Confirmation

The heartbeat of Confirmation at FCC is the relationship that develops between a student and his or her mentor. Students and mentors develop a close relationship as they walk together through the confirmation process. That's right. It's a process, an experience, a step on the journey, rather than a class from which you graduate.

Our Confirmation ministry exists to help students deepen their faith as they explore the basic beliefs of the Christian faith and become members of FCC. Our desire is for every teenager at FCC to go through Confirmation before graduation.

Our Curriculum

Students and their mentors work together through a workbook called Making Disciples, designed to teach and stimulate thinking and discussion about the basic components of the Christian faith. They do hands-on projects together. They read the Bible together. They pray together. And in the process, their faith grows. Confirmation is as rich an experience for the mentors as it is for the students.

Workbook topics include a "Get Acquainted" session, followed by sessions on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Worship, the Bible, Saints and Spiritual Gifts, Ministry, Baptism, Spiritual Life, Death and Resurrection, Life in the Church, and "The Faith Journey Continues." Students and mentors also read the book of Luke and do an associated journal, do a prayer journal together, and several other active learning projects.

In addition to meeting together at least twice a month as pairs, students and mentors attend a monthly group meeting for teaching related to what they have been covering in the workbook. They meet on the third Tuesday of the month January - May and September - December. The topics covered in these meetings are ...

God: The Doctrine of the Father
Jesus: The Doctrine of Christ
The Doctrines of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity
The Bible: The Doctrine of Scripture
Worship: Bringing Glory to God
The Church and Ministry
A brief introduction to First Congregational Church

Special Events

Kickoff and Get Acquainted night. The opening night doubles as the January group meeting. On this night we enjoy a meal together; we introduce mentors and students to each other; we go over the confirmation process; and we provide opportunity for mentors, students, and families to get acquainted.
Mentor Statements of Faith. This event doubles as the group meeting for May. After enjoying a potluck dinner, the mentors give their own statements of faith.
Student Statements of Faith. On the Wednesday before confirmation weekend, during our Wednesday night activities, the students share their statements of faith with the congregation.
Confirmation Interviews. At the end of the confirmation process, each student goes through a 15-minute interview with one of the pastors. This gives us an opportunity to see for ourselves how effective confirmation is in the life of each student.

What we expect of students

Regular attendance at both worship and youth group.
Attendance at youth activities. Financial assistance is available for those who need it.
Make confirmation events a priority. Confirmation should receive precedence over athletic, musical, and other events. Attendance at all confirmation events is expected.
Meet at least twice a month with their mentor.
Attendance at the monthly meetings. There are no meetings in June, July, and August.

What we expect of parents

Regular attendance at worship.
Assisting the student in making confirmation a priority.
Take the Alpha Course if you have not yet done so.
For parents who have already taken the Alpha Course, we strongly recommend that they get involved in a small group Bible study or ministry team within the church.

What we expect of mentors

Most people think that to be a mentor, you have to be a young, "cool" person with an unusual sense of humor. This couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, good confirmation mentors have hearts to love Christ and their student, ears to listen to Christ and their student, and hands open to being the hands of Jesus in the life of their student. Good mentors don't want to "fix" their student, they want to gently lead their student into a deeper walk with Christ within the context of a cooperative journey.

Must be a member of FCC
Become familiar with the confirmation process at FCC
Fill out an application form
Agree to a background check
Attend a mentor training session
Commit to sticking with the confirmation process for one calendar year