Parent & Confirmand Handbook

Class of 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS *Please Note: This booklet has double-sided pages

Confirmation: The Journey - What is It?.............................................................................Page 2

Confirmation – Schedule & Important Information..............................................................Page 3-4

Covenants of Baptism and Confirmation............................................................................Pages 5-8

Confirmation Covenants: Students, Parents, & Leaders…….............................................Page 8

Parent/Student Covenant Form…………………………………………………………………Page 9

House Leaders and Mentors……………………..................................................................Page 10

Attendance/Missed Class……………………………………………………………………..…Page 11

Confirmation………….........................................................................................................Page 11

Family Worship………… ………………………………………………………………………..Page 11

Google Classroom…………………………………………….................................................Page 11

Parent Volunteer Opportunities……………………………...................................................Page 11

Registration Forms…………………….................................................................................Page 11

Retreat…………………………………………………………………………………..…………Page 11

Spiritual Gifts Ministry.........................................................................................................Page 12

Meals……………………………………...............................................................................Page 12

Snow / Emergency Closing................................................................................................Page 12

Special Needs Youth.................................................................................... ....................Page 12

Worship Assistant Participation for Students................................................................... Page 12

Youth Sunday……………………………………………………………………………...…….Page 12

Medical Issues ……………………………………………………………..……………………Page 13

Guidelines for Illness……………………............................................................................Page 13

Expectations for Behavior and Discipline……..………………………………………………Page 14

Contact Information…………………………………….........................................................Page 12

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WHAT IS CONFIRMATION: THE JOURNEY?

Confirmation: The Journey is a 10-month faith journey for 8th grade and older students. Throughout Confirmation: The Journey, Priests, Students, and Adult Leaders spend time learning, sharing, serving, and having fun while we grow in faith, knowledge, and discipleship together.

The Course of Study consists of a Fall Retreat, 8 class session, & Confirmation Rehearsal.

Discipleship opportunities of Spiritual Gifts Ministry and Worship Leadership enrich this wonderful faith journey! At the end of the spring semester, students have the opportunity to affirm their faith and the baptismal vows their parents & godparents made for them when they were younger.

A Note to Our Students:It is our prayer that you will learn and grow in faith, in love and grace, and in your understanding of God’s Word of and God’s gifts to all people: unconditional love, amazing grace and forgiveness. We pray that, through our sharing, prayer, study, and fellowship, you will begin to discover the incredible gifts that God has given you and that God will bless you, lead you, and strengthen you to use those gifts. We pray that your actions, thoughts, and words will glorify God, and will reflect God’s love, and a blessing to all people. May God bless you and your family in this most wonderful part of your faith journey!

CONFIRMATION CURRICULUM: We are pleased to share that we are using “My Faith, My Life” Confirmation Curriculum, written by Jenifer Gamber and published by Church Publishing. This curriculum is rich with information and enrichment resources. To learn more, visit their website at: www.myfaithmylife.org. We are also including an online resource that can be accessed via smart phone or computer, “Called to Mercy”. Each session will require the student to have read one chapter of My Faith, My Life (MFML) and complete one module of Called to Mercy (CTM).

CONFIRMATION: THE JOURNEY SCHEDULE & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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September 22-23, 2018 *RETREAT*

TIME: 3:00 pm – 11:00 am

LOCATION: MacColl Auditorium

ADULT LEADER: Jim Weiss

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 9: The Mission of God: What’s Your Ministry

CTM MODULE: Module 1: Nice to Meet You!

