1. You are a (1)_76%_Mother (2)_22%_Father (3)_0% Step-Mother (4)_.5%_Step-Father

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1 WHAT S HAPPENING IN YOUTH CONFIRMATION? Parents of Confirmands Again, thank you very much for participating in this study of youth confirmation in The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Your responses will add a great deal to the understanding of this important ministry. About You (Please check only one item in each question.) 1. You are a (1)_76%_Mother (2)_22%_Father (3)_0% Step-Mother (4)_.5%_Step-Father (5)_.5%_Guardian (6)_1% Relative 2. The number of children in your family is (1)_11%_1 (2)_40%_2 (3)_26%_3 (4)_16%_4 (5)_8%_5 or more (Please specify) 3. Your age group is? (1)_2%_Younger than age 30 (2)_4%_31-35 (3)_16%_36-40 (4)_38%_41-45 (5)_27%_46-50 (6)_10%_51-55 (7)_2%_56-60 (8)_0% (9)_.5% You consider yourself to be (1)_96%_White (Caucasian) (2)_1% Black (3)_2% Hispanic or Latino (4) _1% Asian (5)_.5% Another ethnic group (Please specify) 5. The population of the community in which you live is (1)_16%_Rural (under 1,000) (2)_31%_A town (1,001 to 10,000) (3)_21%_A small city (10,001 to 50,000) (4)_12%_A medium-sized city (50, ,000) (5)_2% Suburb of a medium-sized city (6)_4% A large city (250,001 to 1 million) (7)_8% Suburb of a large city (8)_1% A metropolis (more than 1 million) (9)_5% Suburb of a metropolis 6. The average weekly worship attendance of your congregation is about (1)_30%_100 or less 2)_34%_Between 101 and 200 (3)_31%_Between 201 and 400 (4)_5% Between 401 and 600 (5)_.5%_Between 601 and 800 (6)_0% Between 801 and 1,000 (7)_0% Between 1,001 and 1,500 (8)_0% More than 1,500 About Youth Confirmation (Please check only one item in each question.) 7. Your son or daughter is enrolled in which year of confirmation classes? (1)_17%_lst year (2)_47%_2 nd year (3)_7% 3 rd year (4)_6% 4 th year (5)_24%_Other (Please specify) 8. Your daughter or son will attend confirmation classes for how many years? (1)_4% One (2)_71%_Two (3)_13%_Three (4)_12%_Four or more (Please specify) 9. In your congregation, the rite of confirmation ordinarily occurs when young people are in grade (1)_.5%_Five (2)_6% Six (3)_14%_Seven (4)_72%_Eight (5)_6% Nine (6)_1% Other(Please specify) 10. If you had a choice, ideally youth confirmation classes would meet for how many years? (1)_10%_One (2)_70%_Two (3)_14%_Three (4)_6% Four or more (Please specify) 11. In your congregation, confirmation classes meet (1)_23%_After school (2)_10% Evenings (3)_43%_Sunday mornings (4)_4%_Saturdays (5)_16%_During the day in a Lutheran school (6)_3% Other (added) 1

2 12. If the choice were yours, youth confirmation classes ideally would meet on (1)_23%_After school (2)_11%_Evenings (3)_30%_Sunday mornings (4)_6% Saturdays (5)_25%_During the day in a Lutheran school (6)_4% Other (added) 13. For you, finding time in your family s weekly schedule for confirmation classes is (1)_67%_Easy (2)_27%_Challenging (3)_5% Difficult (4)_.5%_Very difficult 14. For your son or daughter, finding time for confirmation events each week is (1)_64%_Easy (2)_28%_Challenging (3)_7% Difficult (4)_.5%_Very Difficult 15. For you, how important is youth confirmation for your daughter or son? (1)_87%_Very important (2)_12%_Important (3)_1% Somewhat important (4)_.5%_Not important 16. As you see it, what is the level of your son s or daughter s interest in youth confirmation? (1)_29%_High (2)_59%_Moderate (3)_12%_Low (4)_.5%_I m not sure 17. In your view, how much help can adult mentors who meet regularly with confirmands provide? (1)_48%_A great deal of