I’ve had confirmation on the brain for a long time. I used to tag along with my mom when I was 8 years old and she was teaching confirmation at my home church. I couldn’t wait for my turn! When that turn finally came, I struggled with both loving and hating confirmation. The first year […]
Archive | Why it matters
Katie Douglass – Meet the GRA Team
Not only do we have a fantastic Steering Committee, we also have some incredible Graduate Research Assistants working on The Confirmation Project. They will be visiting congregations to conduct qualitative research. All of them are committed to working with congregations to make disciples of all nations. You can read more about them on in their […]
Why it Matters – Lisa Kimball
Theological uncertainty and inconsistency have surrounded the practice of confirmation in the Episcopal Church for decades. In fact confusion was enshrined in the text of the 1979 Prayer Book revision, the book that today serves as our denomination’s primary symbol of unity. In the Anglican/Episcopal tradition we, who are many and diverse, come together in […]
Why it Matters – Terri Elton
Why participate? An ELCA perspective Two weeks ago a group of church leaders from across the country and from various denominations gathered at Luther Seminary to “Rethink Faith Formation.” The presentations were in the form of 25 minute TedTalks with lots of room for discussion and “rethinking.” With no formal role in the event, I […]
Why it Matters – Lisa Kimball
Why does an ecumenical, well-funded research project on adolescent confirmation matter? I recently returned from the 2014 Episcopal Youth Event, Marked for Mission, at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. It was impossible to participate in the 5-day extravaganza and leave despairing about the state of the church. It was clear the young people and supporting adults […]
Why it Matters – Kenda Creasy Dean
If you had been a fly on the wall of Rev. Bergstresser’s office back in 1972, you would have been pretty sure that I was one of those confirmands who just wasn’t going to make it. My memories of those six mind-numbing Wednesday nights in the pastor’s office, sitting in a semi-circle with four other […]
Why it Matters – Terri Elton
Why it Matters is a series of reflections on confirmation and the future church by The Confirmation Project steering team members. For over ten years I had the opportunity and challenge of leading a large confirmation ministry in a congregation. On the good days, it was pure joy. Having youth wrestle with their ideas about God and church, seeing young […]