Philosophy

At Peace we believe in kids and understand the critically important privilege God has given us through parents to help raise them up in the faith. Therefore the Confirmation ministry is one of the most exciting and important ministries at Peace. During the 6th-8th grades kids are continuing to develop their independence and their own identity. This is true in matters of faith, as well. Confirmation is NOT a rite of passage for young adults to become full recipients of God’s grace. It is NOT a means by which they become "full" members of the congregation. NOR is it the necessary "ticket" they need to be deemed worthy of Heaven or Holy Communion. No! Confirmation is a means by which we help young adolescents dig deeply into the faith. They discover the in-depth riches of God’s love for them in Christ. They continue to discover that this Christian identity - this Christian faith - is not just mom’s and dad’s; grandma’s and grandpa’s; and the funny looking dude’s (the one who sits near us every week at church). No! These young people will learn and confess that "This faith is mine! Not because my parents say so, but because this is what I believe."

The instruction is offered as a three-year program and culminates in confirmation (most often in the Spring of the 8th grade year). This is normally the child’s "First Communion," as well.

Year 1 (6th grade)

The primary focus of the first year of confirmation is Bible Basics. Here we will discover the layout and structure of the Bible as well as the history of our family of faith—God’s people of all times and all places. We will discover God’s unfolding plan of salvation for us. Guess what??!! It started at the beginning of time, continues today, and will continue until Jesus comes again. Our goal is to foster a life-long appreciation and desire for the continued study of “God’s love letter” to us.

Here we discover in detail the six chief doctrines of the Lutheran faith: Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, Confession and Absolution, and the Office of the Keys. Guided by Luther’s Small Catechism, we will discover the Biblical-basis for what the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod believes, teaches, and confesses while always seeking to find God’s truth behind the question, "What does this mean?"

The focus of the 3rd year is "Faith and World." Here we want to guide the students in exploring what our faith has to say about issues we confront as residents of this planet. The student will discover Biblical responses to tough issues like "creation vs. evolution", "peer pressure", "Christianity and pop-culture", and much, much, more. The goal of this segment is to prepare the student to be able to think faithfully through the issues that await the high school years and beyond. This class has the advantage of being semi-self guided. Weekly, the student will choose one of several independent learning stations to engage. There she will evaluate various materials, media, scriptures and confessional documents in a comprehensive study of the issue at hand. After completing the self-study modules she will sign up to participate in a small group discussion with the pastor and other peers where the implications of the module are shared.