Bethany Lutheran Church

Please print and complete the order form for Confirmation pictures.  Please return the completed form along with your payment to the church office by October 25.

Register for Confirmation either online or with a mail-in/drop-off form found in the Registration packet 09-10. It includes the following:

• Registration form
• Parent Opportunities for Service form
• An overview of the program
• Important Dates for 2009/10
• Additional Confirmation Information

Questions?

Joni Grundman
303-300-3304
joni@bethany-denver.org

We, at Bethany, are so excited to be joining you and your family on this journey of faith through the rite of passage known as Confirmation.  In the Lutheran Church, we are baptized once, usually as babies, and brought into the family of God.  Parents, grandparents, sponsors and friends are to bring their children to church and raise them up in the faith, place the scriptures in their hands and talk with them about the story of God’s people, in which we are a part.  There comes a time in the lives of the youth, usually 7^th and 8^th grade, where the church formally steps in to help facilitate the journey with the help of parents.  Confirmation, or Affirmation of Baptism, is a time when the church helps the families learn the central teaching of the church which include; the Lord’s Prayer, 10 Commandments, Apostle’s Creed.  Other subjects taught include; worship, sacraments, Lutheran theology, and the Old and New Testament.

As Martin Luther became a preacher and teacher traveling around Germany and surrounding areas, he was astonished and outraged at the lack of knowledge the lay people had about their own faith, God and what they were not teaching their children.  He wrote the Small and Large Catechism with families in mind.  It is written in a question and answer form.  Children were to ask the questions and the parents, grandparents and other adults were to answer those questions.

In today’s world with the various talents and gifts given to us by God we, the church, have created formal programs to help instruct the youth in the ways of the faith.  Through media, interactive lessons, small groups, peers, retreats and large gatherings with music and speakers Bethany teaches the youth the core of our faith.

Yet, one thing that has not changed since Luther’s time is the home is the primary faith former in a child’s life.  Through life at home, watching and learning where family priorities lie; youth begin to form their own values, morals and faith.  How you talk or not talk about your faith shows your youth what is acceptable and not.  When you make decisions in your life that either reflect your faith, or go against your faith they notice and will do the same.  If you give them $10.00 for the movies and $1.00 for offering at church they see where your treasure goes and so follows your heart and theirs.  If you do not go to worship, Sunday school or Bible study then they will see that you do not value it for your own life, and why then should they?

For these reasons we ask that you join your children on this journey.  We provide many chances to volunteer in this ministry.  Enclosed is a parent volunteer sheet with a variety of opportunities with different commitment levels.  If you are not able to volunteer to work within the ministry, then we ask that you worship with your youth either on Wednesday evenings or on Sunday mornings.  We pray you go one step further and attend an education option either on Wednesdays while your youth is in Confirmation or on Sundays while your youth is in Sunday School.

Thank you so much for your time, energy, prayers and faith.  We look forward to being in ministry with you and your family.

Plan to Bake and Grow Spiritually
John 6: 35, 46-59

Big Idea: Get your recipe, ingredients, tools and BAKE!

Ritual: Take a few minutes to connect. Share your highs and lows from the week.

Devotional: Read John 6:35, 46-59 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Those who eat of me will live forever.” What does that mean to you? Think about this quote by Henri Nouwen: “The great paradox of our time is that many of us are busy and bored at the same time. While running from one event to the next, we wonder in our innermost selves if anything is really happening. While people keep pushing us in all directions, we doubt if anyone really cares.” (B&BB pg. 10) Are you ever busy and bored? Why do you think that is so? The word “companion” comes from the Latin cum pane: “with bread.” A companion is one with whom we share our bread. Who are your “companions?”

Caring Conversation: Mise en place = “put in place” Talk about your plan or routine for spiritual growth. What do you need to “put in place” for spiritual growth to happen?

1. A quiet place where you are undisturbed, and a comfortable chair?
2. A time that you are moving but can focus your mind towards God?
3. Your Bible, a journal, cross, candle, music?
4. When will you pray? When do you have energy?
5. If your prayer life is like a diet of food, what are you eating now? How could that look different? (B&BB pg. 25-27)

Service: Your service to each other is prayer. You each have a candle. Decide what time you will each light your candle during the week and pray for the other person. (It can be at the different times, i.e. adult at 7 am, youth at 9 pm). Tonight pray a prayer of Examen (prayerfully examine your day). Think back through your day and name the places where God was present: friends, sunrise, food, etc. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s presence with your companion.

Grinding Grain to Mix with Yeast of Life
Matthew 13:33

Big Idea: Holy Spirit YEAST! E Pluribus Unum! ‘From many one.’

Ritual: Take a few minutes to re-connect. Share your highs and lows from the week.

Devotional: Read Matthew 13:33 and talk about this parable. It describes a woman who puts her yeast in with flour to leaven her bread. “Three measures” is a little over one bushel = about 144 cups! This woman wanted to feed the whole village, not just her family. The kingdom of heaven is for everyone! On most days, are we ‘bread’ for many people or just ourselves?

Caring Conversation: Yeast is also called ‘leaven’ which comes from the word, ‘enliven’. The Yeast gives it’s life to the dough. Yeast is effective only when in the dough. Yeast is like the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit permeates our lives. The Good News of Jesus can permeate our lives. Does it live in your life every day or only on Sundays? Put your yeast packet into a bowl of warm water with some sugar and watch what happens. If it bubbles, the yeast is ‘active’ and good yeast. How is that like your faith life? Are you mixing the right yeast into your life; is it life-giving, sarcastic, playful, rude? Do you see God’s yeast in others actions: kindness, patience, and love? Talk about the yeast of your lives and other’s lives. (Make sure you are listening to each other and being AAA Christians (Available, Affirming, Authentic)!

Service: Your prayer type tonight is ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). With your companion name in prayer what you adore about God, want to confess to God, what you give thanks to God for and what you want to ask of God. Remind each other of your prayer times and candles. Talk about how that went and what happened when you thought about the other person praying for you.

Check out this newsletter from Metro CareRing – http://www.metrocarering.org/images/february%20carering%20contact.pdf