This week we are sharing a new portrait of a unique confirmation situation. River of Hope Lutheran Church is a mission start, but the congregation members are long-term ELCA members, which is quite different than many mission start churches. They are grounded in their understanding of Lutheran theology, but decided to start a new church in a denomination with which they have always been connected. This causes a unique dynamic. They had to fight and work through difficult situations in order to maintain their heritage, and define what it means for them to come together as a new church made of old friends.
The fascinating piece of confirmation at River of Hope is that only one of its components is just for confirmation students – the mentor program. The other components—discipleship groups, service project, worship, and summer activity—include the rest of the congregation. Therefore, confirmation is almost always intergenerational and communal at River of Hope.
We hope you find this congregational portrait to be an encouraging sign of the vibrant activity of the Holy Spirit!
The Confirmation Project Team
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