Confirmation Basics We are excited to welcome all 6/7/8 graders and their parents/ caregivers to our Confirmation Faith Formation Milestone! We use the word “milestone” because Confirmation is just one stop on a lifelong faith journey.
What Confirmation is (and isn’t)? Again, Confirmation is a milestone, it is not a graduation. It’s a celebration of growth and what’s next in a life of faith. Also known as “The Affirmation of Baptism,” basically, it’s also an opportunity for Christians to affirm for themselves in front of their faith community the growth that they have made in the promises that their parents, sponsors, and congregation made for them at their baptism. They are encouraged to take on the faith that was and continues to be gifted to them through God' never-ending grace and love.
Wednesday Night Schedule God’s people have always celebrated the physical and spiritual nourishment of what happens around the Table. We are excited to continue with Wednesday night Dinner Church because weekends are busy. Patterns and rituals, including worshiping as a family, have been hard to reset post-pandemic. Dinner Church offers a different kind of space to build on Trinity’s values of dialog and discussion, room to accommodate our whole bodies, mingling with multiple generations, and a chance to lift our shared joys and challenges as followers of Jesus.
• 4:30-5:15 p.m. Youth Choir (kindergarten through middle school) rehearsal in the Choir Room
• 5:20-6:00 p.m. Faith Lab (faith formation for ages 4 to Grade 5) in the Narthex
• 5:30 p.m. Community meal service begins in the River Room
• 6:15-6:35 p.m. Dinner Church worship for all ages and stages in the River Room
• 6:45-7:45 p.m. Small Groups— Middle School Confirmation, Adult Faith Lab, and FAFA group sessions for elementary ages
Our system is a large-group/ small-group set up, with a large group presentation followed by small group check in and conversation about the topic taught. Each child is placed in a small group of about 6-8 kids with a friend or two and a caring adult leader. We strive for much more than simply instruction—we want kids to learn, of course, but we also want kids to connect with each other in small groups and share the highs and lows in their life. In short, we want our program to be about ministry as much as instruction. The parts of our process:
Learning – We cycle through the basics of the Old and New Testament, Martin Luther and the Small Catechism, Jesus, the hot topics in Christianity and more, depending on the year. We teach to cover all learning styles: art, music, video, skits are all involved to help get our teaching across.
Service – Various times during the year, groups will have the opportunity to gather for a service event or other fun event as a small group or with another small group. If we want a child to learn how to be a servant, we think it best to help them serve! In the past we’ve been part of meal packing, fundraising, mission trip support, and other various events.
Play – In a small group, fun experiences bond you together and allow you to tell good stories about one another. With this closeness comes more honest conversations in small group. Each year groups hold events for fun in which small groups can participate. We also are planning a game night and large group trip to the Stillwater High School musical.
Home – We do believe that parents/caregivers need to be a central part of the adolescent Confirmation journey. We don’t want to run another “drop off” program where parents/caregivers are not called to be a part of the process. Various studies show us that no one is a bigger influence on the faith of a child than a parent. We do realize that planning intentional time to talk about faith and life can be a tough and even uncomfortable proposition. We send out a weekly email with updates on what we are covering at 6/7/8 Confirmation and include questions to help guide some regular caring conversations. We also schedule various “All-In” sessions during the year so parents and caregivers can get together with other adults for practical advice from various professional theological and child development specialists. In short, we don’t want to replace a parent as an influencer of faith for the child. We want to partner together with parents, so kids have the most positive and powerful Confirmation journey possible!
Wednesday, Sept 9: Leader Training
Wednesday, Sept. 16: First Dinner Church and Parent/Youth Welcome
Wednesday, Sept. 23: First regular session of the year
Wednesday, Oct. 21: All In event for Youth and Families “In This Together: Building Emotional Connection That Lasts” with Merri Guggisberg
Friday, Nov. 13: Game Night with Let’s Go! Card games, board games, Pickleball, and Sardines! 7:00-9:30
Wednesday, Dec. 16: Final gathering before Christmas break (off Dec. 23 & 30)
Sunday, December 20: No fuss Christmas program for All Ages between services
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2027: First session back after Christmas break
Sunday, April 4, 2027: Stillwater Musical with Let’s Go and pizza Time TBD
Wednesday, April 28, 2027: Final Confirmation session for the year
Wednesday, May 5, Weather Make Up Day
Sunday, Oct. 31, 2027: Confirmation Day for current 8th graders (more info to come)
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