Confirmation

How long is Confirmation?

Confirmation lasts roughly 4.5 months — beginning the Sunday after Labor Day (September 8) and ending with the Confirmation service on January 26.

What if I have to miss a week or an event?

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.

What are the highlights of the program?

We will go on two retreats, field trips to other churches and faith communities, have opportunities to play and get to know each other, and learn a lot about being a Christian. The biggest highlight is, of course, Confirmation Sunday when students confirm the vows taken at their baptisms and officially join the church.

What happens when my sixth grader joins the Youth Ministries?

Once confirmed, your student becomes a middle school youth. He/she attends Sunday morning programming specially designed for middle school students. They even have their own worship space on the 3rd floor of the Justin Building! Your kids are also encouraged to attend The Refuge (youth group) on Sunday evenings. All other youth programs, retreats, and trips are open to them as well.

So what about youth choir?

Once your child is confirmed and officially becomes a member of FUMCFW Youth Ministries, they are also welcome to join the Cornerstone Youth Choir. They can go on the Youth Choir Tour the summer after 6th grade if they wish, though they can choose to be in choir without going on Choir Tour.

What Will We Get to Do?

Confirmation is about becoming a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ and a committed member of the local church.

Learning

Regular class meetings are on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 am on the second floor of the Justin Youth Building. We follow a curriculum we wrote and adapted for use here at FUMC Fort Worth. We learn about who God is, how God loves and saves us through Jesus Christ, and how God calls us into mission as one of his disciples. Additionally, we spend time learning about our distinctive identity as Methodists and our Wesleyan history and heritage.

Worship

Worship is fundamental to who we are as Christ followers. It’s where we have the opportunity to give our praise and thanksgiving to God and also where we are formed through music, liturgy, scripture, and preaching into more Christ-like disciples. For this reason, we strongly encourage confirmands to attend worship with their families each week at the 11:00 am Sanctuary Service, The Gathering worship, or eleven:eleven worship service.

Serving

Following Jesus’ example, service has always been an important part of Christian discipleship. Young people in the church have many opportunities to serve including activities such as serving as an acolyte or greeter on Sunday morning, raising money for the missions, or praying for people in the community. We ask that confirmands commit to spending six hours in service to others at some point during the semester.

Retreats and Field Trips

Retreats are opportunities for us to take time away from our busy school and activity schedules in order to grow spiritually. We hold two retreats for confirmands, one in the fall (October 12 – 13, 2019) and one in the winter (January 18 – 20, 2020). Both retreats are very important to the confirmation experience and so we ask families to make them the top priority in your schedule.

Field trips give us an opportunity to explore the diversity of our Christian faith by visiting our neighbors and focusing on our common worship and expression of faith.

Family Conversations

Each week, you will receive an update on what your student has been learning in confirmation as well as some “Questions for the Car.” These are some prompts that you can use to start conversations with your student about their confirmation journey. We hope you’ll use these to engage your family’s faith during the week.

Fun!

We don’t ever want you to think that the expectations mean we won’t have a blast this year! PLAY is so important for all of us and we plan to make it happen! Confirmation is a time to learn a lot. But we’ll be learning and growing in an environment where students and adults can be themselves, relax, and enjoy the journey.