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2006 CONFIRMATION STATEMENTS OF FAITH

Vicar Katie Brundage
February 21, 2007 – Ash Wednesday

Blake - To me Baptism means that I am assured a place in Heaven and that I am truly a son of God. I know that after being Baptized and living a good life, I will go to Heaven. As a baby, I was naïve to what being Baptized really meant, but I realize, now that I am older, what a big step it is in the Christian faith. Now that I am in high school, I know what my faith is and how I can live through it. I think that Confirmation is the impetus to make us think about what we really believe and how our beliefs affect our lives in such a great way. Confirmation really makes you muse about what being a Christian means. Baptism and Confirmation assure me that I am a Christian and I now know how to live my life because of it.

My confirmation verse is “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32) What this means to me is knowing that the truth will relieve me of my troubles. Once I know the truth, I will be set free of ignorance. This verse fits me because I am an actor and I play people that are very different from myself. Some-times I have to check and make sure that I know the truth about who I am and not think that I am the character whom I am playing.

In the following year, I will usher, help with communion and do whatever I can to help and complete my year of ministry.

My name is Krista. My family and friends have encouraged me throughout my life, even through all of hard times. But God has been the biggest. Coming to church and being taught about God has influenced my life and relationship with him. One of the ways he has influenced my life was all of the times that my family has been split apart. He helped me through it and gave me the biggest hope of my life. He has also given me the joy of being a part of the church. He has encouraged me to be the best person that I can be.

I see myself serving Christ in ministry by being a junior guide in Confirmation. Being in confirmation as a student was amazing!! I just loved being by all of the people and having a lot of fun while learning about God. So I want to do that every Wednesday while I am in high school. Every time that I go to church I learn more and more about God, and I want to learn even more.

“O give thanks to the LORD for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 is the confirmation verse that I was given. To me this means praise the lord everyday because he was the one who created the earth and the people on it. To him we are all his children and he loves us equally. God has given me every thing, my family, my friends, my home and every thing that belongs to me. Everyone should come to church to praise him the way we do… and I want to let him know that I love him.

My name is Gib. I have been going to Advent Lutheran for 2 ½ years. My baptism means many things to me. When I was baptized, I was claimed by God. When I was baptized I was only a baby. At the time I was unaware of my surroundings. My parents chose for me to be baptized.
Now I am becoming a man. It is time for me to confirm my baptism. Affirming my baptism will change my life. It will make me an adult in the eyes of the church.

When I am confirmed I will be declaring my beliefs; that I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When I was a baby I was passive, but now I will be active in my declaration of my beliefs. Jesus was the Son of God. He sacrificed himself for our sins on the cross. We are all sinners, but because of Jesus, we are saved. When I repent, I am freed from my sins.

Being a Christian has made a big difference in my life. Being a Christian makes me different, it makes me special. As a Christian, I am given certain values and responsibilities. I know that I am to love and respect others. I must also help the weak and the sick. As God looks after us, I must look after others. I am also called to spread the word of God. It is my duty to tell the world of the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins.

Being a Christian has affected how I look at the world. When I look at the news, I ask myself what God would want. Is God happy with the world? As a Christian, I feel that I must make a positive impact on the world.

Service is an important part of belonging to a church. When you serve others, you are serving God. I have chosen to serve in many different ways. The first way that I will be serving is by becoming a Junior Guide for Confirmation. Throughout middle school I went to Confirmation. An important part of Confirmation was the Junior Guides. They provided an important mentor figure for the kids in Confirmation, such as myself.

Now I am done with Confirmation, and I feel that it is time for me to give back to the community. I want to do this by becoming a Junior Guide. I will mentor these kids as I was mentored. When I look at the 6th Graders, I see young children who have been called to God. As a Junior Guide, it will be my responsibility to help them find God in their life. I also plan to continue coming to church and Sunday School on Sundays. By coming to church on Sundays, I will interact with the other high schoolers at my church. I will also stay involved in what the high schoolers at Advent are involved in.

My Confirmation verse is Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” This verse is a statement of humility. It is important to always remain humble. I realize that I have been blessed with many gifts. These gifts were given to me by God. God has given me all that I have, and I owe all that I have to God.

My name is Ian. My faith had never been challenged until February 4, 2005 when my grandpa passed away in a hospital bed. I was in 8th grade and my faith as a Lutheran had never been challenged till that day. I almost stopped believing, because I came to God numerous time in that week hoping that the sad day would not come that he passed away in that hospital bed. But it didn’t seem like the prayers helped at all. He died.

Although he died, we all had to keep going on with our lives one step at a time. And now all we have are memories and pictures to remember him by. Later on that year I realized deaths happen for a reason; his was to stop his suffering and me and my family’s suffering of watching him on oxygen for 12 years. Now he is with us all at all times, watching us and protecting us. We now have a new tradition each time we go to where he used to live in Saint Paul, Kansas. We always go to his grave and put new fresh flowers on his grave stone.

