus' call to be lifelong disciples. After nine months of fun and spiritual formation, sixth graders are given the opportunity to personally respond to Jesus' call to live as a disciple. They will have the opportunity to profess their faith and be confirmed into the Christian faith and the United Methodist Church.
Confirmation is for sixth-grade students who are interested in learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and a part of His Church. Our process aims to equip students with what they need to begin confidently owning their faith in Jesus Christ. Students are committing to attend Sunday morning classes each week (September to May). There will be required activities at other times during the Confirmation year, including a mid-year Confirmation retreat and an interview with a member of the Chapelwood staff in March and April.
Throughout the school year, the students will hear from numerous members of Chapelwood's clergy and staff, along with members of the church who believe in the program enough to volunteer their time. At the same time, all confirmands will share in the experience with both their peers and adult leaders in their table groups, with whom they will develop meaningful relationships.
Table leaders are parents who commit to walking alongside these students as they progress through the 6th grade school year. We ask all parents to invest in this process. Ultimately, a student’s faith is most heavily influenced by their family, and we are here to support that growth in every way possible. We ask that all parents participate in table leading either on a weekly basis or on rotation, but even if you can’t be with us on Sundays, we encourage you to pray with and for your students and to have intentional conversations to process their faith journey with them.
At the end of Confirmation, students will be asked if they desire to profess their faith in Christ and become a full member of Chapelwood during a special church service.
Retreat
Our Confirmation retreat will be held at Stoney Creek Ranch from September 30 - October 2, 2022. We will depart Chapelwood at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2022, and arrive back at Chapelwood on Sunday, October 2nd at 12:00 p.m.
If you are in need of a scholarship, please contact Jackie Harrison at [email protected]
The retreat is MANDATORY and crucial for our Confirmation journey. You will register for this as part of Confirmation registration.
We need Retreat Chaperones. If you would be willing to join us at Stoney Creek, we would love to have you! We need to have a 5:1 ratio of adults to students. Click here to register yourself.
FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFIRMATION, PLEASE EMAIL JOSEPH PATTY.