St. Andrew Lutheran Church Confirmation Handbook 2018 2019
Confirmation Welcome Dear Families, We are so glad you ve chosen to enter into this journey of deepening faith, asking the big questions, and finding your sweet spot in the St. Andrew community. We hope St. Andrew Lutheran Church provides your child a place to contemplate, question, celebrate, and experience all of the amazing and beautiful ways that God loves His children. Thank you for making faith a priority in your home. Confirmation is a time for young people to Connect with peers and trusted adults in ways that support their wellbeing. Confirmation is a time for young people to Grow in Christ, learn about God s love, and to encounter the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is a time for young people to Give of themselves and serve as God s hands and feet in the world. This year, our students will practice Living Out Their Faith in Daily Life through connecting foundational Bible stories to their everyday experiences. With small group ministry at the center of discussion, our confirmation students will explore who God and Jesus really are, discover how the messages from the Old and New Testaments came to fruition in our current day Bible, and determine what relevance these messages have in today s society. It is a great honor to stand alongside your child as we learn about God s Word, our fundamental beliefs in God and Jesus Christ, and our call to action as a serving and faithful community of young people. I pray that we continue to pursue a deepening relationship with God, and that we may build an intentional community of insightful questioning and fruitful discussion together. Blessings to you and your family, Reilly Orner Middle School Ministry Director 952.697.7108 rorner@standrewlu.org 1
2018 2019 Handbook Program Options Wednesday Afternoons 4:00-5:00 PM Confirmation students will gather for Large Group Workshops and Small Group Conversations on Wednesdays, September through May. Students registered for Wednesday Afternoon Confirmation can also register for The Gathering; St. Andrew will provide a bus afterschool from CMS to St. Andrew for an hour of intentional large group bonding, snacks, homework space, and fun activities. There is an additional $40 fee for our The Gathering program to cover transportation and snacks. Wednesday Evenings 6:30-7:45 PM Confirmation students will gather for Large Group Workshops and Small Group Conversations on Wednesdays, September through May. Summer Confirmation Camp June 16-21, 2019 Confirmation Camp students will head to Spirit in the Pines next June for a fun-filled week of Confirmation lessons, cabin small group conversations, and camp fun! While this week will include some camp-favorite activities, it will not be a typical week at Spirit in the Pines. This is a great option for the student who would not be able to attend Wednesday confirmation regularly. Confirmation Camp students are still expected to regularly attend worship, complete worship reports, and service hours. *Confirmation Camp students are welcome to attend a confirmation retreat, but will be charged an additional fee Students with Special Needs Students with special needs are an important part of our church and we will do our best to include and accommodate them within the confirmation ministry. Please contact Reilly Orner to make arrangements for your child. Curriculum Confirmation instruction is taught by St. Andrew s Pastors, Youth Directors, and guest speakers. Year One: The Bible as Word, Belief, and Action Year Two: Respecting our Digital Story, Mind, Body, and Spirit through faith and Luther s Small Catechism Year Three: Living Out My Faith In Daily Life Registration Parents or guardians can register their son and/or daughter online at: standrewlu.org/education/confirmation-7th-9th-graders/ Tuition Confirmation tuition helps cover the cost of curriculum, supplies, retreat costs, administrative assistance, and other programmatic expenses. No student will be excluded from the Confirmation program based on a family s financial ability to pay tuition. To receive a scholarship, please contact Reilly Orner. Wednesday Afternoon or Evenings: $160 (includes attendance at 1 retreat) The Gathering on Wednesdays: $40 (includes transportation and snacks) Confirmation Camp: $485 ($160 deposit due at registration) (includes 1 week at Spirit in the Pines and all confirmation curriculum and administration costs, if your child wants to attend a retreat there will be an additional fee.) 9th Grade: $140 (covers curriculum, robes, stoles, photographer, and retreat) 2
Confirmation 7th & 8th Grade Expectations The confirmation program at St. Andrew Lutheran Church begins as students enter 7th grade and concludes with the Affirmation of Baptism in the fall of 9th grade. Our confirmation program is designed with the hope that your child will find their place in the Church, and we ask that your family supports this process by committing to attend worship with them, discuss faith regularly in your home, and making confirmation a priority within your family. Weekly Participation Students are expected to engage in the conversation while attending weekly meetings or confirmation camp. If a student is unable to attend confirmation one week, we ask that the student text or email Reilly and their group leader to let them know. Worship Attendance Attend church on a regular basis at 9:00, 10:30 AM, or 5:30 PM. During Lent (March 6 April 16), weekly confirmation meetings are suspended for confirmation students to attend Wednesday evening services with their families. Completion of 10 Worship Reports (per year) There are no right or wrong answers here; we re just looking to hear about your worship experience. Worship note sheets can be picked up at the ministry desk, or printed from: standrewlu.org/education/confirmation-7th-9th-graders/ Attend a Confirmation Retreat We ask that you choose one of the three retreat options to attend, this year we ll be exploring world religions. The cost of the retreat is included in your Wednesday afternoon or evening registration tuition. There is an additional cost for confirmation camp students. February 2 in Minneapolis February 15 17 at Spirit in the Pines Camp March 1 3 at Spirit in the Pines Camp Complete 8 Service Hours at Church We re asking each confirmation student to complete 8 hours of service at or through St. Andrew. You can complete your service hours by signing up for one of the many volunteer opportunities at St. Andrew or you can also attend one of the many service events put on by our service ministry. All you have to do is sign-up on one of the many signup genius lists, and show up with a good attitude! We highly encourage you to try a few different types of service, and find something you love to do. You can sign up for service hours on our website. Volunteer opportunites include: Greeting or serving communion at a worship service Helping with Wednesday night meals Helping in Sunday School* Singing in the Spirit Singers Choir* Sorting gifts for the holiday store Being a leader at the Table Worship Service Other opportunites *If you are in a choir or a Sunday School helper, you will need to commit to more than 8 hours of service to fulfill the needs of that ministry program. One-on-One with Pastors During Lent, each 8th grade confirmation student and his/her parents or guardians will meet with one of the pastors to get to know each other and discuss faith as the student gets closer to being confirmed. Times and Dates will be communicated in the confirmation weekly email in the spring. 3
