Preparing for Baptism & Confirmation
Here are some resources from my training session on preparing older youth to adults for baptism and confirmation.
BELONGING KIT (UCA ASSEMBLY)
BELONGING KIT JOURNAL (35MB PDF)
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE BELONGING KIT CD (Limited quantities available)
This is a selection of background resources about baptism and confirmation.
Confirmation in the Uniting Church
Docbyte: Baptism – UCA Assembly
Emerging Trends in Confirmation (2018)
Life By Drowning (UCA Working Group on Doctrine 2004)
Belonging Kit – Contents
Planning for Baptism (Belonging Kit) by Craig Mitchell
Baptism – Beginning, Belonging, Becoming (Belonging Kit) by Craig Mitchell
What does the UCA believe about baptism? (Uniting in Worship 2)
Working Paper – Understanding Baptism
Reaffirming Our Baptism – A Proposal for Confirmation Reform by Craig Mitchell (Uniting Church Studies)
Creating A Rule Of Life (Episcopal Church USA)
Print and Video Resources
Our Story: We Are the Uniting Church
Video Series
Six short videos giving an overview of the Uniting Church – where we came from, who we are, our churches, our mission, our agencies, our schools, our values and commitments (about 8 mins each).
Video Titles
1. An Australian Church
2. Partnering in Mission
3. Our Congregations
4. Supporting Communities
5. Educating for Life
6. Ageing Well
Our Faith: We Are the Uniting Church
Video Series
Six short videos giving an overview of Christian beliefs from a Uniting Church perspective featuring a range of Uniting Church leaders including past Presidents Deidre Palmer and Andrew Dutney.
Video Titles
1. Believing in God
2. Believing in Jesus Christ
3. Believing in the Holy Spirit
4. Receiving the Scriptures
5. Living as God’s Church
6. Serving God’s Mission
Our Faith: We Are the Uniting Church
Video Series – Discussion Guide
Six sessions to accompany the Our Faith video series.
Dear Kim: This is what I believe
Bill Loader
Seven chapters exploring core Christian beliefs from a fresh perspective. Free to download.
Being Disciples
Rowan Williams
A brilliant, concise summary of what it means to be Christian in six short chapters.
See also the companion books
Being Christian
Being Human
Making Disciples
Will Willimon
A mentor-based approach to confirmation in 13 sessions. Leaders Guide, Participants’ Journal and Mentor’s Guide. From the United Methodist Church USA.
Chuck Knows Church
Chuck Knows Church is a series of short quirky videos featuring Chuck. these were oriiginally sponsored by the United Methodist Church USA and then Chuck decided to keep making more himself. There are videos covering a range of Christian beliefs, practices and language.
Re:form
Sparkhouse
Re:form is a curriculum for younger teenagers from Sparkhouse, a Lutheran publisher in the US. They also produce a Methodist supplement. The DVD can be purchased as hard copy or digitally. There is an Anti-Workbook for young people which is a great resource for choosing bits to use (or not).
The material is available digitally through Sparkhouse Digital.
Colaborate
Sparkhouse
Colaborate is another youth confirmation resource from Sparkhouse aimed at older teenagers, and also contains Mehtodist and Presbyterian supplements.
The material is available digitally through Sparkhouse Digital. It also sells through Cokesbury.
Animate
Animate is an adult series on Christian beliefs and practices from Sparkhouse in the US, featuring a range of well-known Christian speakers / writers / thinkers.The approach includes a ‘liberal’ take on Christian beliefs which is thoughtful and refreshing. There is also a journal which serves as a group study guide and personal resouce for learning.
The material is available digitally through Sparkhouse Digital.
Confirm
United Methodist Church USA
Confirm is another confirmation resource from the UMC with a comperehensive set of print resources and video, all available digitallty. There are six units, each with multiple sessions. The videos are 2-3 minutes each. There are two styles of video: YouTube-style & Whiteboard sketch-style.
1. Our Journey
2. Our History and our Heritage
3. Our Life Together
4. Our Beliefs
5. Our Theology
6. Our Faith and Calling
The material is available digitally through Cokesbury.
Big God, Big Questions
Presbyterian Church USA
PCUSA has a 12 unit curriculum for young people based on a series of questions. Print material is accompanied by posters and videos.
1. What is confirmation?
2. How do we know and trust God?
3. What is sin and gow do we turn from it?
4. Who is your Lord?
5. Who is your Savior?
6. What does it mean to be a disciples of Jessus?
7. What does it mean to show Christ’s love?
8. Will you devote yourself to the church’s teaching?
9. Will you devote yourself to the church’s fellowship?
10. Will you devote yourself to the breaking of bread?
11. Will you devote yourself to the prayers?
12. Are you ready to cross over?
The material is available digitally through the PCUSA store, however it doesn’t handle overseas sales! I had to email them just to get special access to buy a digital copy of the videos. Then I couldn’t buy the booklets so a friend in the US is ordering them for me…
Pilgrim
Church of England
Pilgrim is two series of group studies pubished by the Church of England in the UK. Each series consists of four six-session series including free videos. Series One called Follow introduces the Christian faith for newcomers or those exploring confirmation or affirming their faith. Series Two called Grow aims to develop a deeper level of discipleship.
1. Turning to Christ
2. The Lord’s Prayer
3. The Commandments
4. The Beatitudes
5. The Creeds
6. The Eucharist
7. The Bible
8. Church and Kingdom
The material is available through Church House Publishing.