My confirmation verse is, “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.” 1 Corinthians 3: 19. This verse means a lot to me. It tells me my grandpa doesn’t have to be here physically for me to talk to him and him to hear me, because he is always here with me mentally. So I can talk with him in prayer and spiritually.

In the coming years I see my self helping as a Junior Guide and helping out in the church.

My name is Abby. Many people have been influential in encouraging my life of faith, such as my family and friends. God has guided me through my life as well. He especially influenced my life at Sky Ranch, a camp near Loveland, Colorado. I had actually felt God in my presence as I was worshiping him on the mountain. Being a Christian makes a huge difference in my life because, if I wasn’t a Christian I wouldn’t be the kind of person that I am today.

This year at Advent, I plan to serve Christ in youth ministry. Because I love working with kids, I want to commit to becoming a Sunday school guide, and a VBS assistant. I also plan to help out with confirmation. By doing this I can help kids learn more about God, and the importance of being a Christian.

My confirmation verse is found in Colossians 3:17a. It says, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” This verse means a lot to me. It says you should do and say good things, all the time, while thinking of Jesus. This verse has come to be my favorite verse in the Bible.

Mike - The people who have been most influential in encouraging my faith life are my parents and my grandpa. My parents have influenced me by helping me whenever I need help in my faith or answering questions whenever I have them. If my parents can’t answer my questions, I know I can always go to my grandfather. My grandpa is a pastor, so whenever I need help with something I know I can call or go see him. He has been very helpful in my faith life.

Being a Christian has made a difference in my life because some of my friends are not Christian so I can’t talk to them about some things. Also, being a Christian has made a difference in my life because it has changed the way I think about things. For example, instead of thinking that we all came here from the big bang theory or from evolution, I believe that God has created the world and he created Adam and Eve which were the first people to be on this planet.

In the coming years I plan to be a Junior Guide in Confirmation. I want to do this because when I was in confirmation it meant so much to me that older kids were spending their time with me. I also plan to help out with vacation bible school. I want to do this because I really enjoyed doing it last year and had lots of fun.

My confirmation verse is. Micah 6:8b. It states, “What does the LORD require of you, but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” That means to me that we should always serve the Lord. It also means to love people even if they are mean to other people. It also means to follow God no matter what. Thank you.

Hi my name is Julianne. My faith in the church and God hadn’t really been tested until I got into high school and then everything changed. I haven’t had the best relationship with God, Jesus or the church. Maybe it was me or it was me not letting God come close to me and let him talk to me. I just wasn’t able to allow myself. I always had a wall up that I wouldn’t let fall. I thought that I could handle it.

But when I hit high school, that wall that was stopping him from coming into my life came down, and I accepted that I needed his help and I couldn’t do it on my own anymore. I needed God in my life and I need to talk to him in prayer and just lean on him for guidance because I had no idea what to do or where to go. Life became too complicated for me and it was confusing and he was the only one who could understand what I was feeling or thinking. I was tired of the general problems. So that’s when I realized that no matter how hard I tried God would always be banging on that wall to come and help me. Because he was my Father and my Creator and he said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.

I really don’t know how God has called me to serve the church. But I think if I could choose what I wanted to do and what God would like me to do, I would choose working with youth and going on mission trips.

My confirmation verse is, “I can do all things though him who strengths me.” Philippians 4:13. When Pastor Roger gave me my verse I had no idea what it meant or why he gave it to me. And to this day I have no idea but I’m starting to get the picture. I think it was because he knew I would have a lot of hard times to face and decisions to make and I would be able to do it with God by my side. To me this verse means as long as God, my Father, is with me I can do anything I want to do and be safe and have no fear in doing it.

Maggie - God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. If my faith life were a journey, Confirmation would only be a stepping stone along the way. Thinking about my confirmation before hand, I didn't fully comprehend why it was such a big deal. Now I understand that my journey in faith is ever-moving and changing.

Throughout my life, not everything is always concrete. The one thing that has always been there for me is God. He never leaves me, and I know that no matter what, I can always lean on him. If I have a horrible day or am frustrated, He is there. Without even thinking or wondering, I know God is there and He loves me.

Knowing this solid fact, I have learned to trust in God with everything I do. The feeling of confidence I get from knowing that God knows what is going to happen in my life 20 minutes and 20 years from now is enormous. I don't need to worry about tomorrow, or the next day because I trust that God will be with me.

My confirmation verse is "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good." from Romans 12:9. When I first was given this verse, I tried to find ways to relate it to my life in general. Over time I realized that it was not how it related to me; it was how it relates to God and how God influences my life. This verse tells me that God’s love is always with me and I should never let that go.

As I go about my day, there are times when I feel God's presence. If I am placed in a difficult situation I find myself talking and praying to God. Prayer has definitely impacted my life in every situation I am in.

