Dear Confirmation Class of 2005-2006 and Parents,

Greetings and welcome to this exciting time in your faith journeys! Confirmation as we understand it is that moment when young people explore what Christianity is all about and decide for themselves to claim their identities as followers of Jesus Christ. Preparation for being confirmed as a Christian through the United Methodist Church is a formational and transformational experience and I am eager to get started!

This year, along with our traditional components like retreats (both in the Fall and the Capstone Retreat in the winter), trips (to the Conference Confirmands' Rally with the Bishop and to visit other places of worship), final projects, and one on one interviews, we are excited to announce a revised class-time component through our church's new Youth Café Sunday morning discipleship program. Here's how it works:

While Confirmation has components throughout the year, the bulk of the Christianity 101 type of stuff will be taught in an 8-week class called MethodX Basics with me as the leader. The class is offered once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Then you get to choose three other classes in the other quarters that interest you and that fulfill the other categories of classes: namely Word, Work, and Worship. Choose when to take the MethodX class based on your family's scheduling needs and on when other classes that interest you are offered. Attached is a sheet spelling out these requirements for being Confirmed this year, look it over and if you have any questions feel free to call or email me.

Other reminders include:

1) Parents of Confirmands classeswill continue to meet once a month this year. These are opportunities for parents to hear about similar theological, faith application, and church history topics from trained clergy leaders in our church and to discuss these topics together as parents.

2) This year, each confirmand will be expected to keep a scrapbook of their worship experiences, their final project info, any life changing moments, etc. Each confirmand will bring this scrapbook with them to their one-on-one interview with a staff member from the church as a guide for discussion about how that confirmand is ready to claim the name Christian.

3) This year we will be offering the Lake Louise United Methodist Middle School Camp (August 6-12, 2006) as a chance for a Confirmation reunion trip. Together with your Confirmation class, travel to beautiful Lake Louise for a week of fun and super-strength in Christ through “SUPERZEROS”week, a look at how God favors the meek and the gentle. We'd like as many of our confirmation class to attend this camp as possible. Camp music/worship leadership and tall tale telling around the campfire by yours truly ... Carl Thomas Gladstone!

So on kickoff Sunday, September 11, we start up in full swing with the first session of Youth Caféclasses. Then on September 30-October 1 is our Fall Confirmation Retreat. I can't wait for all the fun and meaningful moment that I'm sure this Confirmation '06 class will bring!

Yours in Christ,

Carl Thomas Gladstone, Deacon