October 21, 2018 *MENTOR SUNDAY*

TIME: 12:30-2:00 pm

LOCATION: MacColl Auditorium

ADULT LEADER: Erika Bower

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 1: Baptism and Confirmation: Beginnings

CTM MODULE: Module 2: True Happiness

November 18, 2018

TIME: 12:30-2:00 pm

LOCATION: MacColl Auditorium

ADULT LEADER: Rev. Marek Zabriskie

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 2: The Bible: Stories about Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

CTM MODULE: Module 3: The Gift of Happiness

December 16, 2018

TIME: 11:00 am-1:30 pm

LOCATION: Christ Church, Philadelphia – Service, Lunch & Guided Tour

ADULT LEADERS: *Chaperones & Drivers will be needed*

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 3: Knowing Our History

CTM MODULE: Module 4: Doing What We Believe

January 25, 2019

TIME: 5:00 pm-TBD

LOCATION: Beth Or

ADULT LEADER: Emily Given *Chaperones & Drivers will be needed*

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 4: Faith: What Do We Believe

CTM MODULE: Module 6: When We Hurt

February 24, 2019

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TIME: 12:30-2:00 pm

LOCATION: MacColl Auditorium & Church

ADULT LEADER: Michael Smith

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 5: Worship: Responding to God’s Blessings

CTM MODULE: Module 7: What’s It All About?

March 24, 2019 *MENTOR SUNDAY*

TIME: 12:30-2:00 pm

LOCATION: MacColl Auditorium & Church

ADULT LEADER Rev. Liz Costello

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 6: Sacraments: Signs of Grace

CTM MODULE: Module 8: It’s Me and We

April 28, 2019

TIME: 12:30-2:00 pm

LOCATION: Haas Hall, Cheston Chapel, & Labyrinth

ADULT LEADER: Sarah Elliott

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 7: Spirituality: Created for Prayer

CTM MODULE: Module 9: Beyond These Walls

May 19, 2019

TIME: 10:00 am-12:00 pm

LOCATION: Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral

ADULT LEADER: Canon Betsy Ivey

MFML CHAPTER: Ch. 8: Navigating the Church: From Local to Worldwide Church

CTM MODULE: Module 10: Confirmed to Witness Mercy

The Beginning of your Faith Journey:4

The Day you were baptized!

GOD’S COVENANT WITH YOU

These are the VOWS that were made to God for you by your parents and sponsors at the time of Your Baptism: (taken from the Book of Common Prayer)

Celebrant: The Candidate(s) for Holy Baptism will now be presented.

Parents and Godparents: I present  (name) to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.

Celebrant: Will you be responsible for seeing that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and life?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God's help.

Celebrant: Will you by your prayers and witness help this child to grow into the full stature of Christ?

Parents and Godparents: I will, with God's help.

Then the Celebrant asks the following questions of the candidates who can speak for themselves, and of the parents and godparents who speak on behalf of the infants and younger children

Question Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?Answer I renounce them. Question Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of

God?Answer I renounce them. Question Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?Answer I renounce them. Question Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?Answer I do. Question Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?Answer I do.

Question Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?

Answer I do.

After all have been presented, the Celebrant addresses the congregation, saying

Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?

People We will.

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The Celebrant then says these or similar words

Let us join with those who are committing themselves to Christ and renew our own baptismal covenant.

The Baptismal Covenant

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father?People I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?People I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, He was conceived by the power of the Holy

Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 Celebrant Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?People I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and

in the prayers?People I will, with God's help. Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and , whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the

Lord?People I will, with God's help.

Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?People I will, with God's help. Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?People I will, with God's help. Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every

human being?People I will, with God's help.

THE VOWS YOU WILL MAKE WHEN YOU AFFIRM YOUR BAPTISM (CONFIRMATION):

Bishop: The Candidate(s) will now be presented.

Presenters: I present these persons for Confirmation.

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The Bishop asks the candidates: Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil.

Candidate I do.

Bishop: Do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?

Candidate: I do, and with God's grace I will follow him as my Savior and Lord.

After all have been presented, the Celebrant addresses the congregation, saying

Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?

People We will.

The Celebrant then says these or similar words

Let us join with those who are committing themselves to Christ and renew our own baptismal covenant.

The Baptismal Covenant

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father?People I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?People I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, He was conceived by the power of the

Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 Celebrant Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?People I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread,

and in the prayers?People I will, with God's help. Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to

the Lord?People I will, with God's help.

Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?People I will, with God's help. 

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Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?People I will, with God's help. Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every

human being?People I will, with God's help.

