Confirmation Statement of SW

Jesus means a lot of things to me. First I know that he was the son of God who came to earth to teach us about God and how we should live. The whole time he was on earth he knew he was going to die for what he taught us by his words and actions. By his words and actions he taught us to be kind, helpful, caring, and loving to each other. He also was a teacher because he taught us about giving to the needy, prayer, about money, loving our enemies, and about his father. He gave us an example of how to live and by being sincere and trying our best we honor God and Jesus. Even though I can never be as perfect as Jesus he only expects us to try our best. As I am trying to better myself I can also tell his message to other people. I think Jesus would want us to attempt to share this way of life to other people we meet through work or school. He would not only want us to share this message through telling people but by living as a Christian. How would we live as Christians? By doing the right thing when no one is looking.

I think I have grown a lot in these past years for many reasons. I have participated in Bible Studies and have attended Work Camp in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I have learned that God wants us to think about other people before ourselves by donating your time. At Work Camp I helped repair a trailer that a person lived by themselves. At the trailer we helped build steps leading to the side door. We also painted the whole outside of the trailer. At the end of the week the person we helped was very happy and overjoyed with our work but I was also content. It didn’t matter to us if he went to church or not or what religion he was because we just wanted to help him. Even though we had time for fun we also learned about faith. At nights we would go to bible study to discuss our day their and understand God’s grace.

I wish to be confirmed at this time because I would enjoy becoming a member of this church. I have gone to this church for awhile and have really enjoyed the experience. I am positive I have an adequate amount of sense of responsibility to handle tasks that may come with being confirmed. I have gone to Sunday School at Christ the King Lutheran Church since I have moved to Great Falls and I am very pleased with my progress of understanding God’s grace and the Bible. I also have participated in Confirmation for seventh to eighth graders in the morning and night sessions and plan to go to High School Sunday School next year. I have thoroughly enjoyed both Sunday School and Confirmation. In religions this age is common for someone to strengthen further their faith by being an active member of the church community.

I know that once I have been confirmed I am going to have the responsibility to help the community as a member of Christ the King. By community I mean our Church community and our community as a whole. I have a few ideas about what I am going to do which include volunteering at Rebuilding Together and helping set up at church dinners, picnics and functions. I know that by doing this I am not only helping others but I am helping myself to be a better person. I will consider attending Work Camp again or helping at a local camp for kids. Some things I do will be planned in advance but some things may come up in short notice and I will take the opportunity to help. All the work that I may do to help others comes not from me alone, but from God. I have been fortunate to have many possessions and this should further my commitment to assist others in the church ministry. I am hopeful that as a member of Christ the King Lutheran Church that there are various opportunities for to lend a hand to others.

Confirmation Statement of SM

What does Jesus mean to me?

Jesus means three things to me; Jesus is a figure, a presence, and a way of life. As a figure, Jesus is an idol, hero, forgiver, and savior. He has sacrificed himself to give me and every other follower a second-chance in life and in the church. He has done this so that I can serve him and live in his kingdom. Jesus is also an important figure throughout the Christian world.

Jesus has a very significant meaning to me, from the Holy Spirit to a simple prayer to even just a small game, Jesus is in my presence always and he helps me make decisions and guides me through life. He can bring many people together for one common purpose, to worship him and his kingdom. Jesus is like a father or mother to everyone who believes in him, he comforts people when they’re in need of confidence, courage, bravery, sympathy, strength, and help.

As a way of life, Jesus guides people through their life journey and he gives moral and physical support to people who need it.

How have I grown in faith and understanding of God’s grace these past few years?

I have grown physically and spiritually these past two years as I have participated in the activities of becoming a confirmed member of our church. My various small group leaders, my parents, and Pastor Scott and Pastor Gysan, have helped me achieve goals, encourage me, guide me, and help me learn more about our church and the understanding of what being a Lutheran means. The various activities such as Shekinah and Work Camp, helped me become in touch with my fellow confirmands, make new friends, and helped me better my skills and knowledge of what being a Lutheran really means. Before the Confirmation process had started, my participation in church related activities was Sunday school and Vacation Bible School, but as Confirmation progressed I became more involved in activities with my fellow confirmation participants. Work Camp was my favorite event because I got to learn how to use my hands to build a wheelchair ramp. It was fulfilling to know that our hard work would be appreciated by someone everyday they used it.

Why do I wish (or do not wish) to affirm my faith in baptism at this time?

I do wish to affirm my faith in baptism at this time. God has given me the gift of faith and I belong to Christ. I feel that I have fulfilled my duties to the point that I can become a voting member of the congregation, and that I can use my knowledge of Lutheran doctrine for the better of the church. I also feel that since the church has a big youth base, that I could contribute to our youth program and teachings in Sunday school.

Since I was baptized, I feel that I have matured both physically and spiritually, and that I have learned more about being a Lutheran that I can help in more ways than before through the church. I trust in God’s word and I think that when I affirm my faith that I will really belong to Christ as a young adult. God has given me the gift of faith and I want to use that faith to the absolute maximum.