2018 2019 Handbook 9 th Grade Program 9th Grade confirmation is designed to tie a nice bow on what your child has been learning in confirmation over these past 2 years. Each confirmand will create a Faith Statement, select a bible verse, and meet with a St. Andrew pastor. Faith Statements Each confirmand is asked to write a Faith Statement, which is simply putting your faith experience onto paper. Faith Statements are due on September 30th. Prompts can be found on the St. Andrew website here: standrewlu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/faith- Statements-Instructions_2018.pdf and completed Faith Statements can be submitted to the Google Form here: https://goo.gl/forms/lvctk2oj6gburlht2 One-on-Ones with Pastors Each 9th grade confirmation student will spend time talking with one of St. Andrew s pastors. You ll get to know each other a little better and talk about your faith. Conversations will all be scheduled before October 19th. Dates September 5, 7:00 PM: Parent and Youth Orientation September 16, 5:30 8:00 PM: Confirmation Group Meeting September 21 23: 9th Grade retreat at Spirit in the Pines September 30: Faith Statement and Bible Verse Due October 3, 10, 17, 7:45 9:00 PM: WNYG (we ask that all confirmands attend 2 of these 3 High School Wednesday Night Youth Groups) October 7, 5:30 8:00 PM: Confirmation Group Meeting October 25: Confirmation Rehearsal and Cake Reception for Confirmands and parents October 28, 1:00 PM Affirmation of Baptism Service (confirmands will gather at 12:00 PM) Weather Policy For Wednesday Confirmation activities, we will post building closures on our website. For retreats and weekend events, we will make the determination two hours prior to the event and post cancellations on the website, as well as, sending notification by text message. Your family s safety is always our top priority. If you are unable to safely make it to an event, we understand. Communication It is our desire to keep parents and families up to date on everything that is happening in confirmation. To this end, we have a variety of methods for communicating with you. Please never hesitate to ask questions. Email You will receive an email from me every Friday including information on upcoming service opportunities, weekly meetings, and retreats. You will also receive emails from your student s small group guide. Please read your emails, we promise not to bombard you. Text We will ask each group leader to create a GroupMe for their confirmation small group to support each other throughout the week. What is GroupMe? It is a free mobile group messaging app that works on every device. GroupMe makes it easy to stay in touch with the important people in your life. Website standrewlu.org 4
Confirmation Behavior Expectations In order for Confirmation to be a good experience for all youth and small group guides, and for it to be a safe place to be one s self and to explore our faith it is important that we commit to the following We will attend Confirmation regularly. We promise to be fully present, and on time, leaving cell phones, ipods, toys, gossip, and other distractions behind (or turned off!). We commit to doing life together as a family of Christ by welcoming everyone, respecting everyone, fully listening to each other, and leaving room for each other to grow at their own pace. Therefore, we have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and harassment. In the rare case that these expectations are not followed, students will be given a warning. Should the behavior continue, students will have a conversation with a St. Andrew staff member and parents will be contacted as appropriate. In the case of extreme behavior (especially when a child s safety is in danger) the student will be immediately removed from the situation and brought to a staff member. Parents will be notified. If there are persistent behavior challenges with a child for more than two weeks, Reilly Orner and Pastor David Lillejord (St. Andrew s Senior Pastor) will meet with the child. Appropriate action will be taken based on the situation. We promise ourselves, small groups, group guides and families that we will strive for not only our best, but for whatever the best is for the whole group. We will respect ourselves and others by following directions, taking care of the space we use and by participating in all the activities to the best of our ability. Middle School Youth Events 708 Middle School events will be scheduled throughout the year to have fun, build our faith, grow our leadership skills, and deepen friendships! Friends not in confirmation are welcome! Seasonal Get-togethers 708 Winter Dance: January Late Night Lockout: Spring Drama Camp: June Leaders in Training at VBS: June Spirit In The Pines Camp + Other Fun Surprises! 5
2018 2019 Handbook Confirmation Schedule 7 th & 8 th Grade Wednesday Afternoons & Evenings Wednesday Afternoon... 4:00-5:00 PM Wednesday Evening... 6:30 7:45 PM September 12th September 19th September 26th October 3rd October 10th October 24th November 7th November 14th November 28th December 5th December 12th December 19th January 9th January 16th January 23rd January 30th February 6th February 13th February 20th February 27th March 6th April 16th Lent Worship April 17th April 24th May 1st May 8th May 15th Confirmation Camp Schedule: Fellowship #1: Sunday, October 14, 2018, 5:30 8:00 PM Fellowship #2: Sunday, February 10, 2019, 5:30 8:00 PM Fellowship #3: Sunday, May 5, 2019, 5:30 8:00 PM Confirmation Camp: June 16 21, 2019 7 & 8th Grade World Religions Retreats Choose One: February 2 February 15 17 March 1 3 Come to the Table Sundays 5:30 PM Worship at St. Andrew Lent Wednesday Worship Wednesdays 6:30 PM Worship at St. Andrew 6
St. Andrew Lutheran Church 13600 Technology Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952.937.2776 www.standrewlu.org