CONFIRMATION: THE JOURNEY - FAITH COVENANTS

As Priests, Leaders, and Students we will: Make it our priority to attend Confirmation sessions. Be responsible to call if we are going to be absent Be prompt. Be well prepared, through prayer, study, and reflection. Be reliable. Be good listeners. Be flexible. Be trustworthy. Attend Worship and Educational opportunities regularly. Spend time in daily devotions, Bible study, and prayer. Respect boundaries. We will respect issues of confidentiality in all instances except those which might affect the

safety of the individual or others.We ask God to help and guide us.

As Parents we will: Make it our priority for our child to attend Confirmation sessions Be prompt Be responsible to call if our child will be absent Review curriculum from missed class time with our child Discuss questions on required worksheet for missed classes with our child Assist our child with homework and Worship Notes Share our gifts and time serving as a parent volunteer Be reliable. Be good listeners. Be flexible. Be trustworthy. Attend Worship and Educational opportunities regularly. Spend time in daily devotions, Bible study, and prayer. Respect boundaries. We will respect issues of confidentiality in all instances except those which might affect the

safety of the individual or others.We ask God to help and guide us

CONFIRMATION COVENANT FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS* Each family will be given a copy of this Covenant to read, prayerfully consider, and sign.

Please Print:__________________________________ AND _____________________________

(Parent(s)’ Names) (Student’s Name)

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We have been called by God to be a family. At the baptismal font, parents promise before God, to bring you to the services of God’s house, place in your hands the Holy Scriptures, and teach you the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and the Ten Commandments. This process of preparation for the child to affirm their own faith in Jesus Christ and membership God’s Church is a very important milestone on the road of life-long Discipleship.St. Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh invites you to partner with our priests, adult leaders, to lend your strong support to our Confirmation: The Journey ministry by taking time FROM your busy schedules each week this year to:

Continue fulfilling your promises in baptism Worship together as a family weekly Have student attend Sunday School on a regular basis Support child’s participation in worship as an acolyte, usher, greeter, or reader Support student’s participation in group and individual Spiritual Gift Ministry Review and discuss homework from missed classes. Be certain student completes and

turns in handout regarding missed curriculum. Volunteer as parent to be involved in one key area of service and support the

Confirmation program Call the Erika Bower when child must miss a class or any other Confirmation activity Pray for each other daily

May God richly bless this sacred covenant, that together, we, the body of Christ and family of God, can help nurture a deep and abiding faith relationship in your child, with Jesus Christ, which will last a lifetime!

I promise to fulfill this covenant to the best of my ability!

_________________________________(Parent(s)’ Signature)

AND

___________________________________(Student’s Signature)

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WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS A HOUSE LEADER AND/OR MENTOR?

A House Leader and/or Mentor is a Christ centered adult who has exhibited his/her commitment as a Christian in the ways he/she shares his/her God given gifts and blessings with others seeking to glorify God and to be a blessing to all people. He / She is an individual who is a joyful reflection of God’s love, a graceful and grace-filled example of God’s grace and forgiveness, and someone who really cares about YOU!

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A HOUSE LEADER?

Your House Leader will: Pray for you each day Listen to your ideas, needs, and concerns Help to guide you in your faith journey Be an example to you of an individual who is deeply committed to God, to God’s

people, and to YOU. Lead you in discussions about what you have studied that session and in the weeks

before

On occasion, House Leaders will have special projects to work on with you, individually and/or together such as:

Service Projects House Fellowship events Sharing an opening or closing prayer for our sessions Serving in Worship in particular, serving at Sunday and Special worship services, such

as Youth Sunday.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A MENTOR?

Your Mentor will: Pray for you each day Work together with you to find regular times when you can meet and get to know each

other. Listen to your ideas, needs, and concerns Help to guide you in your faith journey Be an example to you of an individual who is deeply committed to God, to God’s

people, and to YOU. Want to know YOU, where you are in your journey of faith and in all the regular Stuff of

your life Be a person to go to when you have questions or need clarification. Attend Mentor Sundays & present you for Confirmation

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Attendance/ Missed Class:We encourage you to bring your child to class each session. Much is to be gleaned fromgroup learning and sharing! Should your child be absent, please review with your child themissed curriculum and complete any work that is required. Please bring the completed make-up assignment to class the next time you attend. *Curriculum for missed class will be available on Google Classroom.