Some of the things I learn about in church are beyond my imagination. The fact that Jesus died to save my sins amazes me, and I remind myself of it often. God's love is incomprehensible and I cherish it to an extent. There are no words to describe how this enormous amount of love makes me feel. In the future, I will work with Sunday School. I love being around younger kids and watching them experience God's love.

When I was younger, during church, I used to stare up at the eternal candle hanging on the wall and ask myself questions. I didn't understand how it was always lit and never burned out. Now, I can relate this candle to my faith life. Even though it may flicker, it is always burning and never dies. Affirming my Baptism will help me grow in my relationship with God, and I am more than willing to take this step. Everyday of my life, I plan to live with God's love in my heart.

Kara - I have had a very meaningful and fun journey through faith, and I learned many valuable lessons from my parents, my peers, my pastors, and especially God himself. I have had many influential and encouraging people that I have come upon during my journey. But, to me the two people that stand out the most are my parents. They are the ones that encouraged me to wake up every Sunday to praise God, they brought me to confirmation every Wednesday that I could. They are also the ones that enrolled me in Sunday school and taught me about Jesus and God’s love for me, and the impact that would have on my life. So I would like to thank my mom and my dad because without them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

In these past years, prayer has helped me in numerous ways, when I was younger I would only ask for things like Barbies and toys. But over the years I have learned to ask for forgiveness. I have had only a few bumps in my journey of faith, and the one that comes to mind is when my grandma was diagnosed with cancer in November of 2002. I didn’t know what to think or do. But, I looked to God for help. I asked him, “Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong?” I thought. I thanked him for what he had given me and asked him to not let my grandma go. God answered my family and my prayer on Thanksgiving Day when we heard the wonderful news that my grandma fought through that cancer and she was going to be okay. I couldn’t thank God enough for helping me, my family, and my grandma through this tough time. I then began to pray every night, and my relationship with God greatly increased.

I hoped that nothing like this would happen again, but if it did, I knew that God would be there for me and I would know how to cope with it. On September 7th 2006 one of my favorite people in the world passed away, my good family friend Kurt. He had taught me a lot of good and fun lessons. I loved that man - he was part of the family, and I will miss him very much. I again asked God why, I still don’t understand why he had to take him away from his loving family and friends. But, I’m sure I will soon understand, because it’s seems like I learn something from God everyday.

The verse I was given is, “God is my shield who saves the upright in heart.” –Psalms 7:10. At first I thought that Pastor Roger and Susan had just randomly drawn our verses out of a hat. I then learned that my verse fits into my life in so many different ways, including my grandma’s fight through cancer, and the death of Kurt Bower, and how I reacted to them. To me my verse means, that God is there looking over me through the rough times as long as I obey him.

I would like to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me and my commitment in helping out with Children’s Ministry. I feel that God has called on me to do so, and to spread his word and share my stories, just like those who did so for me.

Kelsey – God is a very important part of my life. It took me a while to really understand who I am and to figure out my relationship with God. Now that I’m done with confirmation I completely understand who I am.

When I was 10 years old my grandpa was in the hospital with pneumonia and was dying. I prayed for him every day and that he would be ok. On Mother’s Day my dad gave me the news that my grandpa died. It was very devastating for me. Only being 10 years old the scary thing for me was that I knew he went to heaven before my mom and dad knew. The night that he died I had a dream. In this dream I was babysitting and I looked outside. The sky was turning green and I knew that there would be a tornado but for some reason I wasn’t scared. I went outside and I saw a man. This man said to me that everything was going to be ok but I didn’t understand why he was talking to me when I thought I had never seen him before. After a few minutes the sky cleared and the sky looked like a sunset. The man told me that he would always love me and that I needed to always believe in my faith and trust in God. He started floating up to the sky and the clouds parted. I later found out that the man was my grandpa and he was going to heaven.

The next day I found out that my grandpa died which really made me think. From that point on I have had a very close relationship with God. I used to only pray in church because I thought I had to, but now I pray not only when I need help and times are bad, but also when I’m having a good day and I’m very happy. Since then I feel so much happier because I really know that God is there for me to make me stronger! I know that no matter what I do or no matter how many mistakes I make in my life, God will always love me.

God calls me to do a lot of different things but now he is calling me to help the little kids. To do that I am a Junior Guide in God’s Kids Club and work with the 4th and 5th graders. I love working with kids younger than me so I can help to make their relationships with God stronger.

My confirmation verse is “The righteous shall live by faith.” To me, it means that you have to have faith to believe in your self. You have to have faith in people…and you have to have faith in yourself. Faith can help you get through some of the hardest times of your life. My sister was diagnosed with cancer a month or so ago and that was very devastating to me and also my other sister. Both of them mean more to me than anything else in the world. They inspire me to get through tough times through the faith of God. Both of them have gone through really hard times but I don’t think they could have got that done without their faith. If they didn’t have faith they couldn’t get help to feel stronger.
My sister who has cancer doesn’t seem like her days have been good. There have been ups and downs with her health but my faith and my sister’s faith give her the strength to get through each day, to make each day count and to live life to the fullest.

