Confirmation Instruction The staff at Redeemer considers it a great privilege to partner with you in the Christian instruction of your child.   With this new confirmation year comes new changes with the confirmation ministry.  Both seventh and eighth grade will merge to form one class.  Classes will take on a workshop format with multi-media, small group and large group activities.  There will be seven seminars this year which will meet on Saturdays once a month.  (See scheduled class dates.)   We look forward to teaming up with you to give the best instruction possible in God’s Word and the Christian faith.    Scheduled Class Dates: September 20 October 18 November 8 December 13 January 10 February 14 March 21   To read or print out a Worship Summary form click here to go to our Forms Page . To read or print out a Family Discussion Guide - Week 1 click here to go to our Forms Page .     See It, Say It, Hear It: Memory Work Made Easier   Almost every congregation requires memory work as a part of confirmation studies.  Before you panic, think for a minute about all the things you memorize on a regular basis – without even trying! ü      Lyrics to your favorite songs ü      Multiplication tables ü      Spelling bee words   Memorizing isn’t that hard especially if you take a minute to learn a little bit about how to do memory work so that you will be better prepared for your assignments.   When you study your memory work, you want to focus on the text in every way possible.  Here are some practical steps:   Choose a quiet place with few distractions (no TV, radio or computer) Carefully read your memory work assignment out loud up to seven times in a row.  (This sounds like it will take forever, but even long passages will take only three minutes.)  As you read, listen to yourself speak. Close your study book and see how much you can say out loud without mistakes. When you can say the memory work assignment without opening your book, find someone who will listen to you recite the passage and correct your mistakes. Choose a regular time of day when you can study (e.g., before or after a meal, after you get home from school). Talk with your parents about using the assigned memory work sections as the basis of your family devotions. Usually, assigned memory work is reported back in a written form.  Sometimes, if you prefer, you may be able to speak your memory work sections to your teacher personally rather than writing them down.  This is done especially if taking a “test” makes you nervous.  Speak to your teacher to work out the best way for you to accomplish your memory work assignments.   During the First Year Confirmation Class you will be memorizing the Ten Commandments and the Lutheran Explanation of these commandments as found in the “Small Catechism” and the names of the books of the Bible.  These specific items will be reviewed in class together, discussed in the context of our lesson time, and included as an option for doing further study as a “Self-Directed Learning Project.”   As we memorize the Books of the Bible we will become more familiar with their content and the message God gave to us through them.  Knowing the names of the books of the Bible helps each of us be better able to use our own Bibles to find passages of meaning, speak the important names and concepts of Scripture confidently aloud and develop an understanding of the broad expanse of God’s Word down through the ages.    Learning the Ten Commandments and the Lutheran Explanation from the “Small Catechism” helps us take God’s commands to Moses – and to every generation since – and understand it from a scriptural and personal perspective.   \ Acolyting: Each student will be assigned to serve about once every six (6) weeks. The new students will be trained in the first few weeks of Confirmation Instruction Each student is responsible to serve as scheduled. If you are unable to serve as scheduled: You are responsible to secure your own replacement (trade with someone else on the list at a time you know you can serve and inform the church office if the switch) You may have to change your plans so you can be there when scheduled. Sometimes fulfilling our responsibilities requires a little self-sacrifice. Acolyting isn’t just “lighting the candles.” No worship service takes place without an acolyte as the first act of worship by the community.  The flame which the acolyte lights the candles with represents God’s presence among us as we begin worship. This seemingly simple and insignificant job truly is very important and essential for each worship service. Acolyte Duties   1.  Be at church 15 minutes before the service is to begin.   2.   Come to the office area to get robed before the service and receive last minute instructions from one of the staff people.  Robing consists of: a.   putting on the acolyte robe b.   tying the robe with a cincture belt c.   white gloves (only on special occasions)   3.   A taper is what you use to light the candles with.  The staff member getting you ready to acolyte will light the taper before you go out to light the candles.  After you've extinguished the taper wick, always extend the wick out the neck of the taper to avoid it from getting all gummed up with melted wax.   4.   When the organist/pianist begins the pre-service music (or when the staff person directs you), the acolyte begins the process of acolyting.   LIGHTING THE CANDLES:   A.  Walk slowly and with reverence to the center of the chancel (front of the church), make a square cornered left hand turn, walk up three steps and stop before the step by the communion rail.  Bow - slowly and reverently - towards the altar.  (You are acknowledging the fact that you are stepping into a holy area.)   B.  Making square corners (think “military”) at each turn go to the right side and light the candles in this manner: right -  low high - walk to the left side, staying behind the altar left -    low high come to the front by way of the left side of the altar At Communion Services:                           At Non-Communion Services: light -  altar left candle                                       Skip this part altar right candle   C.  Walk to the center of the chancel in front of the altar and walk down the first step by the communion rail.  Turn to face the altar and bow - slowly and reverently.   D.  Walk straight down the three steps (as if you were going down the center aisle to leave) making a right hand turn by the front pew.  On Special Sundays and days when there is a Baptism at the service, you will light the single Pascal Candle (the one in front of the Pulpit).   E.  Then proceed to the office, extinguish your taper, hang it up on the hook and sit in the front row in front of the pulpit, unless you have been told to sit somewhere else by the staff.   ASSISTING WITH COMMUNION: When communion is served, go forward to the communion rail when the elders come forward, kneel and receive a blessing.  When Pastor is done communing the elders, go behind the altar rail stopping to bow towards the altar before stepping up, stand to the left of the altar, (as you are looking at it) and wait for further instructions from one of the pastors regarding the collection of the communion cups.  When finished with your communion duties,       1.   Step down the communion rail step, turn and bow towards the altar.       2.   Return to your seat   EXTINGUISHING THE CANDLES: A.  Watch for Pastor to nod to you during the final hymn.  If for some reason this doesn’t happen, be sure you start by about the second verse of the final hymn. During the Praise Worship services, begin extinguishing the candles when the pastors leave the chancel area. B.  Walk to the office to get your taper and walk to the chancel in the same manner you did when you were lighting the candles … only this time proceed with the following pattern to extinguish the candles:             Left:    high                         low – walk to the right side, staying behind the altar             Right: high                         low             Come to the front of the altar by way of the right side.         At communion services:                                               At non-communion services:             Extinguish:    Altar Right                                                     Skip this part                                     Altar Left C.  Walk to the center of the chancel in front of the altar and begin to walk down the first step by the communion rail, turn to face the altar and bow – slowly and reverently. D.  Walk straight down the three steps (as if you were going down the center aisle to leave) making a right hand turn by the front pew.  On Special Sundays and days where there is a Baptism at the service, you will extinguish the single Paschal Candle (the one in the front of the Pulpit.) E.  Hang up your taper on the hook, take off your acolyte gown and hang it back in the closet you got it from.   Simple Acolyting Reminders: 1.   Bow when you go into and come out of the chancel area.  Always bow toward the altar. 2.   Order for lighting candles is:       Right – low, high                        Left – low, high         Left altar, Right altar,           (Paschal Candle) 3.   Always follow along with the service. 4.   At Communion Services, go forward with the elders to the communion rail, receive a blessing, go behind the communion rail and stand to the left of the altar to await further instructions.  Remember:  Each time you go behind the communion rail or come away from it you should bow towards the altar. 5.   During the last hymn, watch Pastor and be ready to finish your acolyting duties when he nods to you. 6.   Order for extinguishing candles is:       Left – high, low               Right – high, low      Right altar, Left altar            (Paschal Candle) 7.   Take off your robe and cincture in the conference room and hang them up in the closet.