Confirmation Class (Grades 6-8)
Our Confirmation Class meets each Sunday from 9:30-10:15 am in Room 102.
Confirmation is an exciting program! Having developed their critical thinking skills, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders come to class with deep questions about God, the Bible, and their faith. As we explore the Old Testament, the New Testament, Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, and the life of Martin Luther, their faith comes alive! As these young people come closer and closer to grasping the life of faith as their own in the rite of Confirmation at the end of their 8th grade year, they become witnesses to God’s work in their lives.
Our teachers for the 2011-2012 school year are Pastor Emily Hartner, Pastor Peter Brown, Gretchen and Clayton Payne, and Larry Lippert.
Pastor Emily Hartner
“I love teaching Confirmation! I love Jesus, I love the Bible, and I love the Church. Teaching Confirmation allows me to share this this love with young people who may or may not know a lot about any of these things. More often than not, I’m reminded of how 6th, 7th, and 8th graders just seem to “get it.” They consistently remind me that asking tough questions is okay because we know that God is always with us, even when the answers aren’t always clear; even when they’re not always what we want them to be.”
Pastor Peter Brown
“I enjoy teaching Confirmation Class because I enjoy the age group of kids and their desire to learn. I’ve always liked teaching the basics of the faith and watching the hearts and minds of the kids grasp and grapple with the fundamentals. Whenever possible I have them read aloud from the Bible and ask them to interpret and process what they heard. By this point they are into abstract thinking and can critically process the Word of God and apply it to their every day lives. That’s what’s exciting—seeing them apply ancient truths to every day situations.”
Clayton and Gretchen Payne
Gretchen: “Before becoming a stay at home mom, I was a Middle School Teacher. Once I left teaching, I realized how much I missed being around middle school kids. I absolutely love and enjoy their energy and honesty. Being able to share my faith and teach Confirmation with this special group of kids is something I really enjoy. My favorite part of the class is when they share their highs and lows of the week. I also enjoy when they share how our lesson relates to their everyday life. A lot of times, I learn more from the kids than they learn from me!”
Clayton: “I enjoy being the second adult teacher in the Confirmation Class. I support Gretchen in teaching the lessons and help keep track of the lesson time. My favorite part of the class is getting to know the kids and hearing about their daily activities. I also enjoy seeing them grow in their faith during 6th, 7th and 8th grade. It is amazing how much they change in three years.”
“There’s a special energy sitting in a circle with our youth during Sunday morning confirmation. It’s hard to describe the experience. It’s hearing the highs & lows of the youth for the week. It’s everyone taking a turn reading the Bible lesson and then talking about what the verse means to them. It’s breaking into small groups and hearing the group dynamics, debating what’s important in the lesson. And the best part of teaching confirmation is watching the spiritual growth and depth that happens from week-to-week and over the year. St Mark’s is going to be in wonderful hands in the years ahead.”
