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By Ayanna Eckblad

The school year has begun, and children are busy getting ready for classes, clubs, sports and other activities. For many students in the community, the beginning of the school year also means the start of confirmation classes.

Confirmation is a sacrament or rite practiced by several church denominations. In the Lutheran Church, it typically involves middle school age students taking two years of classes leading to a special ceremony.

Eileen Woyen, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Albert Lea, spoke on the subject of confirmation, explaining a little of what it is and its significance.

“It’s really about creating a deeper relationship with the kids so they know the church is there for them and that I, as their pastor, am invested in their life,” Woyen said. She explained that she prefers to call confirmation “affirmation of baptism.” She said this name is a more accurate description of what the students are doing.

“So many times, ‘confirmation’ equals ‘graduation’ and that’s totally not it,” she said. “It’s almost like a commencement — the beginning of something.”

Unlike many churches, Trinity Lutheran Church has a special classroom space dedicated to confirmation. There, students attend classes with themes of learning, service, worship and fellowship. This includes teachings on the Bible, theology, involvement in worship services and other activities Woyen said she considers “fun stuff.”

“It’s an opportunity for them to explore their faith and make the decision to take their faith as their own,” she said.

In addition to Albert Lea students, Trinity Lutheran Church partners with First Lutheran Church in Glenville, where she also leads.

Woyen teaches classes along with two other volunteers. Students are also given a mentor during this time to help them in their faith journeys. The more people the better, Woyen said, when it comes to being involved in students’ lives.

While many churches practice confirmation for students in seventh and eighth grade, Trinity Lutheran Church’s confirmation is intended for students in eighth and ninth grade. Woyen said this age is preferable to her as students have a better grasp of some of the abstract concepts presented. It also makes things easier as eighth- and ninth-graders both go to Albert Lea High School.

“This age is such a pivotal time in their brain development,” Woyen said. “It’s when they’re figuring out who they are as opposed to their parents.”

She added that it is one of her favorite ages to teach.

This year, the combined two grades will make up a class of 23 people.

Starting at 6:30 p.m. this Wednesday, students will begin attending confirmation classes and continue almost every Wednesday for the rest of the school year. The evening class follows a meal at the church.

While this was originally started as a way to make sure students were able to eat dinner between school, confirmation classes and other activities, it eventually became a service to the community. Now, everyone is invited to attend the meal.

Becky Sogge, pastor of First Lutheran Church of Northwood, also has 23 students in her confirmation class this year. Similarly to Trinity Lutheran Church, First Lutheran Church teaches confirmation as an affirmation of baptism.

At baptism, she explained, parents and other adults promise to help their children walk in their faith. Confirmation is seen as a transition to children taking responsibility to grow in their faith and take ownership of it.

Sogge said students at First Lutheran Church spend a year on catechism, which includes teaching on subjects like the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed, and then spend a year studying the Bible.

Confirmation classes at First Lutheran Church take place on Wednesdays after school. Like most Lutheran churches, students attending are in seventh and eighth grade.

A few changes are on the horizon for confirmation students at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wells. At Good Shepherd, confirmation classes take place after a Wednesday night worship service at 6:15 p.m.

Unlike other years, confirmation students this year will begin class in a large group with teaching from the pastor for about 10 minutes and then will break up into three small groups. Vern Christopherson, interim pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, said this change was made because it is difficult for students to form connections and friendships in a large group setting.

He hopes this change makes it easier for students to form meaningful relationships not just with fellow students but also with confirmation teachers. The church made the decision to switch to this class format to help alleviate loneliness students may be facing from struggles in their personal lives or mental health.

Like many churches, confirmation classes at Good Shepherd consist of learning about the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, as well as understanding prayer, participation in communion, learning creeds and what it means to be a disciple of God.

“It’s a milestone event, it’s not a graduation,” Christopherson said. He added that following infant baptism, “God is the one who steps in and does the work and says, ‘you are my child.’”

At baptism, Christopherson explained, parents make a set of five promises for their child. At an Affirmation of Baptism or Confirmation Sunday, students make these promises for themselves.