Going through confirmation has really helped me to understand my faith with God and to always believe in my faith because I have God always on my side to help me through everything. What do you think about when you hear righteous? The dictionary says: “One who does what is right.”

Obviously the pastors gave me this verse for a reason but I don’t feel that I have been living up to my verse as I should be. I don’t want to live the rest of my life not living up to my verse. I think of saying my statement of faith being the beginning. I’m stepping forward into my faith. Now that I have figured out what I have done wrong I need to begin that step. I see this as another chance for me that God has given me and I’m not going to let it pass by. Confirmation has definitely changed the way that I look at things.

My name is Katie. My parents and family encouraged my faith in God. When I went to Sky Ranch the summer after 7th grade I felt extremely close to God. I remember walking up the mountain and then when we got to the top our cabin leader told us to go to our own spot and think about God. I went and sat on a tree trunk and laid down and looked at the sky and I felt that God was there with me. I really thought about my faith while lying there. I thought about problems that I needed to resolve. I really thought about life in general and why we are here and that God has a purpose for all of us.

I went again the summer after 8th grade because I had so much fun the year before meeting new friends that lived in other states and keeping in touch with them. That was the time I felt closest to God. I could really think up in the mountains.This past year my dog died. I was so upset I didn’t understand why God would do that to me. I questioned if he was real, but then I realized that everything happens for a reason. I looked to God in this experience and knew he would help me through it by having my friends help and support me.

I plan to serve as a Junior Guide all though high school. I think by doing that the confirmation kids might be encouraged to be closer to God and be involved with the church. I hope to help them find their faith in God just like I did. When I received my verse I didn’t know how they determined how I got it. I honestly didn’t understand the verse the first couple times I read it. It seemed very confusing. My verse is “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things unseen.” Hebrews 11:1. That means to me that we can get mad at God and have a relationship with him and talk to him throughout our prayers and guide us through it.

Hi I am Kristan. I am almost done being considered a child in the church which means now is the time to start getting involved with the activities that are going on. In the past three years I have come to realize how much I need God‘s guidance in my life and how he can help me get through everything that I am having trouble with.

In my life I have come to find out that I need prayer to help me get through my day. It can help relax me in so many ways. I know that God is always here for me, but I realize it the most when I am upset because he is there for me to talk to and to comfort me. He doesn’t judge me when I tell him how I feel even if it is stupid. When I went to Sky Ranch this past year I realized how much praying can help me. I realized that praying with people and out loud can help me communicate with him. I went there not wanting to change my ways of praying because for me praying is very personnel and no one had ever questioned me about my faith before and I didn’t want to change something that worked so well for me. In the end it changed for the better because my relationship with him has never been this strong. I have never been this comfortable talking about him out loud in prayer; I had always prayed to myself.

Before I came to Advent Lutheran I wasn’t big on going to church, I wanted to go, but we never found the church that we fit into. When I was younger we always went to church, but as my brother and I grew up we always went to soccer games or friends’ houses instead. When I started coming to Sunday School and Gods’ Kids Club with Karen I would always tell my mom that I really liked it and that she should come. One day she came and then she brought my brother and he liked it also. That summer they went to Mexico for the Mission trip and when they got back they were hooked. This was a good thing for me because I love it here and it makes me feel very happy knowing that I chose God over anything else.

My verse is, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” –Joshua 24:15a. It really relates to me because I chose God. I didn’t care what anybody else did.

In the next few years I am planning on being a Junior Guide and then I would like to be an MC and on the Youth Leadership Team. I want to help the younger children learn how to have a stronger relationship with God because I know that my life would have been easier for me if I would have had a better relationship with him.

Kaia - My whole faith experience has been inspired by two groups of people. My Grandfather was a bishop in the Lutheran church for 15 years. He and my Grandmother have always been an inspiration for how I want my relationship with God to be. Also, my friends have played a huge part of my faith life. I have been lucky enough to find friends with the same religious beliefs as me. They are always strong in their relationships with God and they encourage me to be the same way. Being a Christian in my life is not difficult because of the people I surround myself with. It is almost more accepted to be a Christian than not to be one.

For the next year I plan on serving Christ with my gift of music. I started playing the piano 9 years ago after watching my Grandmother and mother play it. I have played in many places and for many different people but I always get the best response when I play in church. So, for the next year I will share my gift with the congregation and serve Christ through that. Another way I plan on serving God is by assisting in Vacation Bible School. I always loved VBS when I was younger and I hope that I can bring the same joy to kids by serving through that.

The Bible verse that I was given back in 7th grade was 2 Thessalonians 3:16 which says, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.” That verse means to me that God’s grace is always with me and will always be in my heart. I know that there will be times in my life when I will doubt my faith, but I know that God will always be there. Being a Christian isn’t something you are on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings but it is someone that you have to be at all times and in all ways. Today I am willing to affirm my baptism and take my next step in my journey with God.

