What is the Purpose of Confirmation Preparation?
A conversation is currently brewing amongst Episcopal Christian educators on the NAECED listserve about one diocese’s plan to design an “online” confirmation class. Many CED professionals have chimed in with numerous high tech ideas, including use of power point slides, online blackboards, chat rooms, and the like.
For maybe the first time in my life, I find myself chiming in with…”maybe online isn’t the way to go; maybe the old fashioned in-person method is best.” Gasp. Did the person who loves tapping on her laptop more than anything, smartphone by her side with two blogs and a daily chatroom entry, really say THAT?!
Yep. Confirmation is the process of becoming an adult member of the church, whether that person is a new adult coming into the Episcopal Church or a teenager coming of age and “owning” the Baptismal Vows taken for her/him as a small child. It’s about discipleship. It’s about becoming a minister in your own right. It’s about stepping up to the plate and becoming an active member of the community.
This community aspect of confirmation is, indeed, where the high tech gadgets and resources lose me. Resources are dearly needed – that is without a doubt. And as far as conveying pure information about the church, online via the web is the way to go. Resources available online are generally free, readily available to most adults, can be revised or improved in a matter of minutes, disseminated within seconds and can be read and digested on the participant’s own time frame with the click of a few keys.
But…in my mind, the whole purpose of confirmation preparation is welcoming new people and teens into the community and guiding them into discipleship. It’s not just about the information. So many times, I think confirmation classes tend to simply “tell” folks about the history of the church and parish, give them talks about the ministries the parish might do, and maybe impart some knowledge about the liturgy and theology of the Episcopal Church.
What I fear most parishes are not doing are practicing prayer with people, taking them personally through a process of finding themselves as ministers in their own parish, and working with them and alongside them in going through a process of true Christian formation and transformation.
So here’s what I would love to see: high quality, free confirmation resources available to any parish that will use them. (Via Media is terrific; it’s $500. Most parishes are strapped at the moment.) These would be used in combination with local parish groups made up of mature Christians, current parish members, and newcomers. Prospective confirmands would get to know each other AND current members. Community would be formed, the group would grow together and everyone would learn something from everyone else. A gifts & talent component would be help newcomers identify the best ways they might become ministers themselves.
Would this be a new and different way of doing things? Yes. Would it take effort and willingness to change? Yes. Would it pay off in more committed new members, renewal of current members, and better use of church resources? I think so.
The times, they are a changing. More and more and more young adults describe themselves as “spiritual not religious.” We need to do something different.
Cindy Coe 