Last week on our social media channels, we posted the details of what we discovered about leadership, one of the four dimensions of confirmation (and related practices) that surfaced in the key learnings of our qualitative research. We share those details here, along with a portrait of the Foundation for Christian Formation (FCF) and their weekend Confirm retreats, illustrating the potential influence of leadership in the confirmation process.
Leadership: Faithful and committed leadership matters and is shared.
Valuing its place in a life of discipleship, leadership was committed to confirmation, created a vision for it, and gave their energy to it. Each ministry had a champion spearheading the ministry, often clergy, while at the same time empowering and equipping others to contribute in big and small ways. This created a shared approach where all leaders embodied the vision and sustained the practice.
Portrait: The Foundation for Christian Formation
Click to view the portrait of the Foundation for Christian Formation (FCF) and their weekend Confirm retreats at Lake Junaluska in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. The work there of leaders Chris and Gloria Hughes and Ed and Kathleen Kilbourne is a great example of the importance of leadership as a dimension of confirmation! FCF events engage both youth and the adults who accompany them to the retreat, an emphasis on co-learning that underscores the message that faith is a lifelong journey for followers of Christ.
We also found this April 12, 2017 United Methodist CONNECT podcast in which Gloria, Chris, Kathleen, and Ed are interviewed about FCF. You can listen here.
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