by Derick Kelly
It has been some time since I, myself, went through the process of confirmation. I have done it both as a student and as an adult helping students. Each time I was struck with the power of the long-held tradition. It was something very unique to sit around a table and learn about God and faith with so many other adults who had taken an interest in our group. There in that group was the first time that I had ever spent time with nearly any of the adults that had volunteered to help. Not only were they there to help, but they also took me and my other friends seriously. They treated our young, budding faith as if it were real and important. I think this space would be the first time I had ever felt that an adult deeply cared for the musings of my faith or the longings I had for God (outside of my own family).
With all of this in mind, I know that recently the confirmation process at Hebron has changed. This year, starting on January 3rd we will begin our confirmation class here at Hebron. Confirmation will be open to any student in 9th to 12th grade. It will be held on Sundays at 11:00 o’clock. During this time, we will explore some of the workings and history of our church, as well as the basics of our faith. It will also be an opportunity for our young people to learn more about all of these things from other adults in our congregation.
For anyone wondering about what we will be talking about, the easiest way to describe our confirmation is in two parts. First, we will spend six weeks talking mostly about the history of the church as well as particulars of the Presbyterian church. The second half will be about some essentials of the faith including things like, who is God, what is the Bible’s story, why should we go to church, among other things of that nature. The last thing we will do together is help the students who have come through the class write their own statement of faith. In this process students will be encouraged to reflect on what they are committing to and who they believe God to be.
I am personally very excited to teach and participate in this class. If you have any questions or would like your student or a student you know to join, feel free to contact me at my email: derickk@hebrononline.org or my phone: 814-661-5149.