Hello, I’m Karen. My confirmation verse is I Corinthians 16:13 “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.” When I first got my verse I didn’t understand how the pastors had picked it. I hadn’t been at Advent Lutheran Church very long and really didn’t think that the pastors knew me very well. I would go to the rail for communion and Pastor Susan would say everyone’s name in my family except for mine. (She did learn it very quickly though.) Through confirmation my verse has come to mean that you can be confident in knowing what is right as long as you follow the path that God gives you.

When I was at Sky Ranch I learned that people have to be strong and firm in what they believe. It was there that I discovered that people have different ways of worshipping and you have to be open to trying some of those ideas. Through my faith journey I have come to discover that life has many twists and turns but I believe that God has always been with me when I need him the most. Two years ago God was with me in one of my roughest moments. I thought my world would come to be completely different when my parents separated. I didn’t think anything would ever be the same, but God told me that it would all be okay. During that period of my life I talked a lot with God through prayer. Each night I prayed and asked him for my parents to be civil about the whole situation and luckily they are. Although things don’t always work out the way you want them I am a firm believer that they happen for a reason.

I would definitely say that my parents are influential in my faith. They have always done a really good job of making sure that I make it to church each week that I can. Every Sunday they make sure that I am up to go to worship. Throughout my faith God has showed me that there are many different calls such as helping out in the nursery or helping with Sunday school. I believe that God has called me to be a Confirmation Junior Guide.

My name is Nikki. I have had an inspiring and great journey through my faith. My confirmation verse is “Jesus said, ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’” John 15:12. The first time I read through my verse I had no idea what it meant. But now that I am older I realize that there is no greater love than when Jesus loves you. In the years past I have started to turn to God through prayer. I have made a commitment to myself to try and get closer to God, and praying has made me feel that way. I feel I am having a conversation with him asking him for forgiveness and telling him about my life.

The first time I truly turned to God through prayer was when my best friend Katie was moving away. I felt I was being punished, and I was asking why, why does this have to happen to me? I was so upset with the choice that her dad had made. But I then realized that they were moving for the better. I thought about how they were moving closer to God because Ted was going to seminary. I thought about what I was doing to get closer to God. I then started to face my fears and asking for help through a prayer. God has helped me with decisions through my faith, and I will continue to look for him for help and keep getting closer to him.

I have had very encouraging and influential people in my life. There are two people that taught me who I am and why I look to God: my parents. They are an inspiration to why I look to God and encourage me to go to church. They are also the ones who brought me to confirmation every Wednesday. My parents are the ones who first introduced me to the church and how God and Jesus love me. Without them I wouldn’t understand what I am talking about today, I wouldn’t have had the courage to believe in something. I want to thank my mom and dad for helping me become who I really am and to come closer to my faith.

I see myself serving Christ at Advent through vacation bible school. I have been going to VBS sense I was a young kid. Vacation bible school is a whole week to come closer to God. I feel if I am a leader for VBS I am helping to spread God’s word. I feel this will be serving God by becoming closer and teaching others faith. I know I was always inspired by the leaders and how they would yell out “Jesus loves me”. I want to inspire others and help them realize the meaning of faith.

My name is Beth. To me, a “Strong Relationship” with someone is to have faith, trust, and love, as well as giving encouragement, advice, and time to listen. A strong relationship is very powerful, much like the ones people have with family, friends, loved ones, and God. My relationship with God is very real to me and important. It impacts me in everyday life. I think of him in little reminders everyday. In my confirmation group, one of my junior guides said that everyday at school for her when a bell rings for passing period, it’s like a little bell to remind her of God. Ever since she said that, it got me thinking about making my relationship stronger with him. Now, by just hearing the bells in between classes, I remember to think about God, and sometimes I pray to him to make me feel better about my day.

Going to Church twice a week since sixth grade has also made me feel closer to God. Between church sermons, Randy’s slide shows, singing songs, and turning in feedback forms, it has all been fun, and has had a huge impact on my life. It has taught me that no matter what I do, who I become, or what my path is in life, God will always love me. That’s how I know that my relationship with God is stronger than any thing else in life.

“I will praise you, LORD, with all of my heart and tell about the wonders you have worked.” Psalm 9:1 was my confirmation verse. Balloon night was the night when we were given our verses. I remember when I first popped the balloon and read the verse, I though about life compared to the verse. We go to church services and celebrate the Lord, We praise him during songs, and talk about him during services. The verse relates to life now, and what we do.

My choice to serve God in the Church is to help with children’s ministry in God’s Kid’s Club. I think that it will be a fun experience to help the youth.

