Coming Up in Faith Formation:
Children’s Time in the Word and Sharing the Word at Home
This faith formation ministry for our children ages 4-Grade 3 takes place during the Word portion of our Sunday morning liturgy – that’s the time when we read from scripture and hear the sermon. Since this summer we have been using the Faith5 spiritual practice with these children to deepen their relationships with each other, with Jesus, and with the church. Each Sunday two adult leaders (one is prepared to lead the session and the other adult is a second helper) escort the children to the reception hall and lead them in the Faith5 practice. Leaders are supported by the writing of Pastor Anderson’s blog Ponder at the end of the week. The Faith5 practice was developed by Pastor Rich Melheim and is based on much research about how we grow in faith and also on recent brain research.
Our hope and encouragement is that every Sunday in church and every night in their homes, children will share God’s Word, pray and be blessed. Here’s how the Faith5 practice works during Children’s Time and how it can work each night at home:
Share – All who are gathered (adults, too) share their high and low for the day or the week.
Read – A verse or more of scripture is read. In Children’s Time it’s usually the gospel reading but at home, it can be various verses from the past Sunday scripture.
Talk – the leader is prepared to talk a little about this scripture and is encouraged to also speak about how this scripture addresses the highs and lows just shared.
Pray – Offer simple prayer together using the scripture and your highs and lows.
Bless – Everyone offers a blessing to everyone else by making the sign of the cross of their foreheads and saying something like: God loves you. + You are blessed. + Remember your baptism.
Confirmation at ILC
At Incarnation we take great care in our Confirmation program to provide our young people the resources and opportunity to realize full membership in Christ's Church on Earth through the Affirmation of Baptism. We provide a two year program that teaches them the meaning of the promises made on the day of their Baptism. Promises that were made by God for their eternal salvation through His grace and promises made by them or on their behalf:
Along the way there is the history of the early church and the reformation to learn. On this road they also study scripture, the Small Catechism, the ways in which we worship the Lord and what we mean when we profess our faith before God, our friends and everyone else. When they have completed this journey, they have seen what it takes and what it means to truly be in community among God's people in God's house - We find that most of them arrive with a very strong and surprisingly mature sense of their own faith.
At Incarnation we take great care in our Confirmation program to provide our young people the resources and opportunity to realize full membership in Christ's Church on Earth through the Affirmation of Baptism. We provide a two year program that teaches them the meaning of the promises made on the day of their Baptism. Promises that were made by God for their eternal salvation through His grace and promises made by them or on their behalf:
- to live among God's faithful people,
- to hear His Word and share in His supper,
- to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,
- to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus,
- and to strive for justice and peace in all the Earth.
Along the way there is the history of the early church and the reformation to learn. On this road they also study scripture, the Small Catechism, the ways in which we worship the Lord and what we mean when we profess our faith before God, our friends and everyone else. When they have completed this journey, they have seen what it takes and what it means to truly be in community among God's people in God's house - We find that most of them arrive with a very strong and surprisingly mature sense of their own faith.