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At First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, all sixth graders are invited to join the Confirmation class. Confirmation the opportunity offered for young people to “confirm” the faith handed down to them by their families as their own.
We like to think of it as a chance for young people to get a taste of Christian life — a life of service, worship, learning, giving, praying, and playing (as is described in our Healthy Plate Discipleship model) alongside people who love them, and who will follow Christ alongside them, and then to answer for themselves whether this is the life they want.
In this class, we will take 6th graders through all the activities of Christian life, and teach about how they came to take the shape they did, and why they are done that way, in hands-on experiences like service projects, creative prayer activities, and diverse worship experiences.
They will also have 2 special retreats where we will walk through the 7 vows of confirmation, which ask fundamental questions like “Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” and “Do you profess the Christian Faith as contained in the Holy Scriptures?” These are special opportunities to dig even deeper on the big questions and ideas that shape our faith in a way that is accessible and empowering.
The class meets at 9:30 am each Sunday morning (with a few additional experiences) and is structured with a combination of small group and large group experiences to help young people make meaningful connections with adults as well as other confirmands!
Contact: Kat Bair | kbair@myfumc.org
Confirmation lasts roughly 4.5 months — beginning the Sunday after Labor Day (September 12) and ending with the Confirmation service in late January, after our Spring Retreat over Martin Luther King Jr Weekend.
During Confirmation, we learn about the importance of making a commitment to Christ and to the church. We ask students and their families to make Sunday morning confirmation classes and the special confirmation events (retreats, etc.) a priority in their busy schedules. We understand that illness and emergencies come up, and if that’s the case let one of the youth staff members know so that we can be in prayer for you.
Our confirmation program is structured differently than many programs are! This is on purpose, but we know it may seem unfamiliar. Modern pedagogical research suggests that abstract ideas without any contextualization may be inaccessible to many 6th grade youth. We believe the journey of digging ever deeper into our rich theological history is a lifelong one, and know that mastering systematic theology is not a prerequisite to being part of the life of the church (Jesus frequently called children, and people without any formal education, to be core leaders of His church)!
We fit our teachings of what it means to be a person of faith inside the experience of a Christian life, and hands-on experiences, alongside caring adults, older youth, and peers. Our aim is lead 6th graders to fall in love with being a Christian and living in meaningful Christian community, while opening the door to them of the deep questions of faith, with no assertion that they need to answer them all before they are confirmed in the community, because the community is where they can figure them out together.
After confirmation Sunday, confirmands will be welcomed into our regular Middle School programming alongside the 7th and 8th grade youth! The middle school Sunday school program is designed to be on a two and a half year cycle, so that when 6th graders join, they are stepping into the beginning of a new series, and not in the middle of one. Middle School Sunday School curriculum has alternating years of focus on Scriptue and Theology, so they will get the chance to continue to dig in to the questions opened in confirmation with slightly older students!
We also have Sunday night programming, called The Refuge, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, which rotates between service projects, worship nights, special prayer experiences, and times for play! This is a 6th – 12th grade program, and is more casual, prioritizing meals together and shared connection among our young people.
6th graders are also invited to join our Cornerstone Youth Choir and Youth Praise Band (called “We Are the Band” – because we let teenagers name it). No musical experience? No problem! Our staff loves to teach anyone with a heart to try and has extra instruments to teach beginners on.
August 29, 2021 | 9:30 am
Confirmation Parent Meeting and Orientation
September 12, 2021
First Day of Confirmation Class
October 17, 2021
Fall Confirmation Retreat at Lyle Lodge in Azle, Texas.
December 19, 2021
Christmas with the Confirmands! Confirmand families invited to join for Combined youth Sunday school (hot chocolate, baked goods, carols, and fun to be expected).
January 16 – 17, 2022
Spring Confirmation Retreat @ Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center in Glen Rose, Texas.
January 23, 2022
Confirmation Sunday!
January 30, 2022
Confirmand “Walkover” and Welcome to Youth Ministries!
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