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Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

inward

!twardJOUR NEY

1 Corinthians 13:11-13 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child;

when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these

three; and the greatest of these is love.

HANDBOOK 2015–2016

FPLC CONFIRMATIONProverbs 16:9

#e hea$ of man plans h% way, but & Lord

establ%hes h% (eps.

What is in this Confirmation Handbook? !This manual is a guide for parents and confirmands as you enter the 2015-2016

Confirmation year. You will find information for Wednesday night workshops and

sessions, retreats, calendar information, expectations and policies, as well as an

understanding of the Confirmation Program at Fox Point Lutheran Church. This

handbook will answer many questions as you and your family take the confirmation

journey.

!!!CONTENTS: !

Introduction and Welcome !Scope and Sequence !2015 - 2016 Confirmation Calendar !Expectations and Policies

Respect and Kindness Attendance

Make Up Work Cell Phone Policy !Requirements !FPLC Confirmation Ministry Contact Information !!!!!

Content in this manual may change including dates and topics for Wednesday nights.

The most updated information can always be found on the FPLC Confirmation website: !!

!!

INTRODUCTION !Welcome to Confirmation Ministry at Fox Point Lutheran Church! We are overjoyed that you

will be a part of this wonderful, transformative experience with us.

!The purpose of Confirmation Ministry is to provide an intentional opportunity for our 7th and

8th graders to grow in faith and spirit. It is a time both for faith formation and spiritual exploration for

you, for your young person, and for your family.  

!We have three hopes for those who join the program:

1) that they will grow in their love for God,

2) that they will become familiar with the essential teachings of the

Christian faith, and

3) that they will form authentic, affirming friendships with one another and with

Christian mentors.

!Confirmation comes from the ancient biblical practice of confirming faith in those who are

baptized. In the book of Acts (9:14-23 and 19:1-9), we hear about church leaders laying hands on the

newly baptized and praying for them to receive the Holy Spirit, which would bring strength and wisdom

for the living out of the Christian’s calling to love God and love others. In those days baptism was

primarily of adults and the confirmation process either preceded or immediately followed the baptism.  

!Today many Christians are baptized as infants, and so the confirmation of faith takes place

when they come of age, in a sense, and can personally make promises for themselves that were once

made on their behalf as infants. The Confirmation process culminates in that promise-making time that

we call “The Affirmation of Baptism.”

!We do our best to expose our confirmands to and equip them with all they need to live a life

of faith, but ultimately they will be the ones to make that affirmation. We hope you enjoy the journey!

!!

FPLC Confirmation Min%try!

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE !The vision of the Fox Point Lutheran Church Confirmation Program is the same as the vision of the

church. We are passionate about inspiring and equipping Real Faith, for Real Life. There are four areas

we believe are essential for the cultivation of an authentic, life-giving faith. Our confirmation program

introduces these areas to our youth and starts them on a process of growing their faith not just through

7th and 8th grade but continuing through their whole lives.  

!The fours areas are WORSHIPING, SERVING, GROWING, and CONNECTING.

!WORSHIPING !Worship is an integral part of every Christian’s life. It is where we go to praise our God. It is where we go

to have our spiritual tanks filled. In worship we meet our friends and we pray for those in need. In

worship we learn how to be better people and how to follow Jesus in the way we live our lives. We can

confess our brokenness, and in Holy Communion receive a forgiveness that changes our lives. The only

way to grow in our love for worship and to understand its power is to attend worship on a regular basis.

These reasons are why we expect regular worship attendance from our confirmation families throughout

the year. We require six Worship Notes per year from each confirmand. These show us that they are

attending, understanding and participating in worship.

Also, during the season of Lent we begin our Lenten Mentor Program. We worship every Wednesday

night starting with Ash Wednesday and each confirmand will be assigned a mentor group and mentor

with whom they will worship and then talk together about faith and life.

!SERVING !Through our confirmation service opportunities we practice and explore what it means to “serve the

least of these” and we introduce the power that service has for daily life. We encourage service at

church and service in life in our communities. This is an essential component in being an engaged,

enthusiastic follower of Jesus. As a part of serving there will be events such as Operation Christmas Child

shoe boxes, and outreach opportunities such as serving at inner city churches, providing meals for the

homeless, and getting engaged in other causes in our community and worldwide.

We require three (3) Outreach service opportunities (SOPs) and two (2) FPLC service opportunities

(SOPs) each year of the Confirmation program. Participating in these opportunities engages our young

people in the community and beyond and gives them an understanding that helping those in need has

many meanings.

GROWING !Growing in faith means that we develop and nurture interest and skills to study and use God’s Word (the

Bible) in our daily lives of faith.  

!WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

Many of our Wednesday night workshops focus on teaching how our faith is vibrant and powerful in a

real and complex world. Over the course of two years we will work to teach the basic building blocks of

the Christian faith. We also explore what a practiced faith looks like, through emphases like the “What

Does My Faith have to Do With …..” series, which introduces the students to powerful speakers who

share how their faith was essential in some way: their success in life, dealing with tragedy, facing death,

offering and accepting forgiveness, and many others. We will also give the confirmands a working

knowledge of how to use the Bible in daily life and in situations they will face as well as examine what

it looks and feels like to be equipped and empowered to live out faith in daily life.

!RETREATS

Retreats are a vital part of the program. On retreats we have the time to teach the essential Christian

teachings set out in Luther’s Small Catechism. The small catechism articulates the basics of Christian

faith, which every student needs to memorize and understand. These basics are the Apostles’ Creed, the

Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, what it means to be a sinner and saint, the priesthood of all

believers, and the difference between law and gospel. We count on these retreats to impart the historic

essentials of what it means to think and live as a Christian; therefore, they are a required part of the

confirmation program.

!!CONNECTING !Confirmation is fun! We create an environment where our confirmands can connect, make friends at

church, be open and honest, and develop a relationship with each other, their guides and mentors, and

their pastors. We hope through their two years they will make meaningful relationships in faith and

understand the power and blessing of a church family. One way to connect and be a part of the church

family at FPLC is to acolyte during our Sunday morning services. All confirmands will acolyte with

Pastor Bill and Pastor Bruce throughout their confirmation experience. As they confirm their faith we

hope they will carry with them these strong relationships with new friends, enhance their relationships

with friends from school, stay connected with their leaders and mentors, and take away an appreciation

of their church family.

!

!CONFIRMATION CALENDAR FALL 2015 !!")36)0&)4��6,��4-)16%6-21��� � �//�1)9�'21*-40%1(5���3%4)165�� � �������)//295,-3��%//�!!")36)0&)4��6,�$24.5,23��� � � � � ��������)//295,-3��%//�!!�'62&)4��6,�$24.5,23� � � � � � ��������)//295,-3��%//�!!�'62&)4��56�$24.5,23� � � � � � ��������)//295,-3��%//�!!�28)0&)4� 6,�$24.5,23�� � � � � �������"%1'67%4:�!!�28)0&)4�6,�$24.5,23� � � � � �������"%1'67%4:�!!�28)0&)4��6,�$24.5,23���4273�")48-')��3324671-6:�� �3)4%6-21��,4-560%5��,-/(�� � � � �������"%1'67%4:�!!�)')0&)4��1(�$24.5,23� � � � � ��������)//295,-3��%//�!!�)')0&)4��6,�$24.5,23� � � � � ��������)//295,-3��%//�!!�)')0&)4��6,�$24.5,23� � � � � ��������)//295,-3��%//�!!!! !!

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!

EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES !!RESPECT AND KINDNESS !As engaged, enthusiastic followers of Jesus, we strive to make a comfortable and fun environment for all

confirmands to learn and connect. Much of this atmosphere relies on our youth and their behavior. We

expect all confirmands to treat each other with respect and kindness and thoughtfully listen when their

peers are sharing. Because a comfortable setting is crucial to the confirmation journey, we will not

tolerate any disrespect or disruptiveness.

!!ATTENDANCE !Confirmands are expected to attend all Workshops, Sessions and Retreats required of them.

This includes fall Wednesday night workshops, spring Wednesday night workshops, Lenten Mentoring

Sessions, the Fall All Confirmation Retreat for 7th and 8th graders and the Prayer Retreat for 7th graders

and the Affirm Retreat for 8th graders.

If confirmand is unable to attend any required event, a parent should email Morgan Oldenburg at

morgan@foxpointchurch.org ahead of time regardless of the reason - illness, conflict or otherwise.

Confirmand is then expected to complete the make up work in a timely manner.

!TIMELINESS

It is imperative that confirmands arrive and are ready promptly at 7:00 for workshops and sessions, and

at the scheduled departure time for all retreats.

!!MAKE UP WORK !For each session missed by a confirmand, there will be significant and helpful text and readings to

review as well as questions to answer. Confirmands should review and work through the material with a

parent to ensure complete understanding.

Confirmands are expected to understand the material. Many times, sessions will build upon each other,

so completing the make up work for a missed session before the next workshop is in the confirmand’s

best interest. We also aim to have each confirmand experience the same learning and growing in faith

throughout his or her 2 years.

All assigned Make Up Work is at the distretion of the Confirmation Ministry Staff.

