The beginning of another year of confirmation ministry begins Sunday, Sep 8, with a “Back to Confirmation Night” orientation from 6:30-8:00 for both 7th and 8th grade youth and parents in the sanctuary. After listening to the feedback from families Pastor Wayne and Director Sabrina LaBelle agreed to overhaul the confirmation ministry last year and began using a completely new curricula called Colaborate: Lutheran Confirmation. Why the change? Rather than focusing exclusively on a deep dive of Luther’s Small Catechism the new curricula will explore the whole of the Christian faith, the Bible, and the Catechism addressing key questions teens likely struggle with when it comes to their faith in God and Jesus.
Why did we choose Colaborate: Lutheran Confirmation? Four reasons.
- Made for Lutheran youth. Colaborate was created by people who know the Lutheran tradition, the Bible, and teens.
- A lasting faith experience. Colaborate promotes a rich, meaningful confirmation experience by presenting faith as a path of growth and discovery.
- A lasting Bible. Colaborate: Lutheran Student Bible brings the story of God to life. It’s smart, fun, and durable.
- Problem-based learning. Students discover how faith is relevant to their lives as they collaborate on a variety of pro-jects.
How will this new curricula accomplish this? The answer is in the name: CO/LAB/ORATE
CO: Framing the Problem An opening infographic sets up the tension for the lesson, explicitly centering on student assumptions, biases, even disinterest.
LAB: Teaching and Learning The center spread of the lesson equips students to work through the tension created in the first section. It presents content in a memorable, visually powerful way, incorporating Bible passages, catechism material, and Lutheran history to help give students a stronger sense of the theology and doctrine behind each lesson.
ORATE: Project and Closing The session ends with an individual writing project and a more active group project, which give participants opportunities to articulate what they’ve discovered, share their thoughts with others, and engage with the broader church community.
Pastor Wayne looks forward to sharing more about this new model of confirmation ministry with both teens and their parents on September 8 at 6:30 in the sanctuary.
