Ninth Grade Confirmation Information
Confirmation Retreat
The ninth grade retreat is the highlight of the year for our confirmands. We go away to Pine Lake Camp and spend the weekend in some fun, yet serious discussions about life, faith and the Affirmation of Baptism promises the ninth graders will make in May 2015.
It’s a time for everyone to talk about faith. The high point of the retreat comes on Saturday night when everyone shares their faith in Jesus Christ by sharing a personal faith statement they have written on the retreat. For some ninth graders this may be one of the first times they have talked openly about their faith with others. We share our faith with each other in a safe environment on the retreat to help us feel more comfortable sharing it with others in our daily lives.
The retreat is required of all ninth graders. We have scheduled it for this weekend so that it does not conflict with any school’s semester finals. Please make sure you do not have any family conflicts for this important weekend.
You will receive a lot more information about the retreat. If you have any questions please talk to one of the pastors.
It’s a time for everyone to talk about faith. The high point of the retreat comes on Saturday night when everyone shares their faith in Jesus Christ by sharing a personal faith statement they have written on the retreat. For some ninth graders this may be one of the first times they have talked openly about their faith with others. We share our faith with each other in a safe environment on the retreat to help us feel more comfortable sharing it with others in our daily lives.
The retreat is required of all ninth graders. We have scheduled it for this weekend so that it does not conflict with any school’s semester finals. Please make sure you do not have any family conflicts for this important weekend.
You will receive a lot more information about the retreat. If you have any questions please talk to one of the pastors.
Preparing to keep your Affirmation promises
In the months leading up to Affirmation of Baptism Sunday, there are many ways for you to prepare to keep your promises.
To a large degree, whether or not you keep your promises depends upon what you and your parents do over the course of the 9th grade year. Here are a number of things you can do to help insure your promises will be kept.
Worship as a Family: If you’re going to promise to worship regularly after your affirmation of baptism, a good way to show this is to worship now as a family. Make sure you are in worship.
Attend the High School Sunday Morning Class: Ninth graders don’t have to come to Confirmation on Wednesday nights. But, as you promise to continue to grow in your knowledge of God’s Word, you still need to be involved in Christian education. The Sunday morning class is a great way to do this. Parents: When you encourage your child to attend the class you are helping to prepare him or her to keep the affirmation promises!
Participate in High School Youth Group: All through the year our group will have activities that strengthen our group, build friendships, share in fun and serve the Lord. We will have monthly activities for our group.
Serve God by Serving Others: There will be many opportunities for you to prepare to live out your promise to serve God by serving others. For example, we have our high school river clean up day in the early fall and in November the ninth graders will help Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ozaukee County with a special service project.
Make Sure the Confirmation Retreat is Your #1 Priority That Weekend: The retreat will be held at the end of January 2015 at Pine Lake Camp. It is the highlight of the ninth grade year and required for all students. On the retreat we will share our faith with one another and discuss is fun and serious ways how we will live out the affirmation of baptism promises.
Go on the Boundary Waters Canoe Trip: Next summer we will take a week long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. This is an amazing trip that gets you out in the beauty of God's creation helping you to appreciate all God has done. It is also a great group building experience for our young people. Those students who go on a church trip the summer after making their Affirmation of Baptism promises greatly increase their faith and future involvement in the church! for the remainder of their high school years!
To a large degree, whether or not you keep your promises depends upon what you and your parents do over the course of the 9th grade year. Here are a number of things you can do to help insure your promises will be kept.
Worship as a Family: If you’re going to promise to worship regularly after your affirmation of baptism, a good way to show this is to worship now as a family. Make sure you are in worship.
Attend the High School Sunday Morning Class: Ninth graders don’t have to come to Confirmation on Wednesday nights. But, as you promise to continue to grow in your knowledge of God’s Word, you still need to be involved in Christian education. The Sunday morning class is a great way to do this. Parents: When you encourage your child to attend the class you are helping to prepare him or her to keep the affirmation promises!
Participate in High School Youth Group: All through the year our group will have activities that strengthen our group, build friendships, share in fun and serve the Lord. We will have monthly activities for our group.