I’m Drew. Three years ago, I understood why God was very important in my life. My entire family has encouraged me to be faithful in Christ and the church. God has always been an influence in my life. God is with me every day and for some reason I know that he is watching me. God relates to me in many ways. He helps me through tough times and even school. God even helped me write my statement of faith. God is called “our Father,” that makes him even more important in my life. God’s spirit is always in my mind every day. I hear him always, especially when I’m having a bad day.

Every time something is wrong, I pray to God - whether someone is hurt, when I can’t open my locker, or just to get through the day. I try every day and I know God wants us to try.
Every Sunday works like a refresh button for me. When I’m worn out from the week, a church service prepares me for the next six days. Being Christian to me usually means comparing your life to what you believe. Being Christian gives you power over your life. If you don’t have any belief, or faith, prayer is one of the easier ways to believe.

Prayer gives me comfort, faith and security. When someone is hurt, you pray for them. When you pray, someone listens and responds to you. Prayer and belief can give you hope for the future and help you keep your sanity. Belief, prayer and baptism are the acceptance of God.

This church has been a huge influence in my life. I would really like to return the favor! I know God wants me to help out in the church and to do the right thing, which usually means making decisions and some of them can be big. As of now, I see myself helping younger children with education in the church. The last three years, confirmation has been like Sunday School on Wednesday, but now, being a Sunday School aide feels right to me.

“Let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. My confirmation verse has been with me from birth, but only recently have I known what it is and what it means. Let your light shine before others. That seems like I’m wanted to do good works so that others may see them and give glory to God. When I say this verse, I’m saying I have a choice to serve God, and I choose to.

My name is Katy. When I first received my confirmation verse from Pastor Roger and Pastor Susan, I wasn’t sure what it meant to me and how it applied to my faith in God. “You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14 This verse has followed me for about 3 years. I have taken it to mean that I am a follower of the Lutheran religion, and I can show people into the light of Christ. To be someone who shows others the way of the Lord, is indescribable. I could share the word of the Lord, and lead them out of disbelief, and not be able to describe the feeling.

To me my Baptism means I have accepted God into my life. I have gone through confirmation to strengthen my relationship with God. I believe that having faith in God eventually makes you a better person. By having faith in the Lord, he will have faith in you, and help you make the right decisions. Because he is with you, you believe in him. So in the long run, you also believe in yourself. Affirming my baptism will make me a stronger person because I have a better understanding of having faith in God.

I see myself in the ministry of Christ as a Junior Guide in confirmation so I can help people strengthen their relationships with God. I want to be a junior Guide because the kids going through conformation have a better understanding of the Lord and his word. They also know how to relate their faith in the past where God has been with them. To be a junior guide, it is important to me because I had a choice to accept God and I believe my Junior Guide showed me how to accept him into my life.

Marissa - I am fourteen years old. I am fourteen years old and I am just realizing my relationship with God! I sometimes wish I could go back to when I was a little girl. Whenever I stayed home sick from school I would be so bored and there was never anything on T.V, so I would turn on Animal Planet. The Crocodile Hunter would always be on, always seemed to be there when I needed him. But the Crocodile Hunter is gone now and so is that little girl. I’ve grown up some now, not all the way, but at least I am on my way and now instead of Steve Irwin being there every time I need him, I have God.

As a kid I was also very scared. Whereas my sister would jump out of the van I would have to climb out. I am still scared sometimes and when I am scared it is usually for my family. That is when I can turn to God, and he is there, and he listens. I always pray for my family to live long happy healthy lives because I want them to have just that. And I believe that God will give that to them and to me despite our sins.

Being a Christian has really helped me be the person that I am. Which I think is a pretty good person. I may not be perfect, but I am me and I know I am perfect in God’s eyes and he loves me just for being me. If I weren’t a Christian who knows what I might be like? I might be a bad kid or a mean kid. To be truthful I am glad to be a Christian because I don’t want to be that kid. I am a Christian by choice not because my parents make me go to church every Sunday, but because I want to be a Christian. I love life, I love my life, I even love my sister even if I don’t always act like it. If I wasn’t a Christian I might not love my life and I don’t even like to think about that because I know it will never happen.

I think in the future I am going to help out the church by being a Sunday School Guide. I love kids and this way I will be able to help them without having to teach them, I don’t think I could do that. And I get to know the kids by having a different class every week.

“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13. That is my verse and I like it a lot because it is true. You must always have hope, love, and faith, but one thing you must always have over all is love. Love for God, love for others and love for yourself. This has become my favorite verse.

So many people helped me get to this point in my life. My mom, my dad, my step mom, Pastor Roger, Pastor Susan, my sister, and even my ex step dad. But most of all God helped me, and guided me to where I am today, standing here reading my statement of faith, about to be confirmed. Thank you everyone who has guided me on this journey.

