WUMC Confirmation Class 2010 - Begins March 7
Not long ago a person gave me a book that compiled children’s letters to God. Some of the elementary aged children’s questions posed to God made me chuckle and others were intriguing. If you have questions that seem a little silly or other deep questions about God, the life of faith, and/or the church, I invite you to take part in this year’s confirmation class. The only requirement is that you are in 8th grade or above.
We may not answer all of your questions; perhaps you may encounter other questions that may take years or a lifetime of wrestling in order to discover an answer. This year we will cover the same topics that previous years of confirmation classes have covered. We will be using a well-known and highly respected curriculum called Claim the Name. This will be our guide as we discover important doctrines relating to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We will explore aspects of Christianity while including Methodist emphasis where necessary. We will take a brief trip through our Methodist heritage, and we will have times for discussions, questions, and answers. Perhaps, the most important aspect of our confirmation class is the opportunity to deepen our faith.
Our classes will be on Sunday mornings from 9:45-10:30 beginning March 7 at the church. The confirmation class will run for approximately eight weeks. Please mark the dates in your calendars paying extra attention to when the classes will be held. If you are interested in being a part of this class or if you have any questions regarding confirmation, feel free to contact the church office.
Blessings,
Pastor Nick Perry
Confirmation Class 2010 Schedule
March 7 - Introduction and information meeting
• Homework: Complete Personal Data Form
March 14 - Overview of Christian Year: Focus on Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany
• Homework: 10-22
March 21 - Overview of Christian Year: Focus on Lent, Easter, and Pentecost
• Homework: 29-40
March 28 - Core Christian Beliefs: God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
• Homework: 53-58; 73-78
April 18 - Introduction to Hymnal, Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation
• Homework: 17-22
April 25 - Introduction to Methodist Heritage
• Homework: 23-28; 73-78
May 2 - Introduction to Methodist Beliefs
• Homework: 41-46; 65-72
May 22 (Saturday) - How to Grow in Our Faith: Scripture, Prayer, and Service
• Share a meal together (restaurant TBA)
• Homework: 59-64; 47-52
May 23, Pentecost Sunday- Introduction to the congregation during the worship service
Confirmation Class 2009
Invest Time in Our Youth – Reap Big Benefits
I am reminded of a crippled individual that Peter and John encountered in Acts 3. The begging man asked Peter and John for assistance. “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you,” responded Peter. We are not about to ask for your money, but for something deeper and more meaningful to our church and youth. Help us to “strengthen the ankles” of our youth, and together bask in the “wonder and amazement” of the ways that God might work through us - the modern-day Peters and Johns.
We are looking for parents and adults who are willing to invest a 90 minutes on a Sunday(s) evening in our youth. We know that volunteers come with different gifts and comfort levels. You will not be asked to “run” a program, but we do ask that you be willing to help in other ways. For example, you might enjoy being an active listener in our devotional time, or perhaps you would like to help ensure that games are played in a fun and safe manner.
We ask that you prayerfully consider a way in which you can “give” to the youth group. You can even invite a friend or spouse to come with you the Sunday evening on which you agree to volunteer.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Nick or Judy Toone at the church office 634-4800. We look forward to having you work alongside us for the remainder of this year as we invest time in our youth.
Recap of Youth Activities and Plans for 2010
As we start 2010, we thought we would recap all the Junior High happenings we have done so far! We started the year off with a pizza party. In October, we had a haunted tour of Old Fort Niagara, followed by a night of faith sharing with the Buffalo Bills in November. We had a different kind of gift exchange and a Christmas prayer station night in December. Whew! And that’s just the beginning of our year together! We will continue to meet every other week on Sunday evenings for more fun times together.
Our goal at the beginning of the year was to continue to meet every week with the Senior High Youth Group and every other week with Junior High. We recognize each of these groups as being at different levels socially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. We hoped to plug in at least two parent volunteers at each meeting so we would not have to combine the groups so they could continue to function as separate ministry areas.
Unfortunately, we have struggled with being able to adhere to this goal on a regular basis. We will continue to look for extra volunteers and ways to accomplish these goals. In the meantime, double-check the calendar below for specific dates. In addition, check in Weekly Messenger and the youth group pages on WUMC’s Web site (www.williamsvilleumc.org) for any changes to these schedules.