Rev. William D. Ingraham
It has been a joy and a privilege to work with this year’s confirmation class as they have prepared to make a decision about Christian Discipleship and church membership. We started together last fall with an organizational meeting in late September. The first task for each confirmand was to recruit a person to serve as their mentor. From that point on, we were off to the races!
It’s been a full and busy year for the class. From October through March the class met twice monthly, meeting three times in the month of April. The only exception was December, which we set aside for service, with each confirmand serving in our weekly Neighbors in Need food pantry at least once. We’ve read the Bible, talked about the history of Christianity, discussed worship and the sacraments from multiple angles, and have learned about the church year and the meaning of our special holidays. We’ve played games, had competitions, and have done role play wearing construction paper “costumes.” We have considered various aspects and understanding of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and what it means to follow Jesus, walking in his ways. We have discussed service and personal sacrifice as an essential part of the Christian life. We talked about faith and community as a source of hope and help to see us through the hard times, and the need for us to take an active role in caring for one another. We’ve discussed various world religions and other expressions of Christianity. The class ended with each student writing their own, personal faith statement, known as a Credo (which means, “I believe”).
I was deeply moved to learn that each of the nine participants in this year’s class wishes to be confirmed and become a member of the church. In doing so, they take responsibility for their own faith, confirming the membership vows that their parents made on their behalf when they were baptized as infants.
Sunday, May 5th, is Confirmation Sunday. Each confirmand will play a role in the service. The sermon will be comprised of excerpts from most of the students’ Credos, and the bread used for communion will be baked by one of the members of the class. The Diaconate will host a breakfast for confirmands, their families and their mentors before worship, and the Membership Development and Communications Committee will host a special coffee hour after church. It will be a day to remember!
Here is a list of this year’s confirmation class: Abby Boyko, Alex Boyko, Andrew Clark-Hodgkins, Hope Coleman-Plourde, Jen Dockham, Sarah Lindtveit, Melina Gable, Hannah Valcourt and Meredith Wright. Please hold these young people in your prayers as they prepare to Confirm their faith on Sunday.
As I ask the confirmands the historic questions about discipleship and church membership on your behalf, and on behalf of the Christian church everywhere, I invite you to answer the questions again in your own heart, joining our newest church members in a commitment to walk faithfully in the ways of Jesus Christ, seeking to make heavenly love known, both in our community, and throughout the world.
See you in church!
- Bill