Confirmation

2022-23 Confirmation Schedule

(Subject to change as the Spirit moves)

Sept 18 – Rise Against Hunger
Join your UPC family as we work together to pack 15,000 meals for those who are hungry. Sign up online (check your UPC emails in August) to make sure you get a spot. Space is limited. 

 

Sept 25 – What is Confirmation? Matthew 11: 28-30
Confirmation is a year long journey that will help prepare youth for their life-long journey of faith. Youth get out of confirmation exactly what they put into it. This is no typical Sunday School class. This is a year long experience that will begin to shape the adult faith our youth are growing into. It requires commitment, responsibility, and dedication. We are guaranteed to have a great deal of fun as we learn together and promise times of confusion and uncertainty paired with Holy Spirit filled moments that solidify the faith foundation. 

Engage your faith: Explore these questions: How is belonging to a church different from belonging to any other organization? What expectations does the church have for you? How might you be held accountable for your actions differently at church than with other groups that you might be a part of? Why do you want to be a part of THIS church? And don’t forget to register for the Confirmation Retreat!! 

 

Oct 2 – How to spell Presbyterian
The PCUSA Structure – Acts 15:22, 1 Corinthians 14:40   General Assembly, Synod, Presbytery, Local Church…we’ll talk about what all of these levels of the PCUSA and what they do in our structure of government. When was the Presbyterian Church founded? What does our symbol mean? This session will help youth understand the governance of their denomination. Engage your faith: Select another denomination and find out how they are governed and structured. How are they like the PCUSA? How are they different? Youth will begin to memorize Apostles’ Creed to recite on Oct 23.

 

Oct 9 – The Trinity: Alpha and Omega: God –  Psalm 8, Genesis 1, Isaiah 43: 16-21 
As creator of the universe, we sometimes wonder what God has to do with us now. Is God male or female? Is God really listening to me? God doesn’t actually care if I pass my math test,…does He, um, or She? We’ll explore various ideas of who God is and talk about how God is still creating in this world. God invites us to be co-creators alongside. We’ll talk about how and why it’s so important that we get on board with this very active Creator God.

Engage your faith: What new thing do you perceive God is doing? (in your life?, in the world?) And how might you be a co-creator with God to make this new thing come to be?

AND, Send Kim the names of 3 people who you’d like to have as your mentor in the spring. We’ll do our best to get your top choice for you. Mentors must be active church members. 

  

Oct 16 – The Trinity: Fully Human, Fully God: Jesus – Philippians 2:5-11
What does it mean to have “new life in Christ”? Jesus died for our sins…but did Jesus die for MY sins? In this lesson we’ll explore the many faces of Jesus from baby to boy to Savior. We’ll explore what role Jesus plays in the Trinity and consider the ways we might let our old life pass away to make room for new life in Christ. 

Engage your faith: Do a google image search for Jesus. In the many pictures that come up, find one that speaks to you. Print it out and put it in your bathroom in a place where you can look at it while you brush your teeth each morning this week. What is it about this particular picture that you like? What qualities of Jesus does it convey? Are those qualities that you are striving to have or qualities that you are seeking from others?

 

Oct 23 – The Trinity: Ruah: the Holy Spirit – John 14: 25-27, Acts 2
If God came into humanity in Jesus, then how does Jesus come into our daily lives now? The Holy Spirit! In this session we’ll talk about the role of the Holy Spirit in making our scripture and our sacraments come alive for us.Through the Holy Spirit, we can feel and hear God at work in the world. We will practice Lectio Divina in this session enabling the class to experience the Holy Spirit through hearing, listening, meditation, and contemplation in the divine reading of scripture

Engage your faith: Spend time this week listening for that still, small voice of God through the Holy Spirit. Note where you hear it. What circumstances are best for listening for God? Is it conversations with another? On a long solo run? Through reading scripture? Or in a rowdy gym? 

 

Oct 23 – The Bible(Old Testament) –Psalm 137: 1-6  
The Bible can seem daunting at times but this class will help break it down. Youth will learn how the Bible is divided into sections and the purpose of each. We’ll talk about who each book is written for and how scripture can still speak to us today. We will also study the timeline of when each book was written and grow in our understanding of how this Holy book has been passed down for centuries. Youth will recite the Apostles Creed.

