Confirmation Mentors
The church council recently adopted a new vision:
A Welcoming congregation inviting all God’s children to experience and share Christ’s transforming love.
With this comes and emphasis on sharing your personal faith story and inviting others into that experience of transformation. Because of that new emphasis, we will be adding a new element to the confirmation program. Each confirmand will be paired with an adult in the life of the church who will serve as that student’s mentor.
Responsibilities for Mentors
We are looking for caring adults who are willing to develop a relationship with one confirmand. The requirements of a mentor are flexible, the heart of the commitment is a willingness to walk alongside these students as they explore their faith. We are asking that mentors:
- Pray for your student
- Make contact with their student twice a month February-May: Making contact with your student means reaching out with a text message, phone call, invitation to get coffee, letter in the mail etc. This does not need to be two in-person meetings. We just want your confirmand to know that you are present.
- Write a letter for the student to read during the retreat weekend. These letters are a surprise for students.
- Attend worship together two times. Find two opportunities to sit together in worship. Consider inviting your student to attend a different worship service with you as a way of exploring worship.
- Provide a wall cross for your student’s confirmation day. This year we hope to begin a new tradition at CUMC. We are asking each mentor to provide a wall cross for their student (maximum 2’). This can be one you buy, make, or one of your own you give away. The cross will be presented to the student at their confirmation, but they will not go home with it that day. The cross will hang in the youth room until that student’s Senior Sunday. We as a church will send them off to college or their next phase of life, and at that time we will send their cross with them as a sign of the nurturing the church has given over the years.
- Attend Confirmation Sunday- We recognize that this is a busy time of year and things come up in life, but we recommend that you make every effort to be present with your student for their confirmation.
Suggestions for deeper engagement:
- Have lunch with the confirmation class during the day retreat in the fellowship hall
- Serve with your student. Confirmands are required to engage in one act of service during the program. Ask your student when they plan to do their service and consider making that one of your connection points.
