| The purpose of Confirmation preparation is to ensure that those who are Confirmed have a proper understanding of what it means to live as a disciple of Christ within the life of the Church of England. In the Tring Team we hold Confirmation preparation classes for 10 weeks prior to the Confirmation service. We offer separate classes for young people as well as for adults. |
The pattern for the classes, which will start on the 15th September 2008, is as follows:
Topic |
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God |
Human nature and sin |
Jesus’ life and ministry |
Jesus’ death and resurrection |
Holy Spirit |
Creed and the Church |
The Bible |
Living a life of Christian Prayer |
Baptism & Confirmation |
Rehearsal - Eucharist |
Confirmation service |
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Where Confirmation takes place
Many people are Confirmed in the church or cathedral that they normally attend. However, people may also be Confirmed in another church in a service in which candidates from a number of different churches are combined together, and some children and young people are Confirmed at their school.
The Confirmation service for the Tring Team Parish will take place on 19 November 2008when we have the Bishop of Bedford, the Right Reverend Richard Inwood, coming to St Peter & St Paul.
The content of the Confirmation service
The Confirmation service begins with the Bishop asking the candidates to state whether they are ready to be Baptised or have been Baptised already and whether they are willing to affirm their faith in Jesus Christ. The Bishop then asks the candidates to repeat the renunciation all that is evil and the declaration of turning to Christ from the Baptism service.
If there are any candidates who have not been Baptised they are next Baptised by the Bishop. After this has taken place all the candidates join with the Bishop and the rest of the congregation in reciting the Creed as an expression of the Christian faith into which they were Baptised and which they are now affirming for themselves.
Using words based on Isaiah 11:2, the Bishop leads the people in praying for the Holy Spirit to rest upon those being Confirmed and following this Confirmation prayer the Bishop addresses each candidate by name and says:
‘[Name] God has called you by name and made you his own.’
The Bishop then lays his hand on the head of each candidate, saying
‘Confirm, O Lord, your servant [Name] with your Holy Spirit.’
Each candidate replies Amen..
When all have been Confirmed in this way, the Bishop invites the congregation to join with him in praying:
‘Defend, O Lord, these your servants with your heavenly grace, that they may continue yours for ever, and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more until they come to your everlasting kingdom. Amen.’
The Bishop may then use words of commissioning in which the candidates are able to express their determination, with the help of God, to live a life of Christian discipleship.
Return to Confirmation |