Confirmation
As Bishop Martin explained in a sermon three separate people are involved in a Confirmation:
- God – who is asked to send down the Holy Spirit on the individual
- The Bishop – who by laying on of hands admits you into the full life of the Church
- The Candidate – who is confirming their belief and trust in Jesus Christ
Confirmation services are usually held once a year either at All Saints or in another nearby Church in the Deanery. In advance of this we run groups preparing candidates for confirmation and there are separate groups for young people (aged 10 and upwards) and adults.
Confirmation is when those who have been baptised as infants (or perhaps were never baptised) make those baptism promises for themselves, to mark their mature commitment as Christians and members of the church. It is for adults and for young people who are ready to make such a commitment in their own right (normally 12 or older at least). The next Central Deanery confirmation service will be on Saturday 12th May (at St George’s). To help people think through this commitment, and have a deeper understanding of the faith, we run preparation groups for adults and for young people – starting in the New Year. The groups are also good for anyone wanting to explore the Christian faith, without necessarily being confirmed. If you are relatively new to faith and have lots of questions, or are already confirmed but would like a ‘refresher course’, a confirmation group may be for you! Speak to Tom or Genny (for young people) or Genny or Ruth (for adults). There will be an initial meeting for interested young people (and their parents) on Sunday 8th January at 11 am in the Upper Room.
The Confirmation service can also include a section for those candidiates who have not yet been baptised to be first baptised by the Bishop at the font – so that the confirmation signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit following on from baptism in water.
For more information about confirmation see www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/baptismconfirm