help (2)_37%_Some help (3)_5% Little help (4)_11%_I m not sure 18. What is the level of the support of your congregation for a strong youth confirmation ministry? (1)_39%_High (2)_37%_Moderate (3)_16%_Low (4)_9% I m not sure 19. What is the level of your satisfaction with the current confirmation ministry? (1)_52%_High (2)_33%_Moderate (3)_14%_Low (4)_2% No opinion What are two sources of your satisfaction with the confirmation experiences of your daughter or son? What are two possible frustrations with the confirmation experiences of your son or daughter? When thinking about youth confirmation, what are two questions which you have? In your perspective, what are two changes in confirmation ministry that are needed? Parent Involvement in Youth Confirmation 28. Is participation by parents of confirmands in classes or meetings required? (1)_14%_Yes, required (2)_22%_A parent is strongly encouraged to participate (3)_15%_Parent participation is an option (4)_50%_There is no requirement 29. If parents are involved in confirmation ministry, how do you feel about being involved? (1)_37%_Very positive (2)_56%_Positive (3)_7% Negative (4)_.5%_Very negative 2

3 30. If parents are involved in youth confirmation, how are parents involved? (Please check only one item) (1)_14%_Parents attend a parent class (The number of sessions is? ) (2)_3%_Parents attend all confirmation classes with their youth (3)_14%_Parents attend confirmation events with their youth at various times (4)_1% Parents attend a class for parents while youth are in their own classes (5)_10%_Parents are given resources to use at home with their youth (6)_1% Parents are given resources to read (7)_2% Parents serve as mentors of small group (8)_24%_Parents provide support such as transportation (9)_11%_Other kinds of involvement (Please specify) (10)_21%_Parents are not involved 31. What is the attitude of most parents about their involvement in youth confirmation? (1)_16%_Very positive (2)_56%_Positive (3)_8% Negative (4)_20%_Very negative What are two reasons for parents to be enthusiastic about their involvement in youth confirmation? What are two possible frustrations of parents who are involved in youth confirmation? How available to you are resources for parents of confirmands to help youth grow in faith? (1)_23%_Very available (2)_46%_Available (3)_24%_Somewhat available (4)_7% Not available What are two suggestions for a publisher to produce resources for parents to nurture a confirmand s faith? As a parent, what is the level of support you are receiving from your congregation in nurturing the faith and life of your son(s) or daughter(s)? (1)_33%_High (2)_45%_Moderate (3)_16%_Low (4)_5% No support 40. In your perspective, who has the greatest impact in the growth of your son s or daughter s faith? (1)_21%_A pastor (2)_73%_A parent (3)_3% A teacher (4)_1% A congregation (5)_2% Friends About Youth Groups (Please check only one item in each question.) 41. Is there an organized youth group for confirmands during confirmation classes? (1)_68%_Yes (2)_16%_No (3)_16%_No; I wish there were 42. Is there an organized youth group after the rite of confirmation? (1)_78%_Yes (2)_10%_No (3)_12%_No; I wish there were 43. If there is a youth group after the confirmation rite, how active is the group? (1)_24%_Very active (2)_51%_Active (3)_13%_Somewhat active (4)_12%_Not active 44. The youth group in your congregation is led by (1)_11%_A pastor (2)_22%_A DCE (3)_4% A Lutheran teacher (4)_49%_Layperson(s) (5)_15%_No one 3

