Our confirmation program helps young people in their early teens decide if they are ready to become members of our congregation, to confirm that they want to walk in the way of Jesus.

This is a process that extends over a year and half.  The process includes time together exploring what God, Jesus, church and community mean in our lives. The students attend a two-day confirmation retreat in late October at Pilgrim Center on Green Lake put on by the Wisconsin Conference of the UCC.  They participate in service projects for the community and for our congregation. They take on leadership roles in worship as liturgists and ushers.  
During the summer between their two years of preparation, they go to Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi for a week, helping serve the needs of the people there while experiencing life in a different culture and reflecting on the experience with each other. (Read about the 2009 trip at Pastor Phil's Place in the June 2009 section.)

The students sought the "Ten Essentials" that they need with them on their journey as followers of Jesus.  You can read Pastor Phil's Ten Essentials here.

Here are the Ten Essentials for our young people:

Adam Bessemer
Genesis 2: 4b- 3:24 -- Adam and Eve meet God in the garden
Jonah 1-3 -- Jonah and the whale
Matthew 5, 6 & 7 -- Instructions for the Journey (Sermon on the Mount)
Matthew 6: 7-14 -- The Lord's Prayer
Matthew 7: 24-27 -- Building on rock - Back Bay
John 4:1-41 -- Samaritan woman at the well
Luke 10:25-27 -- Love the Lord with all your heart
Luke 15: 11- 32 -- The parable of the prodigal son
Matthew 21:12-22 -- Jesus chases out the moneychangers out of the temple
Luke 21: 1-4 – The poor woman who gave everything

Phillip Bessemer
1 Samuel 17 -- David and Goliath
Daniel 14 (Apocrypha) -- Bel and the dragon
Luke 15: 11-32 -- The parable of the prodigal son
Luke 8: 22-25 -- Jesus stills the storm
Jonah 1-3 -- Jonah and the whale
Matthew 20: 1-16 -- Workers in the vineyard
Luke 22: 47-51 -- Jesus heals the ear of one arresting him
Mark 8: 1-9 -- Jesus feeds 4,000
Matthew 5: 3-11 -- The Beatitudes
Luke 10: 29-37 -- Parable of the good Samaritan
Luke 8: 5-15 -- Parable of the mustard seed

Elliot Schad
Genesis 2: 4b-3:24 -- Creation
1 Kings 19 -- Elijah senses God in the cave
Exodus 2: 11-25, 13: 17-19:9 -- Moses and the freedom story
Micah 6: 6-8 -- (Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly
Matthew 5 -- The Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6: 2-4 -- Practice almsgiving
Luke 3: 21-22 -- Jesus story 1 – his baptism
Luke 5: 1-11 -- Jesus story 2 – I’ll make you fishers of people
John 12: 44-50, John 14: 5-14 -- Jesus story 3 – Last Supper speech
John 20: 1-18 -- The Resurrection

Kirsten Scheller-Suitor
Micah 6: 6-8 -- Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly
Mark 8: 1-9 -- Loaves and fishes
Matthew 6: 34 -- Take each day as it comes
Matthew 5: 1-11 -- The Beatitudes
Ephesians 2: 10 -- Created to do good works
Ephesians 5: 8-14 -- Children of the light
James 2: 14 -- Faith with works
Matthew 7: 24-27 -- House built on rock
Hebrew 13: 1-2 -- Entertain strangers
Timothy 6: 11 – Pursue goodness
 
Austin Young
Matthew 5: 1-11 -- The Beatitudes
Matthew 7: 12 -- Golden rule
Luke 15: 1-7 -- Leave flock to find one lost lamb
23rd Psalm -- Lord is my shepherd
Psalm 150 -- Praise God with music
Matthew 7: 24-27-- Build on strong foundation
Micah 6: 6-8 – Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly
Luke 10: 25-37 -- Good Samaritan
Matthew 6: 9-13 -- Lord's Prayer
Mark 2: 1-12 -- Paralyzed man through roof