My First Confirmation!

I am a pastor and I have never been Confirmed. So, I was kind of concerned that I would get all of this right. The experience. The history. The theology. The tradition. The liturgy. I jumped into the deep end, and it was glorious.

Leading students on the path to Confirmation, I learned a LOT, and it was all good. On Pentecost, June 8th, Izzy and Dylan, became my first confirmands. They were a terrific first class for me. And if you were wondering, yes, they have some great stories on me. They have suffered under my tutelage as I geeked-out on religious stuff to the point of forgetting their names. 

Dylan, Pastor Kim, and Izzy on the front steps of Immanuel UCC Wright City MO

As it would turn out, this traditional teenage Confirmation class was not my only class. When Confirmation classes were forming last year, some adults had an interest in Confirmation. For a variety of reasons they were not confirmed as a teen, or even attended a United Church of Christ during their youth. They  desired the learnings and experiences of being Confirmed in their Christian faith. In ministry I have learned that when the Holy Spirit moves in new ways, it is best to pay attention to what is rising among us. With feedback from UCC minister-friends and leaders I formed a track for our adults called Affirmation. 

So, here’s the differences between the Confirmation and Affirmation classes.

Christian Confirmation has a long history, reaching back to the early churches of Christianity, as a traditional path of growing into Christian belief for all ages. At Immanuel the traditional Confirmation path is for students in their teen years. Immanuel's teens are often baptized as infants. For those baptized as infants, Confirmation becomes a rite of passage for public confession of their Christian faith, taking ownership of their infant baptism. If students were not baptized as infants, they are baptized into the Christian faith before their Confirmation ceremony. 

Confirmation is both a process and an event. As a process, it is a formal occasion to study basic Christian education for a set time, so that students are equipped to make their own faith decisions. In our case, the Confirmation path was one year of learning. During this past year, Izzy and Dylan learned the books of the Bible, explored the meaning of baptism, and took ownership of their faith to live as a disciple of Jesus. Karen Cox, Christian Education leader at Immanuel, shared the teaching load of our class. We met with Jackie Niermann, our church historian, and learned the long history of the German Evangelicals and the Evangelical and Reformed traditions in Immanuel’s roots. We dove into the history and theology of Christianity’s creeds of belief that go back to the Early Church era. With guidance, students chose a life verse to guide them, and they shared a short reflection on their life verse during the Confirmation ceremony. It was a sacred moment as a pastor to lay hands on each confirmand’s head, praying for the infilling of the Holy Spirit to strengthen each one as they rise to go and live into God’s mission of radical, holy love for all. With the Confirmation complete, students received their first communion and were welcomed into Immanuel’s membership.

First Communion for Dylan and Izzy at the conclusion of their Confirmation ceremony.

In the case of Affirmation, adults have been baptized, currently share in holy communion, and may or may not be church members at Immanuel. They simply desire to experience Christian Education classes and be formally affirmed in the Holy Spirit by the pastor’s laying on of hands. In a couple of weeks during the Affirmation ceremony, adult students will also share their life verse, receive the anointing of oil and the minister’s prayer for the infilling of the Holy Spirit to strengthen them to rise and go and live into God’s mission of radical, holy love for all. Affirmation will also serve as church membership for those not already members. On Sunday, June 22nd, during morning worship, Immanuel will hold an Affirmation ceremony for two candidates: Jennifer and Hope. It will be another glorious Sunday!

I have no regrets that I jumped into the deep end.