Confirmation Handbook

2012-2013

2000 N. Germantown Pkwy

Cordova, TN38016

901-756-8850

Cliff Bahlinger, Senior Pastor

Suzy Baldwin, Youth Coordinator

Dear Confirmands and Parents,

Your confirmation journey is about to begin or continue for another year! As your instructors, we want this to be a time when you are able to explore and grow in your faith. We are excited to share God’s Word with you and teach you about all the tools he has placed within the Word to help us.

At the end of your two year commitment to this class, you will have reached your confirmation day! This is the time when you personally and publicly affirm the vows made at your baptism. Your confirmation day marks a milestone on your journey; however, it is not the end of the journey. It is not a graduation, but rather it is a commitment we make each and every day to walk with Christ and live out our faith. Confirmation does not mean that your faith has reached full maturity. Rather all Christians need to continue growing spiritually so that we can continue to confirm and work out that faith which God has worked in our lives by what we say, by what we do, and by how we live.

We pray that the time we spend together will be exciting and productive as we together seek God, and share life. To get the most out of our time together, please work diligently at completing the assignments as well as attending and participating in all the required classes and retreats.

We pray your parent(s) will help and encourage you in your confirmation studies. We hope that as parents you too will stay committed to God’s word and his family through weekly worship, Sunday School classes, and bible studies. It is important to fellowship with God’s family and continue to grow in your journey of faith as well!

May you all experience God’s richest blessings on this journey!

Pastor Cliff Bahlinger

Suzy Baldwin

What you can expect out of the St. Luke Confirmation program:

  • Teaching of the foundations of Christian faith through study of God’s Word, and Lutheran doctrine (as presented in Luther’s Small Catechism), as well as the re:form confirmation curriculum.
  • Active participation and weekly attendance in confirmation classes every Wednesday evening from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.
  • Encouragement for regular worship, prayer, Bible study, Christian fellowship, and servanthood.
  • Implementation of your student’s services on a regularly scheduled basis in the “time and talent” area of their choosing (i.e. nursery, greeting, ushering, multimedia, sound booth, etc.).
  • Participation in required activities outside class (i.e. Trunk or Treat, Easter Egg Hunt, Confirmation Lock-In, leading Advent service, leading Lenten service, etc.)
  • Help and support for those of you who desire to have a significant impact in the lives of your children.
  • Two (2) confirmation retreats: Youth Quake (in January), and Lutheridge (in June).

How will we do this????

By God’s grace, and with your help!

Confirmation Requirements

  1. Parental Involvement and Support

When the Lord gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He also had Moses pass on the message to his people. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

You are the primary catalyst in your child’s faith development. Ben Freudenburg states in his book The Family Friendly Church, “Parents are the primary Christian educators in the church, and the family is the God-ordained institution for building faith in young people and for passing faith on from one generation to the next.” In other words, you are your child’s primary Confirmation instructor! And we are here to support you in that role. Here are some key things you can do to encourage and assist your child:

  • Bring them to church, Sunday School, and Confirmation class.
  • Assist them with their class work.
  • Ask about the things they are learning.
  • Pray for your child, and the Confirmation leaders: that their time together is fruitful.
  • Pray for your child’s continued spiritual growth in Christ Jesus.
  • Pray with your child.
  1. Faithful Attendance

Regular attendance is expected for Sunday worship, Sunday School, and all class sessions. Assembling together as the Body of Christ is crucial as the writer to the Hebrews states, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” And as parents and leaders we have the responsibility to be faithful models of this for our children as well.

If as student is sick or unable to attend a class, a phone call or email should be made to Suzy Baldwin. Please email only if it is at least one day prior to the class missed. If it is the same day, please call or text Suzy Baldwin (901-870-7495). If you have sports, dance, music, etc. at the same time as scheduled Confirmation classes, please talk to your coach/teacher and work out a schedule. Most will be understanding and supportive of you attending Confirmation instruction. Please note that any missed work will need to be made up.

If school is not in session or cancelled due to weather, then classes are automatically cancelled for confirmation as well. Cancellations made will be posted on the SLY website at slymemphis.org.

  1. “Time and Talents” Program

It is important to share our time and talents with our church body, and this year we have added this as a confirmation requirement. Each student must choose one area of church where they will be regularly scheduled as good steward. Following is a list of all the areas in which they are able to serve:

  • Ushers
  • Greeters
  • Sound booth
  • Multimedia
  • Nursery
  • Fellowship

Every month a schedule is distributed by the church office so you will know with plenty of notice what dates your student is scheduled to serve. It is our prayer that we teach these students the benefits of sharing of our talents with others and that they would continue this after their Confirmation.

  1. Confirmation Retreats and Activities

We will have two retreats each year – one in January (Youth Quake), and one in June (Lutheridge). Confirmation retreats are a mandatory part of the curriculum. Your child is required to attend each retreat at least once in order to satisfy the confirmation requirements. Please make attendance a priority. If your child is not able to attend a retreat, make-up work may have to be done in place of retreat attendance. The cost for Youth Quake will be $150 and the cost for Lutheridge will be $200. Please let us know if cost is an issue for any reason. No child will be turned away if they are unable to pay.

We will have events throughout the year in which participation from the confirmation class will be mandatory. For example, the class will help lead the games for Trunk or Treat, as well as the Easter Egg Hunt. Additionally, the confirmation class will lead one service during the Advent season, and one during the Lenten season.

Other Important Information

Curriculum

Each new confirmation student will be provided with a Student’s Life Application Study Bible, Luther’s Small Catechism, and 3 re:form “Anti-Workbooks” (Old Testament, Lutheran Traditions, and classic re:form). Students will be assessed a materials fee to cover the cost of these items. The materials fee for this year is $30/student. Please makes checks out to St. Luke Lutheran Church and in the memo line please indicate “Confirmation fee.”

Looking at the lesson plans provided, as you can the confirmation years are split up into “Year A” and “Year B.” During These plans will alternate every other year.

During “Year A” students will study the following curriculum:

  • Old Testament
  • Lutheran Traditions
  • Life Questions A

During “Year B” students will study the following curriculum:

  • New Testament
  • Lutheran Traditions
  • Life Questions B

Discipline Policy

Order in the classroom is very important to us. If students cannot control themselves in the classroom, then learning is disrupted for everyone. If necessary, teachers may seek the help of the parents in enforcing proper discipline in class.

We have a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying. Students will not be allowed to mock, insult, name-call, or pick on one another.

If students are acting contrary to the conduct expected by the teacher, they will be given a warning. If they still deliberately persist in disruptive conduct they’ll be asked to leave the class. They will then have to make arrangements with their teacher to make up the work that they missed, and a parent will be notified.

Each teacher will establish their own policy in dealing with assignments that are not completed at the time they are due.

Mid SLY

Mid SLY activities and All SLY activities are fun events for this age group. These events will include opportunities for the students to be together in various fun settings (i.e. bowling, laser tag, Super Bowl party, etc.). This is a great way to build relationships, and strengthen the bonds of fellowship. Attendance is strongly encouraged as building a community of faith is an integral part of our program. Parent chaperones, drives, and refreshment makers are always greatly appreciated. Please see Suzy Baldwin if you are willing to help (901-870-7495).

Teacher Contact Information

If you need to contact a teacher you may reach them through the church office, or via email.

  • Church Office: 901-756-8850
  • Pastor Cliff Bahlinger
  • 901-268-7078 (cell)
  • 901-737-2202 (home)
  • Suzy Baldwin, Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministires
  • 901-870-7495 (cell)