As part of our journey we have prepared and participated in a Worship service and thought about missions, such as the Food Pantry. Now it’s time to consider the act of confirmation.
A Presbyterian Perspective on Confirmation
When a child is baptized they receive an outward and visible sign that they were born to be a part of the family of God.
For that baptism to be truly effective, the person must claim, that the promises made on their behalf when they were baptized, have found fulfillment in their accepting of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord on a personal level.
Confirmation is publicly saying “YES, I BELIEVE IN JESUS. HE IS MY SAVIOR. HE IS MY LORD.” Confirmation is saying “Yes” (Confirming) the promises that were made on your behalf when you were baptized as a child.
Faith in Christ makes you a member of the the invisible church.
Confirmation is expressing membership of the visible church.
Preparing Your Statement of Faith
The following questions should serve as an outline for writing your statement. A statement of faith is
a declaration of what you believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and what it means
to you to be a follower of Jesus. It should also address why you wish to be confirmed.
Statements of faith can be between 650 and 1000 words long if written. However, you are not
limited to a written statement of faith. If you want to pursue a creative medium for expressing your faith, ex. Scrapbooks, paintings, poetry, pictures, then that is also OK. You can even mix them up!
You will present your statement of faith;
• Firstly, to each other … at our meeting on ......
• Secondly, to Session ... when we meet them on .......
• Thirdly, as part of your service of confirmation on ......
Questions to Guide you Through the Process
You don’t have to cover all these topics. What is important is that it is meaningful for you!
Who is God? What is God like? What has God done?
Who is Jesus? What is Jesus like? What has Jesus done? What were his key teachings
that He wants us to live by?
Who is the Holy Spirit? What is the Holy Spirit like? What does the Holy Spirit do?
What is the church? Why do you want to be part of the church? What is the mission of the
church?
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?
Has there been a difficult time in your life that you know God helped you get through?
What choices do you think you have to make that incorporate your faith into your living?
What is a Christian and what do Christians hope for in both this life/world and the life/world that is to come?
Do you have a personal story about how your faith has helped you through?
Where have you known God’s love helping or protecting you in your life so far?
The examples that follow totally ignore this suggested outline 😊
I’ve experienced a miracle of God myself. When I was 4, I got kidney reflux, and I was in and out of the hospital a lot. The doctors said that there was a diverticulum on my bladder and problems with my kidneys. If they didn’t clear up by a certain date, I would have to get surgery. The doctors said that they wouldn’t go away on their own, so they set a surgery date. Then, the very day before I was to get the surgery, the diverticulum and all the other problems just vanished without a trace. The doctors were all amazed — they’d never seen anything like that happen before. I didn’t need surgery, and to this day, I’ve never had any more problems with it. No more kidney reflux. My recovery without surgery was a gift of God. And I’ve got to give, right?” Learning about what Jesus did can let us get ideas for what we can do for others and for our community. It’s motivation to do the right thing. We can tell stories of God’s love and sharing, inspire others to do the same, no matter how much or how little you have. You can remind people not to worry of the future and that God will handle it. And whatever happens — kidney reflux or not — God is always with us.” — Gemma Brown
“Jesus is always listening to our prayers and answers them, but not always the way we want them answered. I pray every day for my family and my friends and anything life throws at me. I pray for the homeless and the people in poverty and that they find help. On the day before my grandma died, she gave me one last hug. That was comfort beyond belief, but that isn’t the only thing that gives me comfort. Each time I pray I know God is listening, and that is the greatest comfort you can have.” — Andy Buechler
“I believe that Jesus is central in my life because He has shown that all things be done with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For without having Jesus central in my life, these things would not exist. If we live by the spirit then we will be guided by the spirit. I believe that without these things and without God, my life would be dull and dark. Though I do not know what my future is and where my life will take me, I know that God does. There are two Bible verses that stick with me when I think about my future and my faith. The first one is Jeremiah 29:11 and the second one is 2 Timothy 1:7. These verses are what I live by and they show me that I can do all things through Christ”-- Archie Masters