4 45. How important to you is your daughter s or son s involvement in a church youth group? (1)_43%_Very important (2)_35%_Important (3)_16%_Somewhat important (4)_6% Not important 46. At this time, what is the level of your satisfaction with the youth ministry of your congregation? (1)_23%_High (2)_36%_Moderate (3)_33%_Low level of satisfaction (4)_8% No opinion 47. In your view, how important is an organized family ministry that is directed by a qualified person? (1)_38%_Very important (2)_41%_Important (3)_18%_Somewhat important (4)_3% Not important Youth Confirmation Topics (Please check only one item in each question.) In your perspective, how important is each of the following topics in youth confirmation? Very Somewhat Not Important Important Important Important 48. The Ten Commandments (1)_89%_ (2)_11% (3)_.5% (4)_0% 49. The Apostles Creed (1)_83%_ (2)_16% (3)_1% (4)_.5% 50. The Lord s Prayer (1)_88%_ (2)_11% (3)_1% (4)_.5% 51. Holy Baptism (1)_88%_ (2)_12% (3)_.5% (4)_.5% 52. Holy Communion (1)_90%_ (2)_9% (3)_0% (4)_.5% 53. Confession of Sins and Absolution (1)_79%_ (2)_16% (3)_4% (4)_.5% 54. Biblical foundations of the Six Chief Parts (1)_55%_ (2)_32% (3)_12% (4)_1% 55 People, events, teachings of The Bible (1)_56%_ (2)_37% (3)_7% (4)_.5%_ 56. Practice of daily prayer and meditation (1)_68%_ (2)_27% (3) 4% (4)_1% 57. Worship, liturgies, hymns, songs (1)_40%_ (2)_41% (3)_18%_ (4)_2% 58. A Christian s vocation (1)_84%_ (2)_14% (3)_1% (4)_.5% 59. Making moral decisions (1)_84%_ (2)_14% (3)_2% (4)_.5% 60. Sharing one s faith with others (1)_59%_ (2)_33% (3)_8% (4)_1% 61. One s role in the church s mission (1)_47%_ (2)_41% (3)_10%_ (4)_1% 62. Ethical issues related to human life (1)_60%_ (2)_26% (3)_12%_ (4)_3% 63. Illegal drugs and drinking (1)_53%_ (2)_25% (3)_16%_ (4)_7% 64. Dating, marriage, and family (1)_58%_ (2)_27% (3)_11%_ (4)_4% 65. The supernatural world, such as astrology (1)_25%_ (2)_26% (3)_20%_ (4)_30%_ About Luther s Small Catechism 66. For you, how important is a clear grasp of Luther s Small Catechism as a goal of youth confirmation? (1)_51%_Very important (2)_40%_Important (3)_9% Somewhat important (4)_.5%_Not important 67. What is the level of your daughter s or son s interest in Luther s Small Catechism? (1)_11%_High (2)_63%_Moderate (3)_22%_Low (4)_5% I m not sure 68. As you see it, how relevant is Luther s Small Catechism to the daily life of your daughter or son? (1)_30%_Very relevant (2)_55%_Somewhat relevant (3)_8% Not relevant (4)_6% I m not sure 69. Is Luther s Small Catechism used for personal prayers by your son or daughter? (1)_2% Often (2)_16%_At various times (3)_26%_On a few occasions (4)_55%_Not that I know of 70. Is Luther s Small Catechism used for prayers in your family? (1)_4% Often (2)_12%_At various times (3)_25%_On a few occasions (4)_60%_Not for prayers 4

5 71. How important to you is your son s or daughter s memorizing the Six Chief Parts of Luther s Small Catechism with the What does this mean? parts? (1)_26%_Very important (2)_33%_Important (3)_31%_Somewhat important (4)_10%_Not important 72. How important to you is your son s or daughter s memorizing the Six Chief Parts of Luther s Small Catechism without the What does this mean? parts? (1)_20%_Very important (2)_33%_Important (3)_34%_Somewhat important (4)_12%_Not important Goals of Youth Confirmation (Please check only one item in each question.) Many goals for youth confirmation have been proposed. How do you rate the importance of each of the following possible goals? Very Somewhat Not Important Important Important Important 73. Make a public confession of faith (1)_57%_ (2)_26% (3)_12%_ (4)_6% 74. Renew one s baptismal covenant (1)_50%_ (2)_31% (3)_11%_ (4)_9% 75. Prepare to receive Holy Communion (1)_84%_ (2)_13% (3)_2% (4)_1% 76. Receive the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands (1)_31%_ (2)_29% (3)_16%_ (4)_25%_ 77. Help one to grow in faith (1)_82%_ (2)_17% (3)_1% (4)_.5% 78. Affirm Scripture as source and norm of faith (1)_58%_ (2)_34% (3)_7% (4)_1% 79. Declare one s intent to live as a disciple (1)_43%_ (2)_41% (3)_13%_ (4)_3% 80. Demonstrate a knowledge of Luther s Small Catechism (1)_26%_ (2)_46% (3)_22%_ (4)_6% 81. Discuss what being a Lutheran means (1)_36%_ (2)_42% (3)_19%_ (4)_2% 82. Become a fuller member of the church (1)_45%_ (2)_44% (3)_10%_ (4)_2% 83. Live daily in the light of one s baptism (1)_56%_ (2)_35% (3)_8% (4)_.5%_ 84. Commit to the mission of the church (1)_32%_ (2)_47% (3)_18%_ (4)_3% 85. Worship and commune faithfully (1)_72%_ (2)_24% (3)_4% (4)_.5%_ 86. Welcome one as a communing member (1)_53%_ (2)_38% (3)_9% (4)_.5%_ 87. Strengthen one s relationship with a pastor and other called church workers (1)_35%_ (2)_45% (3)_17%_ (4)_4% 88. Identify one s gifts for service (1)_27%_ (2)_50% (3)_19%_ (4)_4% 89. Share one s faith in daily life (1)_43%_ (2)_37% (3)_18%_ (4)_2% 90. Make moral decisions based on Scripture (1)_65%_ (2)_29% (3)_6% (4)_.5%_ 91. Describe biblical views of marriage and family (1)_45%_ (2)_37% (3)_15%_ (4)_2% 92. Engage in serving church and community (1)_48%_ (2)_37% (3)_14%_ (4)_1% Service Projects 93. Are confirmands involved in service projects within your congregation or in the larger community? (1)_35%_Youth are involved (2)_27%_Service projects are an option (3)_38%_Service projects are not offered 94. In your view, how important are service projects in a youth confirmation ministry? (1)_30%_Very important (2)_38%_Important (3)_27%_Somewhat important (4)_4%_Not important 95. As you see it, what is the level of your daughter s or son s interest in service projects? (1)_22%_High (2)_49%_Moderate (3)_19%_Low (4)_11%_I m not sure 5

6 The Internet (Please check only one item in each question.) 96. At home, does son or daughter have access to the Internet and the World Wide Web? (1)_40%_At all times (2)_48%_At certain times (3)_5% With parent permission (4)_7% No, not available 97. At home, how often does your confirmand use the Internet to do homework for school? (1)_16%_At least once a day (2)_56%_A few times a week (3)_19%_Once a month (4)_8% Never 98. Do you contact your congregation through its web site? (1)_7% Often (2)_26%_Sometimes (3)_48%_Never (4)_20%_No, our church does not have a web site 99. Is the use of the Internet by confirmands as part of youth confirmation a good idea? (1)_17%_A good idea (2)_41%_Maybe a good idea (3)_18%_Not a good idea (4)_24%_I m not sure How a Family Can Help Young People Grow in Faith (Please check only one item in each question) When thinking about family activities that can help young people grow in faith, how important is? Very Somewhat Not Important Important Important Important 100. Personal prayer by family members (1)_69%_ (2)_28%_ (3)_3% (4)_1% 101. Prayer by a family as a group (1)_55%_ (2)_33%_ (3)_10%_ (4)_2% 102. Celebrating special days as birthdays (1)_59%_ (2)_33%_ (3)_6% (4)_3% 103. Celebrating Christmas and Easter (1)_85%_ (2)_15%_ (3)_.5%_ (4)_0% 104. Observing other special days of the church year such as Epiphany and Ash Wednesday (1)_51%_ (2)_41%_ (3)_7% (4)_1% 105. Serving in one s congregation (1)_57%_ (2)_38%_ (3)_4% (4)_1% 106. Family Bible reading (1)_37%_ (2)_42%_ (3)_16%_ (4)_5% 107. Sharing one s faith when there is opportunity (1)_54%_ (2)_36%_ (3)_8% (4)_2% 108. Connecting topics such as the value of human life to the Christian faith in conversations (1)_54%_ (2)_33%_ (3)_11%_ (4)_2% 109. Participating as a family in service projects (1)_37%_ (2)_44%_ (3)_16%_ (4)_3% 110. Reaching out to friends and neighbors not connected to Christ or the church (1)_45%_ (2)_41%_ (3)_12%_ (4)_3% 111. Singing as a family (1)_17%_ (2)_24%_ (3)_31%_ (4)_28%_ After the Rite of Confirmation 112. In your congregation, how strong is the belief that after the rite of confirmation, one graduates from Christian education events? (1)_14%_Very strong (2)_33%_Strong (3)_31%_Not strong (4)_23%_No one believes this 113. After the rite of confirmation, how active in the congregation do you expect your daughter or son to be? (1)_30%_More active (2)_61%_Active at the same level as now (3)_6% Less active (4)_3% I m not sure 114. For you, how important is your daughter s or son s active involvement in the church after the rite of confirmation? (1)_54%_Very important (2)_42%_Important (3)_4%_Somewhat important (4)_.5% Not important 115. For you, how important is it for your son or daughter to have close friends who are Christian? (1)_76%_Very important (2)_19%_Important (3)_4% Somewhat important (4)_0% Not important 6

7 116. As you see it, how much influence do media such as the Internet, television, movies, and music have on what your son or daughter thinks about and believes? (1)_32%_A great deal of influence (2)_48%_Some influence (3)_20%_Not much influence (4)_0% I m not sure 117. In your perspective, how well is your son or daughter coping with anti-christian message of the media? (1)_52%_Very well (2)_35%_To some extent (3)_2% Not at all (4)_12%_I m not sure 118. How much interest has your son or daughter shown in topics and objects related to the supernatural world, such as speaking with the dead or reading one s horoscope? (1)_1% A high level of interest (2)_8% Some interest (3)_88%_Little interest (4)_3% I m not sure 119. As a parent, how important is your son s or daughter s development of a biblical worldview? (1)_39%_Very important (2)_46%_Important (3)_14%_Somewhat important (4)_2% Not important 120. As a parent, how much of a challenge do you see your son s or daughter s continuing growth in faith to be? (1)_11%_A big challenge (2)_55%_Somewhat of a challenge (3)_32%_Not a challenge (4)_2%_I m not sure 121. At this time, how clear is your daughter or son about what he or she wants to do in life? (1)_7% Very clear (2)_42%_Somewhat clear (3)_48%_Not very clear (4)_2% I m not sure 122. Has your daughter or son mentioned any interest in being a full-time worker in the church such as a DCE, teacher, pastor, or youth minister? (1)_2% Many times (2)_2% Several times (3)_12%_A few times (4)_84%_None that I know of Faith Activities and Beliefs (Please check only one item in each question.) 123. What kind of music do you prefer to sing in a worship service? (1)_31%_Hymns in a hymnal (2)_14%_Contemporary Christian songs (3)_49%_A combination of hymns and contemporary songs (4)_6% I have no preference 124. What kind of worship service do you prefer? (1)_42%_Traditional, liturgical worship (2)_43%_A contemporary service and songs (3)_12%_A blending of traditional and contemporary worship (4)_3% I m not sure what I prefer 125. During a typical day or week, I normally pray (1)_34%_Several times a day (2)_48%_1 or 2 times a day (3)_16%_1 or 2 times a week (4)_2% Hardly ever 126. During a month, the number of times that I worship with a congregation is (1)_85%_3-4 times (2)_13%_1-2 times (3)_2% Once every 2-3 months (4)_.5% Hardly ever 127. During a month, the number of times that I am in a Bible class is (1)_30%_3-4 times (2)_15%_1-2 times (3)_7% Once every 2-3 months (4)_48%_Hardly ever 128. During a typical week, the number of times that I read the Bible is (1)_13%_5-6 times (2)_11%_3-4 times (3)_32%_1-2 times (4)_45%_Hardly ever 129. In your view, how much difference does faith in Jesus Christ make in one s daily life? (1)_95%_A great deal (2)_4% Some difference (3)_.5%_Not much difference (4)_0% No difference 130. Although there are many religions in the world, most of them lead to the same God. (1)_8% I strongly agree (2)_26%_I agree (3)_26%_I disagree (4)_40%_I strongly disagree 7

8 131. When I think about God, I believe that God (1)_.5%_Created the world but is not involved in the world today. (2)_99%_Created the world and is active in people s lives and in the world today. (3)_1% Is a cosmic force in the universe which we do not understand. (4)_0% Is largely unknown When I think about the universe and planet earth, I believe that (1)_88%God is the Creator of the first people and creatures as described in Genesis. (2)_12%God began life which then evolved through millions of years. (3)_.5%_Life on planet earth began by chance. (4)_0% No one knows how life on this planet began When it comes to God, (1)_81%I feel very close to Him; I know that God loves me (2)_18%I feel pretty good about God, though I sometimes feel distant (3)_1%_Often, I feel distant form God and am not sure about Him (4)_.5%_I m not sure there really is a God 134. I believe that the devil or Satan is a (1)_81%Living creature active in our world (3)_14%Symbol of evil but not a living creature (2)_1% Real creature in the Bible but not today (4)_4% I m not sure what I think about the devil 135. When one makes confession of sins to a pastor, a pastor is called to (1)_3% Offer sympathy for one s mistakes (2)_3% Express hope that one will do better (3)_17%_Give instruction on what to do (4)_78%_Forgive one s sins 136. I trust that God s gift of eternal life is mine through (1)_12%_Obeying God s commandments as much as I can (3) 2% My good works which please God (2)_2% Living as a faithful member of the church (4)_84%_Faith in Christ s death and resurrection 137. What moves one to confess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord is that He (1)_5% Was born as the son of Mary (2)_2% Performed miracles (3)_86%_Was raised from the dead (4)_8% Was a great teacher 138. Babies are baptized because (1) _0%_They need a name (2)_.5%_Their families need to celebrate (3)_99%_They need forgiveness of sins (4)_0% They need to be introduced to others 139. Although there are many religions in the world, most of them lead to the same God. (1)_7% I strongly agree (2)_24%_I agree (3)_29%_I disagree (4)_40%_I strongly disagree 140. In Holy Communion, one receives (1)_18%_Bread and wine as symbols of Christ s presence (2)_46%_Christ s Body and Blood and bread and wine (3)_35%_Christ s body and blood which replace bread and wine (4)_1% I m not sure 141. In order to be saved and have eternal life, I must obey God s rules and commandments. (1)_19%_I strongly agree (2)_25%_I agree (3)_25%_I disagree (4)_32%_I strongly disagree 142. Agree or disagree? For most Lutherans, youth confirmation is the most important Christian education experience in their lives. (1)_42%_I agree totally (2)_48%_I agree to some extent (3)_8% I disagree (4)_2% I disagree totally Thank you! Your responses add much to understanding parent roles in youth confirmation ministry! 8

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