 

Nov 6 –   – The Bible(New Testament) –Psalm 137: 1-6
The Bible can seem daunting at times but this class will help break it down. Youth will learn how the Bible is divided into sections and the purpose of each. We’ll talk about who each book is written for and how scripture can still speak to us today. We will also study the timeline of when each book was written and grow in our understanding of how this Holy book has been passed down for centuries. Engage your Faith:  Begin memorizing the Lord’s Prayer to recite on Dec 4th.

 

Nov 11-13 – Confirmation Retreat in Montreat 

 

Nov 13 – No Class (Retreat) 3 Potential Mentor Names due to Kim today!

 

Nov 20 –  Advent Craft Festival (No class).
Engage your faith: go to or volunteer to help with the Craft Festival and be prepared to talk next week about why such events are important in the life of the church.  

 

Nov 27 –  What’s the point of the Bible?
After learning about the Old and New Testaments, we’ll explore the overarching themes of the Bible? Why is it put together the way that it is? Is it factual? Has anything been lost in translation over the centuries? And if so, what do we take to heart as God’s truth and why is it so important to study God’s word today? 

 

Dec 4 –  Prepare ye the way! Advent– Isaiah 40: 2-4, Matthew 3:3 
Sometimes in the rush to Christmas, Advent can get lost. The people of the bible prepared for centuries for the birth of Christ. Advent gives us just a taste of that preparation and helps us focus on the magnitude and expectation of Christmas. This class will help us understand the importance of preparing our hearts while we prepare our homes and the importance of taking time in each day to get ready and excited for the birth of our Lord. Youth will recite the Lord’s Prayer

Engage your faith: select an Advent devotional and commit to doing it everyday. d365.org offers a great one that can be sent to your inbox. Bustedhalo.com also offers one that is funny, poignant, and service oriented. 

 

Dec 11 – Advent Brunch, Lessons and Carols (no class)

 

Dec 18 – The Birth of Christ (and why it’s a big deal!)
The birth of Christ is a massive part of our faith story but how much do you really know? We often confuse storybook versions and even songs from the hymnbook with the actual telling from scripture. We’ll take a look at the different versions of Christ’s birth and compare it to the Gospel writers. What did they want us to know about the days of the Nativity?

 

Dec 24 – Worship at 4pm, 7pm, 11pm

 

Dec 25 – Christmas, no class

 

Jan 1 – Happy New Year! No Class 

 

Sat, Jan 7 – Day Retreat with Mentors at UPC, 10am-3pm

 

Jan 8 – MENTORS JOIN – Sabbath
What does Sabbath really mean and how can we practice it in faithful ways? 

 

Jan 15 –  MENTORS JOIN Hammer and Nail: The Reformation
Ephesians 2:8-10 Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda…The Presbyterian Church is reformed and always reforming. In this session we will cover the important events in the Reformation: from Constantine to Martin Luther to current Reformations in the Presbyterian Church. We’ll talk about why reform is vital to our church. Engage Your Faith: Begin to memorize Psalm 23, recite on Mar 12

 

Jan 22 – MENTORS JOIN Creeds and Confessions in the PCUSA – John 20:31
Confession is not only about facing our sin. In the Presbyterian Church, Confessions are also statements produced when the church, or its members, needed to take a stand on what they believed. We will take a look at a few Creeds and Confessions in this session and think about why the church may have adopted them at each point in history.  Engage your faith: Begin thinking about your statement of faith. What parts from the various Creeds and Confessions might you adopt for your personal faith? What parts would you leave out?

 

Jan 29 – MENTORS JOIN How the Church tells time: Liturgical Seasons – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Advent, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time are all liturgical seasons of the church, each with their own meaning and color. We’ll explore each season in brief and talk about why we have them? When did we start observing them? What’s the point? 

 

Feb 5 – MENTORS JOIN  Presbyterian Worship
Why do we worship the way we do? We’ll explore our order of worship and take a crack and writing some of our own liturgy.

Engage your faith: Fill out the worship worksheet when you’re in worship today. Notice how you pay attention differently. 