Confirmation:Each year, we celebrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to each of us as we walk our discipleship journey and our students who have fulfilled the expectations of class attendance, Spiritual Gifts Ministry and participation have the opportunity to affirm for themselves the vows that were made for them at the time of their baptism. Confirmation is celebrated at the 10:00 Worship Service. A light reception will follow in MacColl Auditorium.

Family Worship:As Christians, worship is a most important part of our lives! We pray that you and your family experience the joy of worshipping together. Many families enjoy worshiping together at 9:15 am and 10:00 am during the school year, as interesting Adult Educational opportunities are offered from 11:15 am, while youth are in Sunday School. Summer Worship is always a special time for families to worship together! Interwoven with all the things we learn, share, and do, we emphasize worship as a part of our daily lives and a part of our church life together.

Google Classroom: Individual handouts with instructions with passwords for each student will be distributed in the welcome packet Confirmands will receive after registration. This online toll enables us to communicate and share with each other. Class agendas, presentations, and links to YouTube and other video clips are included for each week. We might throw in some extra fun stuff just to see if you’re paying attention 😊

Parent Volunteer Opportunities: As you join and support your children on this journey of faith, we ask that you make a commitment to serve as a volunteer in at least one of the many volunteer opportunities we have for parents. A Parent Volunteer Sign Up link will be distributed to all parents. Thank you for prayerfully considering where you can best share your God-given gifts, time, and love with our youth and others!

Registration Forms:To help us provide a safe and nurturing place for your children, we require all students to have completed Registration Forms before coming to class. Registration Forms are mailed to all prospective students whose families are members of our family of faith in mid-Augustof each year. They can also be found in the Narthex of the Main Church Entrance, and on our website: www.stthomaswhitemarsh.org/youth. These Registration Forms require a parent signature and will be kept in a locked place to ensure your privacy.

Retreat:One of the highlights of our Confirmation: The Journey is our fall retreat. A weekend Retreat takes place in the Fall of each year. This Retreat features study, exploration, and fun! During the retreat, students will be assessed for to find their spiritual gifts. This is assist us in matching students with mentors as well as helping us direct them to find the ministry they will serve in for the year. It is a

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wonderful bonding opportunity for students and adults! Parents are needed to serve as chaperones for Retreats.

Spiritual Gift Ministry: Each of the four Gospels share Jesus commands to love God most of all, to love each other as He has loved us, to love our neighbors as ourselves. Sharing our time, our gifts, and God’s love in service to others is a most joyful way to follow what Jesus commands us to do - living out our lives in faithful service to our loving Lord and to His glory! On our Confirmation Journey we celebrate the many opportunities we have to serve others. Throughoutthe year we will you to share and serve with us. Students are required to serve within a ministry area during the months of October through May with the ability to continue within the ministry after their confirmation or try something new. Some of these ministries are listed below. These Spiritual Gift Ministry opportunities are times when students & mentors can spend time together - joyfully serving our loving Lord!

Flower Guild Outreach Altar Guild Children Music Hospitality Worship Newcomers

Meals:Each session, meals will be provided. Meals during on campus days are donated, set up, and cleaned up by parents who will be placed on a Meal Team Schedule by a parent Volunteer Meal Coordinator. Thank you for helping with meal time - a special treat each week and an opportunity for youth and adults to relax and socialize. Meals during off campus sessions will be held at a local restaurant.

Snow/Emergency Closing:In cases of inclement weather that require us to cancel Confirmation, we will use email and social media to leave families a message that class has been cancelled. Should you have any questionsabout class being cancelled, please call Erika at the office at (215)233-3970x128. You may also call Erika on her cell phone: (469)274-3488.

Special Needs Youth: We welcome youth with special needs and ask that their parents call Erika Bower,Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministry, to schedule a time when we can meet with them before their child attends class, so we can plan together how to best help their child become a happy and involved member of the class. Erika can be reached by email, phone or text.