Serve God by Serving Others: There will be many opportunities for you to prepare to live out your promise to serve God by serving others. For example, we have our high school river clean up day in the early fall and in November the ninth graders will help Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ozaukee County with a special service project.
Make Sure the Confirmation Retreat is Your #1 Priority That Weekend: The retreat will be held at the end of January 2015 at Pine Lake Camp. It is the highlight of the ninth grade year and required for all students. On the retreat we will share our faith with one another and discuss is fun and serious ways how we will live out the affirmation of baptism promises.
Go on the Boundary Waters Canoe Trip: Next summer we will take a week long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. This is an amazing trip that gets you out in the beauty of God's creation helping you to appreciate all God has done. It is also a great group building experience for our young people. Those students who go on a church trip the summer after making their Affirmation of Baptism promises greatly increase their faith and future involvement in the church! for the remainder of their high school years!
Individual Service Project
The individual service project is a wonderful ministry by our ninth graders to serve God and others and to help our confirmands grow in faith as they approach the day of Affirmation of Baptism.
What Does This Project Involve?
We are asking each ninth grader to come up with a personal service project to be completed during the months of February to April. If students have a project in mind and prepared, they can complete it earlier in the year after checking with one of the pastors. This project will involve giving a minimum of ten hours in service to or care for another person, group or organization.
A number of ninth graders began their projects during the summer months. You don't need to wait to start your project. If you have an idea of what you'd like to do just talk to one of the pastors.
Why is Grace Have Ninth Graders Do This Project?
One of the three promises our ninth graders will make on the day of their Affirmation of Baptism is that they will love and serve God by loving and serving others in God’s name. This project will give our ninth graders real experience in serving and caring for others.
What is Involved in This Project?
We are asking our ninth graders to do the following:
Are There Any Restrictions on This Project?
There are a few things we do not want:
What If You Simply Can’t Come Up with an Idea?
The pastors will offer some suggestions to you on the Confirmation Retreat. You can also talk to your parents, teachers, friends or other adults you know to come up with an idea. We know this is work, but it will be a very good experience for you.
Questions? Please also feel free to talk to one of the pastors about this.
What Does This Project Involve?
We are asking each ninth grader to come up with a personal service project to be completed during the months of February to April. If students have a project in mind and prepared, they can complete it earlier in the year after checking with one of the pastors. This project will involve giving a minimum of ten hours in service to or care for another person, group or organization.
A number of ninth graders began their projects during the summer months. You don't need to wait to start your project. If you have an idea of what you'd like to do just talk to one of the pastors.
Why is Grace Have Ninth Graders Do This Project?
One of the three promises our ninth graders will make on the day of their Affirmation of Baptism is that they will love and serve God by loving and serving others in God’s name. This project will give our ninth graders real experience in serving and caring for others.
What is Involved in This Project?
We are asking our ninth graders to do the following:
- Come up with an idea of who they could serve and how they could do this. Parents are encouraged to work with them in this planning stage. Students can volunteer somewhere, help one particular individual or work with an organization that cares for others – BE CREATIVE!
- Complete the Individual Service Project Information Form and return it to one of the pastors.
- Create a timeline for how this will be completed
- Keep some sort of a brief journal of their experiences as they work on this project
- Prepare a visual display (PowerPoint, photo display, drawings, etc.) that illustrates what they did and who they helped
- Prepare a brief talk about their project and what they learned from it about caring for others and about serving God. Pastors Heidi and Paul and will give guidance on this.
- Share this talk at a special evening gathering next spring.
Are There Any Restrictions on This Project?
There are a few things we do not want:
- Students can’t be paid for this service. It is volunteer
- Students cannot double up and consider some other volunteer work they do through school or some other group as their church project
- If they do something to care for or serve a relative, it cannot be jobs or chores they do otherwise
What If You Simply Can’t Come Up with an Idea?
The pastors will offer some suggestions to you on the Confirmation Retreat. You can also talk to your parents, teachers, friends or other adults you know to come up with an idea. We know this is work, but it will be a very good experience for you.
Questions? Please also feel free to talk to one of the pastors about this.
