Confirmation mentors play an important part in the spiritual formation of confirmation students. The formal mentor relationship takes place weekly during the months of January through April in the student's 2nd and final year (9th grade). For many, though, the informal relationship can last a lifetime.
The Role of the Mentor
A confirmation mentor must be an adult who has an authentic faith in Jesus Christ, demonstrates this faith in character and daily life, and affirms the orthodox teachings of the Christian faith. The mentor must also be reliably committed to meeting weekly or biweekly with their student and maintaining consistent communication with the student's parents/guardians.
The role of the mentor is primarily relational, while the classroom experience continues to provide the educational component. Mentors help students process what they're learning in their class and how it might impact their lives. Mentors also explore conversations about daily life and faith with their students, encouraging them, laughing with them, and praying with them. The mentor also helps church leadership discern the needs of the student in their spiritual journey. Then, during the month of April, the mentor helps the confirmation student craft their testimony which the students will present to the congregation on Confirmation Sunday (usually the 1st Sunday of May).
The Journey
A mentor's guidebook is provided for each mentor. This guidebook gives an overview of each session covered in the confirmation class as well as suggested questions mentors can ask and explore with their students.
Goals and Requirements
- Develop a good healthy relationship with the student
- Reflect on (not teach) the content of each week’s lesson –– i.e. the teen’s thoughts and questions, what they’re learning, thoughts and conversations that are inspired by the content
- Explore the issues of life and faith together
- Meet with each other weekly thereafter for approximately 1 hour per week
- Have first meeting together occur the second or third week of January
- NOT meet in of place regularly scheduled programming (Wednesday night youth group), Sunday Confirmation class, nor during Sunday church services
- Assist church leadership in discerning the student's need in their spiritual journey
- Assist church leadership in their ability to “confirm” the authenticity of the teen’s faith and
- Assist the teen in writing their testimony to be shared on Confirmation Sunday
Important Dates
Mentor Orientation
Second Sunday of January, 10:00AM, Covenant Church, Youth Room
A meeting to get Mentors oriented to their roles and connect with confirmands and their parents for establishing meeting times and locations.
Confirmation Sunday
First Sunday of May, Covenant Church
Service Selection (9:00AM or 10:45AM) will be determined in April in coordination with confirmands and their parents.