Confirmation Class

Important Dates for 2010 - 2011

September 26 - Confirmation Luncheon: All confirmands, parents and godparents are strongly encouraged to this luncheon where information about the confirmation program and this year’s schedule will be discussed.
October 4 - This is the first day of confirmation class for the 2010-2011 year. This is also the date when we will have acolyte training as well as prepare food for us to serve at the Community Based Shelter that night.
November 12-14 - Our first retreat for the year will take place at the West River Retreat Center this weekend. The retreat will focus on building relationships with each other and learning about our faith.
January 16-17 - This is our winter retreat at the Hallowood Retreat Center where we will dive more deeply into understanding our faith.
March 18-20 - The Shekinah Retreat in Front Royal, VA is the Synodwide confirmation retreat. Our confirmands will join close to 250 other Lutheran youth who are also in the confirmation process.
June 12 - On Pentecost Sunday those youth who are prepared will be confirmed at the 11 a.m. Worship Service.

Confirmation is a two year program geared toward 7th and 8th graders. The first year class is a Bible study and is taught by Pastor Lewis. Second year students, taught by Pastor Lookingbill, study Luther's Small Catechism and Lutheran Theology. Church history, Christian ethics and current events are interspersed throughout. Confirmands also participate in retreats, outreach activities and field trips. If you have questions about the confirmation program at Emmanuel, or to register, please contact the church office at 301-365-5733 or via email at info@elcbethesda.org.

Confirmation Classes will start in October for those youth who have reached at least the 7th grade in school. Pr. Lookingbill and Pr. Lewis teach Confirmation each Monday afternoon from 4:30 to 5:45. Confirmation at Emmanuel is a two year program featuring weekly classes, regular worship with confirmands participating as acolytes, retreats, trips and Sunday School. The Classes use primary sources of information, including the Bible, Luther’s Small Catechism and the history of the Reformation that Martin Luther started in Germany in 1517. The purpose of this Lutheran tradition of instruction is to prepare our young people to enter adult membership in the Church informed about the Biblical witness to Jesus Christ and the basic doctrines of the historical Church.

Please let the Church office know that you are planning to join the class this fall. There will be a Confirmation luncheon on 26 September for youth, parents and godparents to prepare for the fall classes. The first class will meet on 4 October.

If you have any questions, please contact Pr. Lookingbill or Pr. Lewis at 301-365-5733.

First Communion Classes: A three week course for youth who would like to prepare for First Communion is conducted by Pastor Lookingbill during the Sunday School hour several times during the year. Parents and youth meet together with Pr. Lookingbill to study the history and meaning of Communion in the church.

Pr. Lookingbill will meet in October with those children and parents of the congregation who want to learn about Communion in the Lutheran Church. We will have three sessions in Pr. Lookingbill’s office on 3 October, 10 October and 17 October. The three sessions are focused on the Biblical origins of Communion, the Lutheran practice of Communion and the local tradition here at Emmanuel for our celebrations. Parents and children are all invited to participate in the sessions. Questions are especially welcome as we prepare for the sharing of this Sacrament of the Church! It is the policy of the Church Council that parents, children and the Pastor together will decide when children are ready to receive Holy Communion. For those children who have already received Communion in other congregations, they should continue to receive our Lord’s supper at Emmanuel. They too are welcome to join Pr. Lookingbill for the First Communion Classes. First Communion for those properly prepared will be celebrated on Reformation Sunday, 31 October.

Contact Pastor Lookingbill at 301-365-5733 to learn more.

NOTE
For Confirmands' and Parents' site, click here http://confirm-elc.blogspot.com