CELL PHONE / ELECTRONICS POLICY !The use of cell phones and other electronics (iPods, mp3 players, etc.) will not be permitted during

FPLC - sanctioned events.

For the Confirmation program, this includes:

All Wednesday night workshops and sessions

Service opportunities, whether at FPLC or elsewhere

Retreats: Fall All Confirmation Retreat, 7th grade Prayer Retreat

& 8th grade Affirm Retreat

Apostle Islands Summer Trip

!We highly suggest that cell phones are NOT brought to any of these events. If an individual decides to

bring along his or her electronic device(s) to the Wednesday night sessions, we request that the items be

turned completely off. If the individual is seen using the device or it becomes a distraction to the group,

the phone or electronic device will be taken away for the duration of the activityRequire or session. At

this point, a phone call will be made to the parent of the confirmand. A parent will need to talk with

Pastor Bruce or Morgan when picking up their child in order to retrieve the device.

!For confirmation retreats, phones that are brought will be collected and chaperones will hold on to them

for the remainder of the trip. If a cell phone that has not been turned in to an adult leader makes noise,

causes interruption or becomes a distraction, a phone call will also be made to the parent of the

confirmand. Again, a parent will need to talk with Pastor Bruce or Morgan when picking up their child

in order to retrieve the device.

!We have chosen to devise a policy for cell phones and electronics because we feel each individual will

get more out of his or her experience when fully engaged and with us in the moment learning and

interacting and exploring his or her faith. We want our youth to want to be here with us, and if they are

not fully engaged, they will be unable to take away the full experience.

!If there are special circumstances, please contact Morgan Oldenburg to make necessary arrangements.

!!!

REQUIREMENTS !Confirmands will complete the following requirements in their two years in the FPLC Confirmation Program. All forms can be found on the Confirmation Website under “forms” as well as included in the folder given at the Confirmation Orientation. !WORSHIP NOTES

Each confirmand is to complete twelve (12) Worship Notes in their two years of Confirmation - we recommend six (6) each year. Worship Note forms can be found in the side of the Explore Faith Kiosk and should be turned in to the front slot in the kiosk when completed. If a confirmand wishes to complete a worship note at a service outside of FPLC, we welcome it; please take a form with you. If a confirmand finds it necessary to complete a worship note from an online sermon to complete his or her requirements, please contact Morgan Oldenburg for the Online Worship Note sheet. Please refer to the enclosed Worship Notes sheet for a better idea of this requirement. !SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES (SOPs)

Each confirmand it to complete six (6) outreach service opportunities and four (4) FPLC service opportunities - again, we recommend splitting these up evenly throughout your 2 years. Forms can be found in the side of the Explore Faith Kiosk and should be completed when all five (3 Outreach and 2 FPLC) SOPs are completed for the year. Please note the paragraph requirement explained on the SOP form. One of these forms will be completed each year. When looking to sign up for an SOP, please make sure you contact the appropriate person (often someone other than FPLC Confirmation Ministry Staff). These do fill up quickly, so please sign up in a timely manner. We encourage you to find ways to creatively serve, so if you have an opportunity to volunteer that is not listed in our list of recommendations, please contact Morgan Oldenburg. Please see the enclosed Service Opportunities sheet for more details.!Outreach SOPs (6 total) - The Gathering - Milwaukee Rescue Mission - Serenity Inns - FPLC Service Day - Shoreline Interfaith

!!FPLC SOPs (4 total) - Sunday School - Coffee Hour - Fox Trot - Santa's Workshop - Garden Sale - Bake, Deliver, Visit

!ACOLYTING

Confirmands will connect with their church family during Sunday morning service by acolyting with Pastor Bill and Pastor Bruce. The duties are simple, but are a wonderful way to serve and connect. Performing these Acolyte duties does not count as an SOP unless is it a major holiday. In that case, you will be told to count it as an SOP. Please see the enclosed Acolyte Instructions and Checklist document, or find it online for more information. Make sure to arrive early to be thoroughly prepared.

Fox Point Lutheran Church!Confirmation Ministry !!CONTACT INFORMATION!!!Pastor Bruce Cheever!cheever@foxpointchurch.org!414.573.4138!!!Pastor Bill Knapp!knapp@foxpointchurch.org!414.704.7070!!!Morgan Oldenburg!Youth Ministry!morgan@foxpointchurch.org!414.719.2355!!!Lisa Berdelman!lisa@foxpointchurch.org!office: 414.352.8990 x107!!!If you have any questions or concerns about the program, content,!policies, requirements, etc, please do not hesitate to contact us.!

!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FPLC Confirmation Ministry 2015