The document discusses proposed changes to confirmation programs. The author believes confirmation should be moved from day schools to evening programs and become the core junior high youth program. Everything from Sunday school to servant events and retreats should stem from confirmation. The author also believes confirmation should follow the catechism and be taught from fathers to children, proposing putting more responsibility on parents through online lessons, podcasts, and apps. The author provides ideas for making confirmation a positive experience like weekend retreats, public questioning events, and service projects.

1. Confirmation in the
21st Century

2. In order for this to work ...
• I want to have some open and honest
discussion
• Take it or leave it I am sharing with you
what I think and what I feel should be done
• Challenge my thinking (in a Jesus way) and
ask questions the only way to learn is to
ask.

3. • I plan to answer why I have these certain
opinions - which might hopefully change the
way that you and/or your congregation run
their confirmation program.
• Then give you some practical ways to help
change the way to change confirmation for
the better.

4. Information about
me...Boring
• I am a DCE/Principal in Hannibal, MO
• I have been in teaching and DCE and
principal ministry for 19+ years
• Have overseen confirmation programs for
the last 8+ years in different parishes
• With Confirmation classes ranging from
50+ to 7 youth

5. 1. I believe that Confirmation should be taken
out of our day schools and made as an
evening program.

6. 1. I believe that Confirmation should be taken
out of our day schools and made as an
evening program.
2. Your Church’s Confirmation program is
your congregations Jr. High Youth program
and everything should stem out of it.

7. 1. I believe that Confirmation should be taken
out of our Lutheran day schools and made
as an evening program.
2. Your Church’s Confirmation program is
your congregations Jr. High Youth program
and everything should stem out of it.
3. I believe that we need to follow the first
line of the Catechism which states that “This
should be taught from Fathers to their
children.”

8. I know this will be
somewhat
controversial.

9. I believe that Confirmation
should be taken out of our day
schools and made as an evening
program.

10. What are we trying to
accomplish with
Confirmation?

11. What was your
confirmation like and
what year was it?

14. • When we keep it in our schools we exile
students that do not attend during the
program
• If we move it to the night we connect the
youth with each other
• We can also do more with the religion class
we have in our Lutheran schools

15. Your Church’s
Confirmation program is
your congregations Jr.
High Youth program and
everything should stem
out of it.

16. First Stop Calling it
Confirmation
Call it what it is
Christian Discipleship
Training (CDT)
Call it what it is
Christian Discipleship

17. Sunday
School
Servant
Events
Confirmation
Jr. High
Youth
Fun Events
Small
Groups
Retreats

18. Sunday
School
Other
Ministry
Small
Groups
Confirmation
Fun
Activities
Servant
Events
Retreats

19. I believe that we need
to follow the first line
of the Catechism which
states that “This should
be taught from Fathers
to their children.”

20. • Why can’t we put more responsibility on
the parents?
• Why can’t we put all the lessons online and
force our student to (as a family unit)
Go to youtube and watch them or
Podcast our lessons for them to listen to in
a round table discussion with the pastor,
DCE, teacher, Elder
Why can’t we make our teaching into an app
- “There’s an app for that”

21. • These would all be ways that we can help
families teach their child (and still have the
control that the church wants over their
learning).

22. Thoughts and
Questions

23. Remember that this is
not your Father’s
Confirmation Era

24. Ideas
• The two year rotation - Small Group Large
Group - and make it an experience
✓ Have your Sr. High mentor your Jr. High
✓ Start the evening with a chapel or opening
✓ Get the youth involved with a game or
activity to start

25. • In all that we do we should not teach but
make Confirmation an experience for the
youth
• Something that they will enjoy and want to
attend week in and out

26. • Use different ways to get your point across
• Use active openers and thought provoking
questions
• Get to know your youth don’t just teach
them
• Use movie clips to get the point across

27. Like this for prayer

29. The First
Commandment and
what God thinks about
other gods
The First
Commandment and
what God thinks about

31. What about this???
• Confirmation Retreat
✓ Have confirmation for 4 days at a camp
✓ 26 hours of education (same as in a
midweek setting)
✓ Plus you can have more fun and get to
know the youth

32. OR

33. What about this
• Confirmation retreat
✓ Have a weekend retreat for each part of
the Catechism
✓ In between each have a assignment
(project or something)

34. What about ...
• Instead of having a paper done at the end of
Confirmation have the students do a
service project and report on that to the
congregation

35. Or what about ...
• Having public questioning for your
confirmands
✓ But do this as a Jeopardy event in your
church
✓ Have prizes for all the youth
✓ Let them have fun with it and do it during
Sunday School time

36. Any other ideas that
you can think of?

37. • Email - mkoenig@stjohnshannibal.org
• Skype - mattkoenig1
• Facebook - Matt Koenig
• Twitter - @mattkoenig