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Welcome to confirmation! We are glad you will be joining us this year; because you and Jesus are there, it will be fun!
Confirmation is a great Lutheran tradition that has it's roots in the Bible. It fulfills the promises made by your parents when you were baptized, to place in YOUR hands the Holy Scriptures, and to teach you the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. Helping your parents fulfill these promises is something we will all do together as your church family.
The areas of emphasis for our three year program of study are based on the Holy Trinity. Think about this:
"Because Christ is Risen, I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."
- 6th graders focus on God the Father and the influence of God throughout human history. They study the Old Testament and learn the Ten Commandments.
- 7th graders focus on God the Son, the history presented in the synoptic gospels, and the Christology presented in the Gospel according to Saint John. They learn the Lord's Prayer.
- 8th graders focus on God the Holy Spirit, study the practices of the Apostles, the Epistles, the Revelation, and the mission of the church throughout the world. They learn the Apostle's Creed and prepare to publicly affirm their baptism on Pentecost.
Here are the educators who comprise the Resurrection Lutheran confirmation faculty, and just a little bit about their background:
+ 6th Grade: Kelli Slunt, Professor of Chemistry, University of Mary Washington
+ 7th Grade: Dave Fronk, an economic consultant with an M.A. in religious studies
+ 8th Grade: Eric Carlson, Retired Director of Operations, Marine Corps University
+ All Grades: Denise Guest, Dean of Professional and Technical Studies, Germanna College
Here's some useful information about confirmation:
- We meet on Sundays from 9:45 - 10:45 AM at Church. Our first session starts Sunday September 15th. We'll meet in large-group (all three grades) in the Sanctuary for the first two sessions. After that, large-group will meet in the conference room for the first 15 minutes to study a piece of the catechism as guided by Eric, then break into small groups by grade for the remaining 45 minutes.
- The schedule and curriculum are posted to the RLC website Resources Page. This year's curriculum includes maps and a pretty cool theological glossary. There are readings assigned for each week that you can study at home with your family too!
- Bring your Bible and your copy of Luther's Small Catechism to each session. If you're just starting confirmation and don't yet have a Bible, talk to your parents about getting one. We recommend a "study" bible that has helpful notes in it. We'll discuss more about Bibles at the first session. If your family can not provide you a Bible, no worries, the church will provide you with one! Just let Pastor Carol or Eric know.
- We also recommend a great on-line resource for sacred studies available on the internet and as an iPhone or iPad app: www.blueletterbible.org
- Please make a point to be at confirmation every week. If you can't find transportation, let one of us know and we'll work out something! If you do miss a session for whatever reason, no worries! We'll all miss a few sessions due to other commitments. Just let your small group leader know, read the lessons assigned for that day, and ask any questions you might have at the next session.
We'll send out the RLC Confirmation News! e-mails from time to time. Let your small group
 leader know if there's something you'd like to share by e-mail.
OK...here's a fun challenge for our first session on Sunday Sep 15th:
Who is this Lutheran pictured here, when and where did she live, and how did she bear witness and service in the name of Jesus?
PS: If you know anyone else who would like to join you for confirmation, please pass this on to them as an invitation!
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