Worship Assistant Participation:Confirmation students will learn about worship in class and are encouraged to experience the joy of serving in weekly Sunday Worship services. Students are invited to receive training in the varied Worship Assistants roles and serve as often as possible.

Youth Sunday:Each year our youth have the opportunity to share their gifts by serving in worship. Youth, 6th through 12th grades, lead 10:00 am worship service on Youth Sunday.

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Preparation and rehearsal times will be added to the schedule when the date in confirmed. Generally, Youth Sunday is held on the Sunday following Easter. All confirmation students are required to participate in Youth Sunday.

MEDICAL ISSUES

Allergies: Parents of children who have allergies to food, insects, or other allergens are asked to share that information on their child’s Confirmation Registration Form. The information provided will be confidentially shared with the appropriate adults.

Medications: If your child is taking a medication you feel we should be aware of, please share thatinformation on your child’s Registration Form. The information provided will be confidentially shared with the appropriate adults.

GUIDELINES FOR ILLNESS - CONFIRMATION CLASS andSPIRITUAL GIFT MINISTRY ATTENDANCE:

The health of your family is important to us! These Guidelines for Attendance have beenimplemented as a way of helping all who join us in Confirmation keep healthy. Thank you for reading them and following them! Please use these guidelines when you are trying to decide whether your child should attend Confirmation if he / she is feeling ill. We ask that teachers and other volunteers use these same guidelines for themselves - as we want to share God’s Word and love in Confirmation - but not the kinds of viruses, infections that are easily transmitted to others!

Please do not send your child to Confirmation if he/she has a cold with symptoms of green or yellow mucus discharge which indicate that your child might have a contagious infection. Please note the following guidelines for specific illnesses when considering whether to send your child to Confirmation class or Spiritual Gifts Ministry:

Fever: Fever free for 24 hours Diarrhea/Vomiting: Free of onset for 24 hours Conjunctivitis, ringworm, strep throat, impetigo: 24 hours after treatment begins Measles: 6 days after onset of rash. Mumps: 9 days after onset of swelling Chicken Pox: 6 days after onset of rash or after all lesions are crusted Headlice: Please notify Erika Bower if your child has head lice, as soon as you have detected them.

Thank you for following these guidelines! We pray that they will help us provide a healthy environment where your children

can learn about and experience the Good News of God’s love.

EXPECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE:13

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we strive to treat each other with love, grace, kindness, and respect. We pray that our children and youth experience the love and grace of our Lord in all our ministries at St.Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh. We pray they will share love, grace, kindness and respect with others.

Much time is spent together sharing how Jesus wants us to live and to behave - as He so graciously did in His time on earth. Our priests and leaders prayerfully strive to be loving examples of Christ - like behavior.

Discipline will be handled with love and respect for the child. Gentle reminders and in some casesseparation from the group may be implemented. Children who require separation from the groupwill have an opportunity to settle and to talk about how we are called to behave with a leader. Behaviors that do not respond to these methods will be discussed with the child’s parent. Parents are always welcome to discuss these and any other issues with our priests, our leaders, or our Director of Children, Youth, & Family Ministry.

CONTACT INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW:We are always happy to speak with you! Please feel free to call!

Church Office: 215-233-3970

Rev. Marek Zabriskie, Rector: (W) 215-233-3970 x 120 E-Mail: mzabriskie@stthomaswhitemarsh.org

Rev. Liz Costello, Assistant Rector: (W) 215-233-3970 x 122 E-Mail: ecostello@stthomaswhitemarsh.org

Erika Bower, Director of Children, Youth, & Family Ministry: (W) 215-233-3970 x 128 E-Mail: ebower@stthomaswhitemarsh.org(C) 469-274-3488 *text to be added to GroupMe Youth Chat*

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @stwyouth

Website: www.stthomaswhitemarsh.org

*PLEASE NOTE*As soon as we have received all our Registration Forms, we will print and distribute a complete listing

of all students and leaders. This listing will include names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Space for Notes and Personal Reminders: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(updated Jan. 2018)

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