First week of confirmation

Welcome Confirmation Teachers and Subs,

Thank you and God’s blessings for the care you have for youth and their grounding in Christ. The first week is the OUR FATHER part of the Lord’s Prayer. Several things come to mind but before I get to that I would like all the classes to get into a routine of opening the way Martin Luther began his day: 1. Begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (why?) It is a reminder of our baptism; 2. Then orally go through the Lord’s Prayer, Apostle’s Creed, Ten Commandments, Great Commandment, and Great Commission (all together); three move into the lesson.

Our Father is a “gracious encounter” with God. It is a loving parent expressing that He loves and cares for us. Some things you could do is to have a picture of your dad or grandpa and talk about them and what they were like. Invite the kids to do the same. Have them write a note to their dad or grandpa expressing what they mean to them. Some of them could be estranged from their dad so be sensitive to that possibility.

Use a YouTube clip from “O God” the movie with George Burns and John Denver and ask why the director pictured God the way he did.
Show pictures from the Hubble telescope and talk about the vastness of the universe and, yet, how close Jesus wants us to think of God. Ask how God is present.

Talk about prayer and where we pray in the church. Look at a hymnal and show them that in the front part of the hymnal there are many prayers. Take a walk over to Trinity Park (the triangle lot across from the church) – sit in a circle and do a circle prayer – assign each youth a part of the prayer and have them lead that – talk about parts of a prayer.

Do some bible races on prayer – look up several verses in the bible related to prayer and have them race to find them…give them simple prizes like a donut hole or a pack of gummy snacks or tootsie sucker – etc.

Ask when they pray at home – and suggest they be the prayer leader this week at one of the family dinners. Let me know if some of these ideas are helpful. Also give me feedback on the lessons as you look them over.

Blessings and many thanks. Pastor Dennis