Confirmation Kicks-off on August 22 at 10:15am
We will kick off the 2nd year with a celebration leading into the annual Church picnic immediately following.
Our 2-year confirmation program is designed to capture kids in their early teen years when they are beginning to face some very tough life choices. Youth entering 6th and 7th grades spend the first year of the program learning more about our church, the UCC denomination, the Bible and what it means to be a Christian. During the second year, they focus on learning more about their beliefs and faith so that they can make choices consistent with their faith commitments when they are faced with tough life issues such as developing a positive self image, handling peer pressure, use of drugs or alcohol, and positive choices about dating and sex.
The Confirmation class meets every Sunday morning from 10:10 – 11am, where a set of team teachers work on lessons from both “My Confirmation” and “Affirming Faith” books. In addition to a requirement to complete 100 hours of service time over the course of the two years, (in their home, in their community, and in their church), the confirmands also take part in several retreats – some half-day and some overnight – team-led by the Director of Christian Education and the Pastor. These themed retreats offer both fun group activities and in-depth discussions to build a sense of Christian community within the group, and to help these young Christians to learn to more fully emulate the life of Christ.
At the beginning of the two-year program, the each confirmand picks a member of our congregation as their mentor. The role of the mentor is to meet with their confirmand each month to discuss their faith beliefs and to continue building the Body of Christ through these intergenerational relationships.
If you have any questions regarding the St. Paul UCC Confirmation Program, please call Pam Kellerman, Director of Christian Education at (618) 327-4326 or email her at pamdce@charter.net.