Deepening our Faith through Confirmation
Deepening our Faith through Confirmation is a Milestone Celebration for 5th graders.
I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” ~ John 11:25
This is a year of identity in Christ as tweens study together the story of the New Testament and hear anew Jesus’ words to Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Confessing Jesus as the Christ unites us as one body, called by God to become witnesses in every place and time.
Gifts for Remembrance
Each child will receive a stone to add to their faith chest to remember this milestone. The faith stone will have one of two symbols: either the words “I Am” written under the cross reminding us of the words of our Lord and Savior; or a cross with an anchored cross to represent the hope and security we have in the cross of Christ.
Books for the Home
As you celebrate this milestone in your child’s faith journey, here are some books you may want to add to your family library.
For Kids:
- To the Ends of the Earth: Mission Stories from Around the World by Marj Carpenter
- And a Little Bit Farther: More Stories of Mission “To the Ends of the Earth” by Marj Carpenter
- The Very First Christians by Paul L. Maier
- Jesus, The Word by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones
- In God’s Hands by Lawrence Kushner and Gary D. Schmidt
For Parents:
- The Mission-Minded Child by Ann Dunagan
Faith Practices for the Home
Caring Conversations
- Talk together about the impact that Jesus made on those whose lives he touched. Talk about the potential impact that we can make on each person we meet.
- Share your story of when you knew that Jesus was your Lord and Savior. Talk about the difference that made and continues to make in your life.
- Talk together about the many opportunities we have to show Christ to the world through our words and actions.
Daily Devotions
- Read together the stories being studied by your tweens Sunday School class and discuss how they relate to life today.
- Read the letters written by Paul and talk about how they provide guidelines for faithful living today.
- Pray for the people that you touch each and every day – teachers, friends, family members and strangers whom you encounter.
- Pray for those who are spreading the Gospel message in our world – pastors, educators, missionaries and ordinary people who are willing to share the Good News of God’s love with others.
Family Traditions
- Make Sunday School and worship attendance a priority in your family’s schedule! This is the second year in a three-year-long Confirmation Journey that will build the foundation for a lifetime of faithful discipleship.
- Connect your family with the larger community of faith through worship, education and service.
Servant Acts
- As a family, choose a mission project that will connect your family with the larger faith community and provide aid to those in need. Pray together as a family before, during and after you serve.
- Connect with another family who is serving Christ in the world. Share stories of how this service has made an impact on their lives.
- Visit the Presbyterian Church (USA) website to learn about how Presbyterians are making a difference in the world.
Professing our Faith: Catechism Connections
Presbyterians have historically professed their faith through their creeds, confessions and catechisms. Belonging to God: A First Catechism provides simple language for parents and children as they profess their faith.
Question 22. Who was sent to be the Messiah?
Answer: God sent Jesus to be the Messiah. Messiah means “anointed one.” The New Testament word for Messiah is Christ. Jesus is called the Christ, because God anointed him to be the Savior who would rescue us from sin and death.
Scripture background: Luke 2:26; Luke 3:22; Luke 2:10-11; Philippians 3:20; Luke 4:18
Question 24. Was Jesus just another human being?
Answer: No. Although he was truly human, he was also God with us. As someone who was truly human, he could share all our sorrows. Yet because he was truly God, he could save us from all or sins.
Scripture background: Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1, 14; Matthew 26:38-39; John 14:11; Colossians 1:15, 19-20
Question 26. What did he do during his life on earth?
Answer: Jesus called disciples to follow him. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, blessed children, befriended outcasts, required people to repent, and forgave their sins. Jesus taught people not to fear, but to trust always in God. He preached the good news of God’s love and gave everyone hope for new life.
Scripture background: Luke 5:9-11; Mark 6:41-42; Luke 5:13; Luke 5:20; John 14:6; Matthew 6:25-26
Question 27. How did Jesus Christ prove to be our Savior?
Answer: He sacrificed his life for us by dying on the cross. He showed his victory over death by rising from the dead. He removed our guilt and gave us new, unending life with God.
Scripture background: 2 Corinthians 5:19; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 4:24-25
Question 28. How do we know that Jesus is Lord?
Answer: After he died and was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples, both women and men. He revealed himself to them as our living Lord and Savior. Through the Bible, he continues to reveal himself to us today.
Scripture background: John 21:12-14; Luke 24:38-39; I Corinthians 15:3-4; John 20:15-18; Luke 24:44-49; I Corinthians 15:5-8,11
Faith Development for 9-12 Years Old
These children are on the threshold of adolescence – they are no longer children, but not yet teenagers – they are “tweens.” This is a time they especially need consistent input from significant adults. Their lives and faith are greatly influenced by the expectations of others. Physical sexual development and a newfound interest in the opposite sex may begin to emerge. Hormones make them emotionally volatile and fragile. Children vacillate between the need for dependence and independence. Social relationships are marked by moodiness on the one hand and improved relational and verbal skills on the other. They are beginning to reason and question on a more abstract level. From Vibrant Faith Milestones Ministry
