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Overview GROW First Communion

GROW is taking on a fresh approach to meet the dynamic challenges of faith formation. This will perhaps look different than what you experienced in confirmation. The goal remains the same, to grow in the concepts and language that fosters faith and trust in God in a post church world.

The GROW Approach: Fortnightly worship and small group for the whole family.

  1. Fortnightly during the school term from 5-6pm

  2. Discussion and teaching of the topic of the night

  3. Worship practices of songs and Communion

Why this new approach?

The benefit of this approach is that it engages the family and the church together in faith formation. Parents are engaged in the process and can equally benefit from time exploring Biblical concepts and truths. This approach also seeks to integrate faith formation into worship, so as not to add another activity to the family calendar. It is our desire that by engaging the whole family, faith formation will take place in the everyday conversations and events that occur outside of Sunday worship. When everyone is on board, no one is left alone to figure it out in real life.

Challenges will include care for children not ready to engage in these topics. We will work towards solutions as they present themselves.

What will be studied

The GROW topics rotate over the course of 3 years.

  1. God’s Big Story & The Old Testament
  2. The Story of Jesus & the Church in the New Testament
  3. Faith Building Blocks (5 chief parts of Luther's Small Catechism)

The Bible will the remain the primary source for teaching. Luther’s Small Catechism will be used as a trusted source for understanding scripture. It is important for families to have both on hand.

For our Youth:
Will there still be Confirmation?

Typically, at the end of the confirmation program, students would get confirmed as a whole group during a worship service. The whole service would be centred around this ‘graduation’ like moment. Young people would be confirmed regardless of their readiness in their faith journey.

GROW seeks to reorient this faith moment in young people’s lives. Confirmation will be a self-nominated process. This means it’s up to each person to take the next step in their faith journey. No one will be rushed or pressured. Every young person can go at their own pace that matches their spiritual journey.

The confirmation process will contain these elements:

  1. A written faith essays
  2. A next step essays
  3. A faith conversation with Pastor (along with an advocate if desired)
    1. To be discussed will be core elements of the Christian faith such as: Holy Communion, Baptism, Apostles Creed, Lord’s Prayer & Worship. (Note: these will all be taught at GROW over the course of this first year)

Once these elements are completed a confirmation day will be picked. This will mirror nicely to their baptism day, this time they will be speaking the words of faith. The church will get to celebrate and encourage each young person as an individual rather than a group.