Communion before Confirmation
You will find resources associated with the Communion before Confirmation meetings on this page.
Baptism, Communion and Confirmation in Context
The set of slides are available in PDF format (264Kb).
Children in the Way
The Deanery Synod met in New Buckenham on Tuesday 21st January and the Children's Team from Old Buckenham led a discussion on the topical subject of nurturing our children through Communion before Confirmation. This web-page deals with our presentation and the responses it produced.
During the evening, the following two sets of questions were discussed.
You can find the responses that were noted on the response sheets during the meeting below. These may assist you in any preparations you may be having in your own church.
A lot of material is available about the processes in preparing congregations and children. The Guidelines agreed by House of Bishops (March 1997) can be found here. In the Norwich Diocese, the booklet "Let the Children Come'" is available from Diocesan House.
What does your baptism mean to you?
- Feeling of belonging
- An adult decision to belong
- Beginning of a journey of personal commitment
- Member of Christ's family
- Promises made on my behalf
- Public declaration of faith
- receiving the Holy Spirit
- Social 'norm'
back to top
What did you learn in your confirmation classes?
- How deep one's belief is
- Met new friends - fellowship
- Christ died for me and I am giving myself to him
- To question everything to strengthen my faith
- The importance of Communion
- The concept of "original sin"
- Basics of Christian belief
- "No comment" or "No idea"
- Not much of value
back to top
Why does the Church consider confirmation necessary?
- Positive proof of acceptance of God's word in your life
- Personal acceptance of faith
- A level of 'knowledge' of faith / Church structure
- A rite searching for a theology?
- Confession of common truths
- A rite of passage
back to top
At what stage in your life did your spiritual journey begin?
- At confirmation
- Age 11
- The last 8 years
- Sunday School at 3 years old
- Baptism - as a baby
- At birth
- Young teenager
- Day 1
- Faltering steps in infancy
- 7 years / regular teaching in faith
- At about 55 years
- Without knowing it from early "involuntary" attendance in church
- Church was a draw, faltered by inability to accept "official" teaching
back to top
How does the historical context challenge your earlier thoughts on confirmation as the requirement for communion?
- Shows a need to go back to original scriptures
- Not at all
- If from baptism (historical view) why wait 'til 7 years?
- Bound by recent tradition
- Still believe in confirmation as entry to communion
back to top
What obstacles to change exist within our churches and how can we address them?
- Change is not necessarily good
- Mainly tradition
- Need for common approval
- Ignorance of nature of confirmation
- Liturgy for children
- Physical Environment
- Communion service - language
- Large proportion of average congregation
- Age of congregation
- Frightened of change
- Differ for rural / metropolitan areas
- Taste [of wine]?
- Need children in church [as a prerequisite] to consider topic!
back to top
How important is communion before confirmation in encouraging families with children in church?
- Beliefs about 'communion'
- Not important
- A family occasion
- "Welcome" to God's family
- Feeling of belonging
- Children already come for a blessing
- Children feel involved
- Natural "family" celebration
back to top
Assuming children are accepted for communion before confirmation, what impact would this have on the welcome of families in your church?
- Children are always welcome, whatever
- "All age" worshipping community
- More impact in child's belief as they grow up
- Resentment from older members of the congregation
- No difference
back to top