Confirmation

2009 - 2010 Confirmation Schedule

Wednesday
September 9, 6:30 p.m. Student Orientation/Sign-up·        Parents and 7^th/9^th grade students attend required meeting
Wednesday September 16, 6:30 p.m. Student Orientation/Sign-up·        Parents and 8^th grade students attend required meeting·        6^th grade student/parent pre-confirmation mtg.
Wednesdays September 23 & 30, October 7, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Unit #1
Wednesday October 14, 6:30 p.m.
Memory Work #1
7^th – The Lord’s Prayer
8^th – First Article of Creed
9^th – LP: Intro-Petition 2
Wednesday October 21, 6:30 p.m. Unit #2
Wednesday October 28 No Confirmation Classes
Thursday October 29, 8:30 a.m. – noon No School Special
Wednesdays November 4 & 11, 6:30 p.m. Unit #2 continued
Monday November 9, 8:30 a.m. – noon No School Special
Wednesday November 18, 5:15 – 9 p.m. Confirmation Extravaganza Fieldtrip(for 8^th and 9^th graders only)No Confirmation Class for 7^th grade
Wednesday November 25 No Confirmation Classes
Wednesday December 2, 6:30 p.m.
Course Sign-upMemory Work #2·
7^th – The Apostles’ Creed·
8^th – Second Article of Creed·
9^th – LP: Petitions 3-5
Wednesday December 9, 16, 23, 30 No Confirmation Classes
Wednesdays January 6, 13, 27, 6:30 p.m. Unit #3
Wednesday January 20 No Confirmation Classes
Monday January 18, 8:30 – noon No School Special
Wednesday February 3, 6:30 p.m.
Memory Work #3·
7^th – The 10 Commandments·
8^th – Third Article of Creed·
9^th – LP: Petition 6-End
Wednesday February 10, 6:30 p.m. Unit #4
Sundays February 14 & 21, 6:30 p.m. Unit #4 continued
Sunday February 28, 6:30 p.m.
Course Sign-upMemory Work #4·
7^th – Books of the OT·
8^th – Commandments 1-5·
9^th – Baptism
Monday March 1, 8:30 – noon No School Special
Sundays March 7, 14, 21, 6:30 p.m. Unit #5
Sunday March 28, 6:30 p.m.
Memory Work #5·
7^th – Books of the NT·
8^th – Commandments 6-10·
9^th – Holy Communion
Wednesdays April 7, 14, 21, 6:30 p.m. Unit #6
Saturday April 17, 5:30 p.m. Confirmation Students Preach (9^th grade)
Sunday April 18, 8 & 10:30 a.m. Confirmation Students Preach (9^th grade)
Saturday April 24, 8 a.m. Confirmation Breakfast·        Parents, 9^th grade students, guests attend breakfast and rehearsal
Sunday April 25, noon Affirmation of Faith

Why do we have memory work?

There are multiple answers to this question. First, some of the things memorized for confirmation are items so important to our Christian identity that they must be committed to our hearts (note: another phrase for memory work is to “learn it by heart”). Just as it’s very important for a child to memorize his or her address and telephone number as part of their basic identity, so do Lutheran Christians need to have the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles’ Creed committed to their hearts as part of who they are.

Secondly, some memory work involves learning those things we may not always have memorized but the sheer work of memorization helps commit a learning to our brains. For instance, you may not always recall exactly where Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther can be found, but you will almost always recall that they are in the Old Testament and somewhere before Psalms.

Finally, it seems a number of studies have shown that memorization expands memory in general and helps us to use parts of our minds that might otherwise be underused. Memory work therefore helps us to better use our minds as God intended which makes us better stewards of God’s gift.