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Confirmation and other youth ministries
Youth confirmands picked produce at Shalom Farms for distribution to those experiencing food insecurity. Service is an important component of Confirmation preparation. A year of living faithfully Youth confirmation at St. Stephen’s
By Allison Seay
Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the fall 2019 edition of Seasons of the Spirit. After the first year of the approach to Confirmation preparation it lays out, we went into “lockdown” during a worldwide pandemic. We continued to stay as close to this vision as we could, given the limitations posed by virtual gatherings. As we continue on the “glide path” to reopening, we are excited to return to in-person gatherings, teaching, and outreach as part of Confirmation preparation, following the principles articulated in this 2019 article.
Helping young people prepare to be confirmed is a privilege and a joy for us at St. Stephen’s Church as we honor and celebrate a new generation of Christians, connected in spirit to all those who have come before, and all those who will follow.
At their child’s Baptism, parents are asked, “Will you be responsible for seeing that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and life?” For 14 or 15 years, parents honor the vows they made on behalf of their baptized child, and then that responsibility is lovingly and faithfully transferred through a process known as Confirmation preparation.
At St. Stephen’s young people often prepare to be confirmed in their 9th grade year. While this convention works well for many, it is certainly not a rule. Confirmation is most meaningful when the young person is truly eager, sincerely desiring, and ready to claim his/her Baptism. Of course, confirmands do need support and encouragement, but not force or coercion; while parents may certainly require their children to go through the process of preparing for Confirmation, it is important that the ultimate decision belong to the young person. It is an opportunity to say “Yes! Amen!” not only to the gift of Baptism but “Yes! Amen!” to a faithful continuation of the journey and “Yes! Amen!” to a widening and deepening relationship with God which often includes doubts, questions, and hesitations.
Ideally, we hope that young confirmands will have been faithfully attending weekly services at St. Stephen’s (or another Episcopal church) for a year or more. Ideally, we hope for confirmands to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion at least once a week for the year in which they are preparing to be confirmed. And ideally, confirmands will attend several presentations over the course of the academic year that will address elements of liturgy and the Christian life that we hope will be of interest to those considering this sacramental rite.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the question I get most often is this: “How required is attendance?” And, “Do I really have to be there
Christian formation for youth
Journey to Adulthood approach returns to St. Stephen’s
Young people in middle and high school have a special place in the life of St. Stephen’s Church. At every child’s Baptism, parents and sponsors alike vow to see that the child they present is “brought up in the Christian faith and life,” in the words of the Book of Common Prayer, and because no one can do that work alone (apart from Christian community, the church), the entire congregation also vows to “do all in [our] power to support” the child’s life in Christ. Providing young people with formative experiences is an essential mark of our faithfulness. The family ministry team is very pleased to announce that we are returning to one of the most acclaimed formation programs in the Episcopal Church, Journey to Adulthood. The three-tiered program begins with Rite 13 for grades 6 and 7, J2A for 8th and 9th, and 4Ward for 10th grade and up. Youth entering 9th grade are invited to make a special commitment to prepare for the sacramental rite of Confirmation (see “A year of living faithfully,” facing page, and a descripton on page 14), which includes a variety of required activities and events. Each of the Journey to Adulthood groups will lay a solid foundation in three key areas of formation for young people: spirituality, society, and self.
As we resume in-person youth ministries, we are focused on the heart of Christian community: togetherness, caring for one another and others, and resting in how God has made us, united to God’s life through the risen Christ. We will have plenty of fun, food and rich experiences as we gather throughout the year on Sundays and Wednesdays, as well as for special events. As always, membership at St. Stephen’s is not a prerequisite to participate in any youth By John Jenkins ministry we offer, so always feel comfortable bringing friends along. We look forward to the year ahead! It will be especially helpful to our staff and lay ministers to have information about each participant, and parental consent to contact them, submitted in advance online (ststephensRVA.org/children-youth-registration). Otherwise, you may complete the forms when we meet you or on Rally Day, Sunday, September 12. We are going to have a great year together! Questions? Please contact me at
jjenkins@ststephensRVA.org.
SUNDAY MORNINGS
6th-7th grades, Rite 13 Led by clergy and lay leaders, 10:10- 11:00 a.m.
Rite 13 is an inclusive, engaging, relational youth ministry for ages 11-13 that culminates in the Rite 13 ceremony. Rite 13 refers to the rite of passage from childhood into early maturity at age 13. Creative, developmentally-appropriate lessons are organized around three central categories of Self, Society, and Spirituality. Throughout the year, we will engage in Bible study, prayer, service projects, serious and fun activities, reflection and discussion. continued on page 14
Will Stanley
Acolytes serve in important roles in worship at St. Stephen’s Church.
8th-9th Grades, J2A Led by clergy and lay leaders, 10:10-11:00 a.m.
J2A (Journey to Adulthood) is an inclusive, engaging, relational youth ministry in a two-year cohort for ages 13-15, culminating in a pilgrimage experience. J2A underscores the importance of Christian community and helps youth develop critical thinking skills while taking on increased responsibility. We will practice several ways of engaging with scripture and prayer.
