Confirmation Class 2025
This coming weekend will conclude (almost) the joint confirmation class that UCU and Richmond Congregational United Church of Christ have shared in this year. Seven students have been meeting together with the pastors since last fall. Activities included a kick-off retreat at the Horton Center; learning sessions on the Bible, Jesus, and religion and science; cooking meals for the COTS day shelter; creating an artistic expression (collage board) of who we are; visiting other places of worship, including Temple Sinai synagogue in South Burlington; and putting together a statement of faith, which they will share with their families, peers, and pastors this Saturday during a celebratory dinner.
Traditionally, confirmation marks the point in a young person’s life where they affirm commitment to the Christian faith. They are confirming the baptismal vows once taken on their behalf by parents or loved ones and the congregation. Some might describe confirmation as the moment where young people take responsibility for their own faith journey. And for many churches, confirmation equates to church membership in the local congregation.
My colleague, Rev. Katelyn Macrae, and I have taken a slightly different approach to the conclusion of the confirmation year. We are choosing to emphasize the individual faith statement, having each youth share where they are at this point in time on the journey. Affirming baptismal vows or becoming members of the church are options the youth can seek at a later time. It is more than enough to share honestly what one believes right now. In other words, confirmation is just the beginning of the next chapter.
Still, like graduation and other concluding celebrations that happen around this time of year, confirmation can sure feel like an ending. There are certificates, gifts, and ceremonies. Our class will disband, and both the youth and the pastors will have a bit more time in their schedules. (And if I had to guess, no one will complain about that!)
But before anyone breathes too deep a sigh of relief, let’s be honest about what we’re marking. Confirmation is not the moment where the church says, “ok, kids, glad you made it through. Now join a committee, volunteer at Harvest Market, and get to church every Sunday.” That misses the mark just as much as (and probably more than) when confirmands seem to disappear post-confirmation.
It is the job of the church—not the confirmands—to continue to provide a welcoming, relevant, meaningful space where faith can grow. It is also the job of the church to listen and learn from the faith that young people are coming to claim. It’s not always easy to find the time or place for these points of connection, but at confirmation, we all commit to try.
While the Richmond students will celebrate confirmation this Sunday, ours will take place on June 8 (Pentecost). Also during this service, we’ll celebrate the sacrament of baptism, as there are others within the church who are likewise making a beginning in faith. I hope you’ll mark your calendars (it’s also end-of-year music Sunday!) and show up to celebrate those who are daring to claim these beginnings. We all have a role to play and a faith to grow.
In the meantime, I ask you to hold Henry, Britt, Graeme, Sophia, Jeremy, Catherine, and Peter in your prayers this week as they prepare and present their statements. May they sense welcome and support, courage and gratitude as they reflect and share on the journey thus far.
Pastor Jen