 

Feb 13 – MENTORS JOIN  Spiritual Practices and why we need them – Psalm 119: 15-16
Spiritual Practices are often counter cultural. Practices that give us time to stop and focus solely on God’s word are often challenging for us. But the more we do them, the more we see the gaps that these practices fill in our spiritual life. We will try a few out during this session and learn about the benefits of practicing our spirituality daily.

Engage your faith: Pick one spiritual practice to try. Commit to doing it once each day and be ready to tell the class how setting aside a few minutes each day affected your spiritual life. 

 

Feb 19 –  MENTORS JOIN  Lent – Psalm 51, Matthew 3:1-17  – Youth will recite Psalm 23.
Lent is much more than the fuzz in our dryer. Lent is the 40 days before Jesus’ death when we prepare for the crucifixion. Lent can get overlooked but this class will take time to be thoughtful and intentional about Lenten practices this year. Spiritual practices that tune us into scripture and prayer in the weeks leading up to Easter will help us see the true joy Easter offers.

Engage your faith: Attend the Ash Wed Service this week with your mentor. 

 

Wednesday, February 22 – Ash Wednesday Service at 7:30pm

 

Feb 26 – The Sacraments 1: Communion – Luke 24:30-32, 1 Corinthians 11:26   Be sure to attend worship today!
When we come to the table for communion, we come not only as Presbyterians but as children of God. Communion is a tangible reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and love for us. Communion can often bring many questions with it…Is the bread really Jesus’ body? Why do we use grape juice instead of wine? Why do only pastors say the words of institution? Why the gluten free bread?? We’ll talk about all of this and more.

Engage your faith: How are regular meals throughout the week similar to communion we experience in worship? What gifts of the spirit do we find when we join at the table together?  

 

Mar 5 – – The Sacraments 2: Baptism  – Romans 6:3-4, Isaiah 43
In the Presbyterian Church, our baptism is an outward symbol of God’s claim on our life. Baptism is our human way of acknowledging that in life and in death, we belong to God. Baptism also gives a church community the opportunity to vow to raise a child in faith, teaching the child about God and God’s love for them. In this session, we’ll explore Presbyterian Baptism and learn why remembering our baptism is important in our life of faith.

Engage your faith: Start each morning this week by remembering your baptism…remembering that you belong to God and that God loves you and calls you. How does thinking about this each morning when you wake up affect your day?

 

Mar 12 – Science and Faith – Genesis 1
We often hear that science and faith cannot coexist but Presbyterians believe that both are vital to our understanding of the world. We’ll talk about creation, evolution, and the multitude of ways that our faith and science are connected. Youth will recite Psalm 23. 

Engage your Faith: Write about one thing that amazes you about creation or one thing that you don’t understand about the way our world works. Say a prayer thanking God for the mysteries of our universe. 

 

Mar 19 – Youth Sunday, no class, Youth Brunch at 9:45 in the Fellowship Hall

 

Mar 26 – Holy Week…why a week? – Mark 11:1-11, Matthew 26:26-29, John 19:17-19, Matthew 27:53
Each day of Holy week, starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter, has a specific name and purpose. We’ll move through the week as we prepare for Easter.

Engage your faith: Attend the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services at 7:30 in the sanctuary April 6th and 7th with your mentor.

 

April 2-5 – Spring Break Service Trip

 

April 2 – No Class

 

April 9 – Easter Brunch, no class.
Engage your faith: talk to a member of your family about their faith story. Be prepared to share it with the class. 

 

April 16 – Me? A Priest?: The Priesthood of All Believers  – 1 Peter 2:9
The Presbyterian Church believes that we are all priests to one another. What does that actually mean for our day to day lives? How can we serve one another at home and school in a way that pleases God?

Statement of Faith due via email to Kim by Monday morning, April 17th.

 

April 23 – Questions from Confirmands
Youth will get a chance to anonymously ask their most burning faith questions while their teachers and classmates do their best to answer in ways that help everyone along on their faith journey. 

Confirmation Lunch, Session Examination, and Parent Blessing – noon – 2pm.

 

April 30 – Confirmation Sunday! 11:00 Worship. Worship prep in youth center at 9:45 am.

 

May 7 – Youth Choose! Youth will pick one topic or idea for a deeper dive. 

 

May 14 – Breakfast and Celebration