Confirmation: A Rite of Passage But Not a Graduation

For me, Confirmation Sunday is a mix of great joy and sadness. I celebrate our work as a church to connect students to Christ and to model life as a follower of Christ. And I mourn because I will never see more than half of the students again. They’ll think they’ve “graduated” from church and will disappear from Southwood altogether.

Studies show that 88% of students will leave the church by the age of 18. If that holds true, 42 of our 48 confirmands this year will leave the church by age 18. But there’s hope! The same studies show that if all of our 48 confirmands have parents who model their faith and share their faith with others, only 2 of them (5%) will leave the church. The difference is staggering and highlights the importance of parental involvement in the discipleship process of their children.

I frequently tell parents that what happens at home will have a far greater impact on the hearts, minds, and choices of their children than what happens at church will. An average middle or high school student probably spends 3-4 hours at church per month. They spend 200+ hours at home with their parents. If parents aren’t teaching their children how to become followers of Christ, then sending them to church and expecting the church to “educate” them won’t have the impact that they desire, and it won’t fulfill the vision of Southwood for our youth.

My prayer is that parents will actively model the life of faith for their students and encourage them to stay involved with Southwood throughout their lives. I hope that every year fewer and fewer students will leave the church after they are confirmed.

Make no mistake, growing Christ followers is a difficult task. But it is the most important gift we can give our children. What are you doing at home to actively disciple your children? How do you model your faith at home? Do your children see Jesus living through you? These are difficult questions, but they have eternal significance.

Chip

Comments

[Karen]

As the parent of a confirmant this Sunday - I can appreciate both the joy and sadness emotional mix. I remember when my child was baptized. It was a feeling for me of being a real grown up. This child would rely on us are parents and we had to teach them our believes. But knowing that our child was blessed by God in baptism, it was a joyful event. Now - we give our child his opportunity to question what he has learned, question what he sees and what he believes. And it means that he is just that much closer to making his own choice about his life and his eternity.

And while the studies show it is the parents who have the influence, it can not be mistaken that the people of this church - leaders, staff, instructors, and anonymous faces - that make this a great place to belong. Thank you to everyone!

[Larry Buchmann]

Chip,

What a great summary of the act of Confirmation.

In the book of Acts we see common people living their faith out boldly. What other better way to live our faith then with our children at home.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious.

Larry