At Immanuel Lutheran, Confirmation and First Communion take place two years earlier than in most Lutheran congregations. Children today are facing problems, ideas, and temptations at younger and younger ages. Our culture has shortened the "age of innocence." As a result children are confused and lost, searching for God's love and their own identity.

    Traditionally, confirmation class is for 7th and 8th graders, with Confirmation and First Communion coinciding with 8th grade graduation. In the days gone by, this might have been healthy for both the confirmand and the church. But this timing has led to many problems in our present climate. Today, students are far busier than in previous generations. They see and learn more of the world at earlier and earlier ages. Timing confirmation to the 7th and 8th grade has also given the confirmand a false sense of graduation. As a result of the way congregations go about instructing and involving students in the church, over 80% of the youth drop out of the church in the years following confirmation.

    At Immanuel Lutheran, confirmation can begin as early as the 5th grade and be completed by the end of the 6th grade year. We have found that by moving confirmation up two years, the children are much more interested in learning about Christ, competition for their attention is not as great in these earlier years, behavioral problems have been greatly reduced, and the students are able to digest the doctrines and demonstrate great spiritual depth. Unlike their older counterparts they openly share their faith, questions, and joys.

    We also believe that enabling students to participate in Holy Communion at these younger ages will be helpful to them as they face the trials and temptations so common among our young people today. Once they have completed their confirmation instruction, they will be permitted to attend the Lord's Supper regularly. This of course will reap great spiritual blessings and provide the student with a greater sense of the Holy and of being a child of God in the Church.

    If you would like your child to become involved in confirmation at an earlier age than is normally done, please talk with your pastor. If you are interested in being a member of the confessional church, we invite you to visit Immanuel and speak with her pastor, Rev. Craig Stanford.