Confirmation
Confirmation at Westminster is a two-year program for youth in grades 8-9. The class, taught by Dr. Christy Dempsey, meets on Sunday mornings from 9-10 a.m. Each fall and spring the confirmation youth attend a retreat. Youth and parents sign a covenant at the start of each school year.
The course has six segments for the full two-year program.
In 2011/2012, we will explore these three segments:
1. Religious Inquiry and World Religions - This first set of topics are non-threatening and allow students to explore their Christian beliefs within the context of contemporary globalism. This ends in October with a celebration of All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day.
2. Bible Lessons - This section (November through February) will give us a chance learn how to read the Bible, have confidence in reading it, and learn how to apply lessons.
3. Saving Lives - this is the application of Christianity and our real push for students to own their beliefs. In this section, March through May, we will work on personal faith statements as well as actions of faith.
In 2012/2013, we will explore these three segments:
1. Who is a Christian - This section emphasizes church history and identity. We look not only at the foundation of Christianity within the Roman Empire but also at how Christianity influences American values today.
2. Bible Tradition - Instead of how to read the Bible and apply lessons, this section is looks at the broader picture. We will compare New Testament books and look at the books in the context of the historical era. Please note that the sections interlace a bit. Our emphasis here will be to tie Old and New Testaments together, to understand the process of creating the corpus of the Bible, and understanding a “living faith.”
3. Proclaiming Faith - In this third segment, we will work on our active faith. This overlaps heavily with the year before because the ultimate goal of each year is to confirm our 9th grade class. In this section, we will spend a lot of time discussing how to identify ourselves as Christians in the secular world. We will study the creeds of the church and look at how Presbyterians have evaluated and stated their beliefs in the wake of great challenges. The students will see their identity and faith within this segment.