How am I and how do I intend to use my gifts, talents, and abilities for the ministry of the church?

As a confirmed member of the congregation I will intend on using my knowledge of Christ to spread the word of God. I will help in any way that I can to make the ministry better and to make the church a better place for everyone. In the future I could help with youth events and planning of events. Also I could help with the maintenance in and around the church. With my skills and abilities I could also help organize events and help manage church related activities. I could also help with services at church such as being an usher, assistant, etc. I plan to help with the youth members of the church since they are the future confirmands and members of our congregation. As an experienced leader I intend on leading a group at an activity with the youth, such as running a station at VBS, assisting in a Sunday school class, etc.

Confirmation Statement of RA

What Does Jesus Mean to Me?

To many people, Jesus is a role model, a teacher, or a comforter. They don’t seem to realize that he is much more than that. Think of this: Every week in church we recite the Apostles Creed, but does anyone actually think about its meaning? Or do they just silently think to themselves, “Who are these ‘Apostles,’ and where do they think they got permission to write a creed?” If you take the time to look it over, you’ll find it’s a statement you are making that says you believe Christ was fully human, fully God, and fully divine all at once. Not 1/3 of each, but rather 100% divine, 100% human, and 100% God. That’s a lot to try and understand. Then you get into what he’s done; total sacrifice for everything. He never thought of himself. You can read the whole Bible cover to cover and never find a time when he says,” I deserve this” or “ I deserve that.” Jesus is definitely a role model for us. Unfortunately, it is very hard to even comprehend living a God-like life. As a matter of fact, I can bet that a bunch of you will go home today and not think twice about anything you’ve heard here this morning until next week when you remember you’re supposed to come back. I know, because I’ve definitely been guilty of it. If you remember, a few weeks ago Bishop Snyder was here. He gave a sermon that dealt mostly with the topic and concern of doubt. I find myself doubting a lot. Whenever I am told of anything, I try to see how it works or where it comes from to better understand it. Unfortunately, it is basically impossible to be able to explain the logic of God, but that is what faith is: being able to believe in something without reasoning. As for me, I don’t understand half this stuff. When I get to heaven, I’m going to have a book of questions 5 million pages thick, but that’s what it’s all about. Jesus makes you ponder many things, but he is an encyclopedia of wisdom. That is what Jesus means to me.

How have I grown in God’s Grace These past Few Years?

I’ve been coming to this church for as long as I can remember. In fact, I’ve been here just as long as Pastor Gysan. I was the first baby he ever visited in the hospital as Pastor of this church. From then on, it was sitting in the pews, looking at the back of the one in front of me, because I wasn’t tall enough to see over the pew yet, while quietly eating some hard, loud, honey-nut cheerios and enjoying the sensation of being lost in my own little world. That was the life. Since then, I’ve been through at least eight years of Sunday school. In the lower grades, I remember Sunday school as being a place to play with glue and eat goldfish. Being just a little kid, Christmas pageants were right there with it: Go to church, sit around in an itchy sheep and/or Joseph costume. Slowly, I started to realize these lessons we were learning had meanings. Just this last summer, I went to work camp. You probably hear this from every confirmation student who’s ever been up here, but it really was a great experience. Before we left, I thought it would just be some churchy event where we would go work, pray, and sweat a lot. Now don’t get me wrong, we sweated a lot on that trip, especially the guys I was with. The thing is, it was the first time I felt anything really special about the meaning of the church. That feeling has continued to grow since then from being involved in other church activities. As for Confirmation, it’s has been a big history class. I’ve learned so much more than I thought possible, but it just brings me one step closer to fully understanding God.

Why do I wish to affirm my Faith in Baptism at This Time?

I’d like to begin this portion of my faith statement with a story. My great-uncle Charles Brown always had wanted to be confirmed. It was something he had wanted to do all his life. When everyone else was being confirmed at our age, he had a sickness and was unable to participate. He was finally confirmed at the age of 90. I find it a little ironic he only died about six months afterwards. Was God trying to tell me something? I think being confirmed is something everyone needs to do in their lives. I feel I am ready now because I have a much better understanding of the Bible and my faith than ever before. I have matured in many ways since beginning lessons and feel I am ready to take on my own responsibility for it now. Not only has confirmation increased my knowledge of the Lutheran view of Christianity, but it has also interested me in learning about and understanding other viewpoints. I am ready to progress to the next step in my faith experience.

How am I and How do I Intend to use my Gifts, Talents, and Abilities for the Ministry of the Church?

I really enjoy music, and find that it is a wonderful way to be able to help the church. Currently, I participate in the adult choir, accompany the children’s choir, have cantered, and played music during the offering. I love music and plan to continue spreading God’s word through it. In addition, my family has made it a point to train me in many construction trade skills. I expect that I will also find many ways and opportunities to utilize these talents and abilities for the ministry of the church. Besides this, I have been to work camp and participated in multiple church programs and fundraisers and plan to continue with them for the good of others.