Dear Friends,
I am excited to announce to you that we are starting a new confirmation class in February. I am looking forward to sharing about the Bible, the Church, and the saving Grace of Jesus Christ with some of our young people.
As you know, in our tradition, we often baptize our children as infants. In this, we dedicate them to Christ and God responds during our celebration of baptism. However, our children do not have a chance to “own” that baptism until later. We give them a chance during confirmation classes to learn about their baptism and much more. The idea is that at the end of confirmation they will have the opportunity to decide or “confirm” the baptism for themselves – they have the opportunity to “own” that decision.
Confirmation is not a graduation but rather the beginning of something. It is a time when the young person becomes a professing member of the church and use that membership to grow in the knowledge of Christ and serve God. It is always my hope that our new confirmed members would take that to heart.
On other fronts: We continue to battle COVID as new variants emerge. I would like to encourage each of us to take proper precautions in protecting yourself and others. It is a ministry and a Christian service when we do so. Mask wearing is an easy way to help mitigate the spread of the virus. There are masks available near the doors if you should forget one. Hand sanitizer is also available near the doors. Of course, getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others.
We continue to pray that we will see an end to the pandemic. If COVID is here to stay, then we look to the time when it becomes no worse than the flu or a cold. Until then, let’s stay vigilant.
And finally, I thank everyone for their dedication of spirit and cheerful attitudes as we strive to be the Church of Jesus Christ. The past couple of years have been a struggle with the pandemic and general stress of our times. However, we are called to be the light on the hill that brings good to everyone who sees it. As we model the life in Christ in our everyday living, others will be attracted to that life and seek out the One who authors it.
Blessings,
Pastor Mike
