9th graders** who have completed at least 2 years of confirmation sessions and requirements are given the opportunity to cap off their Confirmation experience with a public Affirmation of Baptism.
These young people complete a Statement of Faith paper or project that explains or shows what they believe about God and the role of faith in their life at this point. They also decorate a white confirmation stole with symbols of their faith and personality, which they wear on the day of their Confirmation to symbolize taking on the responsibility of nurturing and forming one's own faith, as opposed to being primarily guided by parents and baptismal sponsors (godparents).
The Confirmation Rite - known as the Affirmation of Baptism - happens each year on Reformation Sunday and includes each person affirming the following statement in the presence of the congregation:
Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:
to live among God’s faithful people,
to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,
to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?
Confirmand's response: “I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.”
**in 2023 we will be transitioning to 9th grade Affirmation of Baptism. 9th and 10th graders will be confirmed on Reformation Sunday, October 29, 2023.