My name is Michaela. My mom has been an influence in encouraging my faith. She is always telling me it’s time to go to church and to get up and get ready to go. I’m always going, “Can’t I sleep in and go next week?” because I want to sleep in, but my mom says we have to go to church. So I get up and get ready. When we get to church my mom wants to sit in front. But I always want to sit in the back. I don’t know why but I do. I think one time Pastor Roger talked to me about that, but after we get out of church I feel relaxed and its all because my mom made me. I am Christian. I never really thought it was big deal when I was younger, but it is.

My grandma died a few weeks ago. The Thursday before we went to church to pray for her because she was sick. The next day she died. People kept saying she was in a better place. But I kept thinking why? Why did she die? Why did God take her? I prayed all night the night before. If I prayed for her why did she die? Why? I didn’t want to be around people. I wanted to be alone.

We went to her funeral on Tuesday. But the day before we were driving up there, and I did not want to be going. Then I met these people that knew my grandma when she was younger. I was thinking I didn’t even know her and here I was not trying when she was alive. I felt guilty that I didn’t try. I kept thinking she had a life that I didn’t know about. When I went to to see her I broke down. I couldn’t even look at her. She looked like she was sleeping. She was there but she wasn’t, and I realized that she was with God and she wasn’t coming back physically. I had to move on.

Now my grandpa is sick and I don’t think I can think about another. My mom wanted to go to church to pray for him. I kept thinking what good will it do it didn’t help grandma! But it really did -- she was sick and wouldn’t get better. It was her time to die, so God received her.

I will be trying to serve the best I can in the church, probably in the worship services. I can be an usher or do altar care or something like that. I think that it is the best way for me to serve the church.

My Confirmation verse is “Make me to know your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths.” It took me a while for me to get it. But I think I get it now. I will let God show me the way. I will apply that to every thing I do even if it is not religion related. I feel like I am being part of something big that I can’t explain.

Allie – Sure, it may be hard to believe in someone you can’t see, but the fact that you still believe is called Faith. Faith is a feeling so deep inside that nothing anyone says or does will ever break it. For some people, it’s harder to find that faith because they’re under the impression you have to ‘see it to believe it’. To me though, that saying is completely backwards. I feel that if you believe in something, you will see evidence in its existence all around you. If you don’t believe God exists, then you won’t be able to talk to him about anything and everything to seek guidance.

The second you’re Baptized Jesus Christ comes into your life and stays forever. Once you take that step and admit God is real, your life becomes more meaningful by recognizing all that God is providing for you; his way of listening to every word you say, without judging. I can confess wrong doings or just tell him how my day went, and he looks at me the exact same way. God loves everybody for who they are. He doesn’t care about what you look like or what you say, just that you believe in him and show your faith in Him in your every day life.

I have always believed in God, but I think I truly found my faith in the 6th grade. I lost two people who were close to me that year. The first was my brother’s best friend. He died in a car accident. My brother was late for work that morning and because of this ended up being the third car to arrive upon the scene of this wreck. I believe he was meant to arrive there after this accident because his friend’s spirit needed comforting. He needed someone there who cared about him as a person. This was an unexpected accident and my brother was able to call his friend’s parents to come be there with him as well. I believe God intended for my brother to be there.

The second person was my Uncle Ed who died of cancer. In the last two weeks of life he had many visitors that he said were helping him prepare for death, but we could not see them. He described many different people in white robes, with great detail and what they were doing to prepare him for his next life. I believed those people were in the room, and I didn’t need to see them to know they were there. That’s when I really started praying. Praying for those in heaven, and praying for their families. Without God to talk to, I know it would have been harder, not just for me but for everyone close to them. I know so many people talked to God about the whole thing, and He helped everyone through it. I believe that if you have faith in God, he will never leave you, and will always help you out in tough times.

My confirmation verse was John 15:5b “Those who abide in me and me in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” To me this means if you believe in God and trust how he guides you then there is nothing you can’t do. Without God many things are close to impossible and to me, that’s what John 15:5b is saying. In this upcoming year at Advent Lutheran I see myself helping out as a Nursery Attendant. I would love to help out with children. Thank you for your time.

My name is Kyle. Not too long ago my grandpa passed away. When he was in the process of passing away I was under a lot of stress and I didn’t know who to turn to. I talked to my family about it and they told me to pray. I took their advice and prayed. I prayed for God to let my grandpa live longer. I feel like God listened to me because my grandpa fought for his life in the hospital for another month. He lived past my birthday. That was when I realized that God was real and he was by my side guiding me through life. If my grandpa would have passed away sooner I would understand because I realized when he was dying how fortunate he was to live the life he did. It really made me understand what God was giving us and how grateful we should be to have a life.

I feel like God is real and he is in my life everyday. I pray more and think God has made a very big impact on me and the way I go about my everyday life. I strongly believe in God and I am very grateful for everything he gives me. In my near future I plan on doing worship assistance. I would like to contribute to the church and influence other young children to participate in church activities.

My confirmation verse is, “therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love as Christ loved us.” Ephesians 5: 1A. That means to me that we should be happy and grateful to live life. My verse fits me because I feel I see life in the big picture now and know I bring a better attitude in my life everyday.

