Life after Confirmation

By Rev. Todd Peperkorn

The gown is off, memory work is done, and your 278 questions on the Christian faith have all been answered. You’ve eaten the cake and thrown away the lapel rose. So now, young Christian, you are faced with questions.

What’s next after confirmation?

What is next for you when it comes to the Christian faith? Have you learned everything there is to know about God, and so now you can simply coast along, blithely unaware that the devil, the world, and your own sinful nature are warring against you every day? If you are like many who have finished confirmation and are trying to understand the next step, you may very well be in danger of forgetting the whole point of confirmation instruction. To that end, we at Higher Things have developed a little, uh, catechism, for those who are moving into the post-confirmation years. Tell us what you think!

Have I learned everything I need to know to get to heaven now that I’ve been confirmed?

Yes, but that’s a bad question. Catechesis in the faith isn’t simply about getting all of the answers right. That would be like saying that the Christian faith is about doing good things or feeling a certain way. In confirmation, your pastor has taught you the building blocks of the Christian faith. Some of it you probably knew beforehand; some of it may have been totally new to you. But the point of confirmation is not to get you all of the right answers so that you can go to heaven. The Christian faith is not like a math quiz. “Well, I got a C- in Jesus. Not great, but I should still pass the pearly gates.” Rather, the Christian faith is a gift that God gives to you in His Word and Sacraments. Your pastor has taught you about the gift (Jesus) and the delivery of the gift (Word and Sacraments). But that teaching is not over. It is only beginning.

Do I have to go to church now that I’ve been confirmed?

No and yes. “Have to” implies a law that must be obeyed or else. That isn’t finally the point of going to church. Going to church is about receiving those gifts for forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation which our Lord continues to give to us by His Word and Spirit. I would suggest to you that if you believe that going to church is about obligation and LAW LAW LAW, then something is missing in your understanding. God draws you to church so that He may forgive your sins and give His gifts to you. If you don’t go to church, or don’t want to go to church, what you are saying is that you don’t want God to forgive your sins and bring you to heaven. Is that really what you want?

I really liked learning more about the Christian faith. How can I keep learning?

First of all, you can keep coming to the Divine Service, hear God’s Word, and receive His Body and Blood. That’s a good start. Go to Bible class. If your church doesn’t have a youth Bible class, go to the adult class. If you church doesn’t have Bible class, make your pastor teach you some more theology! He will love it. Read Higher Things. Come to conferences. Check out some of the online forums about theology (http://higherthings.org/forum/). I have also listed a few good post-confirmation books to read in the sidebar. But the important thing is to engage with other Christians who want to dig into the faith. Don’t be afraid to even argue a little! Some of my favorite conversations as a youth were with my best friend who was a Baptist. In addition to that, my confirmation pastor pushed me to read theology. Real books, not silly books that treated me like I was four. Don’t be afraid to wade into the deep water. You can take it!

My church doesn’t have a youth group, and I feel like no one cares. What do I do?

Youth groups, in my experience, ebb and flow based on how busy the youth are, whether there are any adults available to help lead, and whether the pastor is engaged in the process or not. It probably doesn’t mean that no one cares. Sometimes it means that no one knows what to do. If you’re in that situation, start one! It doesn’t have to be fancy and complicated. Get together with friends from church and go to a movie. Ask your pastor to teach a Bible study once a month. Help some other members of your church who need help around their house together. Not everything has to be big and fancy. Sometimes meeting for a soda can be a great opportunity to talk theology. Try it. You might like it!

These are just a few of the questions I receive occasionally. But if you have more, please let me know (peperkorn@higherthings.org), and I’ll be happy to try and answer them as best as I can.

Rev. Todd Peperkorn is pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church. He is the executive editor of Higher Things. His email address is peperkorn@higherthings.org.