10th–12th, 4Ward Led by clergy and lay leaders, 10:10- 11:00 a.m.
4Ward is relational youth ministry for ages 15-18 that is mentorbased, with an emphasis on discernment, vocation, and the development of a personal credo (a statement of belief). Bible studies and opportunities to engage more deeply with the church and wider community undergird the final leg on the journey to adulthood.
ACOLYTES
All high school youth are invited to serve in the acolyte ministry, and no prior experience is necessary. Acolytes are organized into teams who serve together about once a month. To serve as an acolyte involves a commitment to be trained for a particular role, to be fully present and prepared when serving, to exercise responsibility for scheduling and finding substitutes, and being accountable to one’s teammates, other ministers, and the congregation. This ministry requires a level of shared commitment with parents who may need to assist with transportation and executive skills that youth are still developing, particularly with communications and scheduling. If at any time throughout the year you wish to participate, please contact me.
CONFIRMATION Typically 9th grade
See “A Year of Living Faithfully,” page 12. At St. Stephen’s young people most often prepare for Confirmation in their 9th grade year, but while this convention works well for many, it is certainly not a rule and some choose to defer a year. Confirmation is most meaningful when the young person is truly eager, sincerely desiring, and ready to claim and live his/her/their Baptismal identity and life in Christ in a new, more mature way. Confirmands need support and encouragement from parents, but not force or coercion; while some parents may require their children to go through the preparation process, the decision to participate in the sacramental rite remains with the young person. Preparing for Confirmation is a substantial commitment. Learn more at ststephensRVA.org/confirmation.
Required participation for confirmands:
TBD, Servant Leadership/Outreach Event Wednesday, October 20, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Confirmand Presentation
Wednesday, November 17, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Instructed Eucharist Wednesday, January 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Confirmand Presentation
Throughout February, individually scheduled confirmand check-in session with Rev. John Jenkins Wednesday, March 16, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Confirmand Presentation
Confirmation Day with one of our bishops – May 2022, Date TBD
OUTREACH AND SERVICE
Ron Brown, our director of outreach, is consulting with community partners to design rich outreach experiences with the family ministry staff to offer youth opportunities to grow in self-awareness and compassion while practicing servant leadership to address community needs such as homelessness, food insecurity, and access to essential services. Watch The Spirit and eSpirit for details.
Parent group returns
Beginning Sunday, October 10, Many Parents, One Vine—a favorite pre-pandemic offering—will return. We hope and expect that it will meet in person from 10:10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Palmer Hall. This offering will continue its tradition of providing a dedicated space for learning, conversation, community, and fellowship for parents of all ages and situations. Many folks who worship in our Palmer Hall service find this offering particularly appealing, though it is open to all.
This fall, the group will be convened by St. Stephen’s staff and will draw upon the wisdom and learning from Parenting with Resilience, our 2020-2021 offering which was born out of the realities of the pandemic and the particular challenges it presented for parents and families. Many Parents, One Vine will begin a bit later in the fall, in order to allow and encourage everyone to attend the first sessions of the Sunday Forum, which will cover important topics related to our time of transition and discernment.
Many Parents, One Vine will continue through Sunday, December 12, before taking a break until the new year. every week?” And here is our answer: Confirmation is more marriage than wedding, more long study than final exam. The goal of preparing for Confirmation is not only—or even principally—to make a one-time affirmation of one’s Baptism, but to intentionally join oneself to the Body of Christ, the community of believers who continually encourage and strengthen each other in faith, recognizing that Confirmation is the work of a life, not a day. Thus, the most important step towards Confirmation—and one of the gifts of this process—is to know and be known by a loving community and to observe the distinctive commandment that we “honor the Sabbath Day, and keep it holy.” A prerequisite for this is showing up each week for worship and working to establish committed, trusting relationships with other parishioners in this family of faith. The word mandatory has as its root, “mandate,” from the Latin word for commission—literally, “to give into someone’s hand.” When we say that certain things are “required”—that is, mandatory—we mean that we sincerely believe in the necessity of Christian community, the very necessity of you. One cannot be a Christian alone. So, it isn’t at all that we wish to make this process feel burdensome, but in fact the opposite; we all benefit from regular reminders that we need one another in important ways. While the rest of the world is often chaotic, hurried, difficult, and stressful, the divine essence of you, the soul, is the dwelling place of God and into God’s hand are you given. We know that other things in life are important too, but we believe that Confirmation is an essential step in nurturing that most intrinsic relationship with the One to whom we belong eternally. So, yes, it’s mandatory! Being here is absolutely necessary! And in order for the church to testify truly to the bishop and to all who will witness one another’s vows on Confirmation Day that what began in Baptism and has been nourished in Eucharist is now joyfully and deliberately confirmed, we need to worship together, know one another, and feel connected in this journey. (See dates in left column.) We are here always. And for those who are up for the gift and the challenge of a year of living faithfully, we will be honored companions.
Bishop Goff and confirmands
YOUTH CONFIRMATION ON THE WEB ststephensRVA.org/youthconfirmation
Contact: The Rev. John Jenkins, jjenkins@ststephensRVA.org
