Dear Teens and Parents,

We will be starting our Teen Confirmation process on Sunday the 29th of May 2022, and we would like to invite you to be part of this experience.

Over the years we have developed a great confirmation process – it covers a review of the traditional creeds, core-doctrinal truths, life-application and ethical issues. It allows space for teens to ask all the questions they would like to ask and the response over the years is that our young people have found this process very very meaningful.

What is confirmation?

It is a moment of public confession of faith in the church community, where young Christians take a public stance to confirm that they have made an informed decision to follow Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Confirmation in the Presbyterian church is a culmination of the process that often starts with infant Baptism. The Confirmee is able to confirm that the work that God started in them even before they were born has culminated in a personal relationship with Christ and that they are ready take over the vows of commitment taken by their parents on their behalf when they were an infant. Those who were not baptised as infants are in no way excluded: God has brought them, too, on a journey to a place where they can confirm their faith, and so the teen Confirmation Service usually includes a few baptisms as well.

In order to prepare our young people for this big step, we run a confirmation course leading up to the worship service where the Confirmation ceremony will take place.

Who is it for?

Our teen Confirmation course this year is for those turning 16 years of age or older in 2022. It is not only for members of our congregations. Anyone who is willing to commit to the process is very welcome. (Being confirmed opens the door to full membership in the Church.)

When will the classes take place?

The Confirmation classes will take place during the usual Sunday Morning Service. Adults, children and teens all start the worship service together and after the children’s address, children and teens head off to their respective classes and this is where the bulk of the confirmation curriculum is taught. There will also be two or three Sunday afternoon classes at the end of the course, and a sleep-over at the church in September. (Please see the programme down below for details and dates)

We understand that time is a precious commodity and so we have tried to make the course as “user-friendly” as possible as far as time and mom & dad’s taxi goes.

What Content will be covered?

This year we will work through some material by Campus Crusade.

What commitment is required?

We all know that our vows to follow Jesus are a precious, serious and deeply personal commitment. At the end of the course, each young person will be interviewed (not examined¹). At the interview they will be able to evaluate the course and will be given the opportunity to decide if confirmation is a step they are ready to take.

There are nine Sundays that fall in the government and private school holidays between now and the end of September. This has provided a massive scheduling challenge. We have had no choice but to schedule some sessions in each of the holidays. We will therefore allow candidates to miss 3 Sunday sessions, but urge them to miss as few as possible. The afternoon sessions and sleepover weekend will be compulsory.

Please note that we have given these dates far in advance. Remember that the Sunday afternoon sessions and confirmation camp/sleepover are compulsory. Please communicate these clearly to school teachers, coaches and choir directors – we cannot accommodate last minute pleas around matches, choir-camps, etc. Confirmation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we believe that making it their top priority is character building for our teens.

Who’s Involved? Who do we contact?

There is a wonderful team who work with our teens on Sundays. Theo will pick up some of the Theological Issues on Sunday Afternoons and Theo and Craig will co-ordinate program on the Sleepover. Brenda also helps with admin and logistics in her role as Sunday School coordinator

How do I enroll?

To enroll our teens will need to fill in the online application form at https://forms.gle/fpsZFHZDWWXsMYBc6 by 27 May 2002. The confirmation process will commence on Sunday 29 in the morning service where we will pray for our confirmation class and their families. The first formal lesson will take place on June 5^th.

The Programme

• 29 May (Ascension) Church Service – Introduction and Prayer
• 5 June (Pentecost)          1 Who is Jesus Christ?
• 12 June (Trinity)               2 The Earthly life of Jesus
• 19 June (Father’s Day)    3 The Death of Jesus
  Gov Schools and IEB half term 26 June, 3, 10, 17
• 10 July (Gov Schools)      4 The Resurrection of Jesus
• 17 July (Gov Schools)      5 Daily Life with Christ
• 24 July                                6 Who is the Holy Spirit?
• 31 July                                7 The Church of Jesus Christ
  IEB Schools (7,14 Aug)
• 21 Aug (IEB Schools)       8 Five Principles of Growth part 1
• 28 Aug (IEB Schools)       9 Five Principles of Growth part 2
• 4 Sep (IEB Schools)         10 Personal Purity
• 11 Sep                                11 Taming the Tongue
• 11 Sep Afternoon             Apostles’ Creed
• 23-24 Sep CAMP             Suffering,Communion and Baptism,Ethics
• 25 Sep                               CONFIRMATION SERVICE

In Conclusion.

Confirmation is an important time in our lives. We believe it is a process worth committing to and that it can be a very meaningful journey. We hope you will be joining us!