My name is Laura. Many people have influenced my faith life, but mostly my family and friends have helped and guided me along the way. I see and hear the Holy Spirit in my life in many ways. One of the times that God really influenced my life, was when I went to Sky Ranch. I had a lot of fun that week, met new friends, and most importantly I learned more about God. It was really fun and amazing to be with people all week that share my beliefs, and feelings about God. We had worship services every morning and devotionals every night .Sky Ranch has definitely been one of the most fun and inspiring things I did during confirmation. I went both years and I’m so glad I did. Even though I didn’t want to go at first, it was absolutely amazing, and a great experience.

In the coming year I see myself helping out with VBS in the summer, and also I am a junior guide for confirmation this school year. I am hoping to help out with the parent’s night out fundraiser. I think I will continue to do these things throughout high school. I think it is important to help younger kids in their faith life, like I have been helped in mine.

My confirmation verse is Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” To me this verse means you need God all the time, in everything you do. Without God your life is not, and never will be complete, and with him in your life, you can do anything.

Hello, I’m Ariel. As you can see, I am standing here in front of you about to be confirmed. I got to this point in my journey by hearing God everyday. Whether it was in my parents always looking out for me or my teachers trying to help me do better and succeed, I have heard God though my pastors giving sermons every week in church and my guides every Wednesday asking me questions to make me think.

My verse is “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” I Corinthians 3:19a. It would be wise not to show up on Wednesdays and do other things but that would be foolish as God says. So he has called me to be a Junior Guide. Now I hear God through 6th grade girls that I am going to help guide through the same journey that I have walked through.

While I was at Sky Ranch in the 7th grade my cabin took a hike up the tallest mountain I had ever seen. As I elevated up towards the sky I thought more and more about God. It kind of symbolized my getting closer to God with every step that I took. And once I got to the destination point I felt accomplished and full, and I will never forget that feeling.

As I went back down the mountain it was a much easier journey to make. Now that I think about it my trip on that mountain is like my confirmation. It was doubtful in the beginning, and as I got closer it got easier to believe in everything that I was being taught to me. I have reached the peak of my confirmation journey. I feel as I did on the point on that mountain and I can tell that it is going to keep getting easier and easier as I proceed with what God has to tell me.

Which brings me to what Vicar Joel once said, that “your baptism is a gift from God and you being confirmed is accepting that gift” so this is me taking that gift that has so luckily been bestowed upon me, and I accept it with all my faith and all my heart.

Hi I’m Jenny, child of God. I wanted my Statement of Faith not just to be words strung together with a period at the end; I wanted my Statement of Faith to have an exclamation point. I wanted it to come from deep inside of me, and something that fills my life. I want to communicate to all of you that my faith is not just words on paper, but something I attempt to live out everyday in my life. Some of you may not know me, but my hope is that as I read this you hear not my voice, but the love of God that I communicate.

Romans 8:28 (the verse that was given to me) says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God”. It is my hope that as I age and interact within the life of the church that as the body of Christ that we come together for good for those who love God. I believe that God has always been in my life, even if I had a hard time finding him, he was and will always be there. My family has always been beside me with a helping hand reaching out to me to lead me to the Lord.

Even if some of my family can’t be here on Earth in person to help me find the ways of the Lord I still know that they are smiling down from heaven and helping me make the right decisions. For example, my Papa was a very quiet man and he kept to himself a lot. If I ever did something that I shouldn’t have I could just look at him and see in his soft eyes that what I had done was wrong, but if Papa ever had to talk to me about what I had done then I REALLY knew that what I had done was wrong. Now I only wish I could have spent more time with him and gotten to know him better because he passed on in 2001. I think that that quiet, put together man is helping me more now then he ever could have because I think to myself ever once and a while, “Would Papa have to say something about this?” and just that can keep me doing what is right.

Not just my Papa has helped me on my journey with God. My Amma is a very religious woman. She walks to church every Sunday, goes to Bible studies, says her prayers every morning and every night, and I can just look into those caring eyes, so filled with love and wisdom, and see God’s light shining through. Also my Grandma and Grandpa Morris have always been there for me and willing to help with anything and everything, for that reason and many more, I love them. My big brother may annoy me at times but I always know at the end of the day that he only wants what’s best for me.

There is someone that I feel that I need to thank because he and his organization has brought me closer to God, that person is the director of Club 121. He holds a religious group for kids at a middle school every Thursday before school. The organization is for the Middle School kids but I still go back every Thursday just to hear what everyone has to say because all of the little things they say just brightens my day.

In the next year I’m going to be a Nursery Attendant here at Advent. SO basically what I’m going to do is watch over young children while their parents are listening to the service. Personally there is nothing I would rather do here than encourage children to follow God. I’m going to close this with what God means to me, and that is simply love and hope. God is the hope for love, for me, for you, for everyone who can see Gods grace.