Pastor Hedman.

There is a revival in Garwin! If a Church is like a sailboat, then you can’t make the wind blow, but you can have open sails. Over the last year, God has been helping us to fix up our boat and teaching us to open our sails again. Now, by God’s grace, the wind is blowing!

This April and May, we will have 10 Baptisms, 3 Youth Confirmations, and 9 adults seeking Membership and Adult Confirmation. That’s 22 people crossing big thresholds into a deeper relationship with Jesus and His Church. I knew that this would be a big year, but I had no idea!

This growth has coincided with clarifying our vision for discipleship and the sacramental life of baptism and confirmation. When you have thresholds to cross, people have something to say “yes” to. We will have two main discipleship pathways: adult baptism and infant baptism.

Adult Baptism

Shorter Catechism > [Baptism & Communion] > Longer Catechism > Adult Confirmation

For those who were not baptized as infants, their discipleship path looks like above: A shorter teaching of the basics of Christian faith (one Saturday morning), initiation through baptism & communion, then at a later date (at least 20 years old), a longer teaching process (four Saturday mornings) culminating in adult confirmation and church membership. Both the Shorter and Longer Catechism includes teaching on the Gospel, Apostles Creed, 10 Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, and Sacraments.

Infant Baptism

For those baptized as infants, the process is easier in many ways because a child has the benefit of growing up in the life of the church. Yet, there are more steps.

Shorter Catechism (Parent) > [Baptism > Informal Teaching > Communion (~3yo)]

>Shorter Catechism (Child) > Youth Confirmation (7-12 grade)

>Longer Catechism > Adult Confirmation (20yo+).

Before an infant is baptized, at least one parent should go through the Shorter Catechism class (and be baptized if necessary). When the toddler understands that communion is special and not just a snack, probably around 3 years old, they may begin receiving communion. When the child reaches 7-12th grade, they should go through the Shorter Catechism themselves, culminating in Youth Confirmation. Then, like above, at a later date they should learn the Longer Catechism, receive Adult Confirmation, and take their place as full adult members of the Church.

It is my conviction that the above vision for baptism and confirmation, firmly grounded in the Scriptures and church history, is the most conducive to giving every child and adult the greatest opportunity to come into a saving and mature relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is my hope that even those who are already members would consider going through the process of Adult Confirmation in order to take a further step into the maturing and confirming of their faith in the eyes of Christ and the Church. The wind is blowing! Let’s have open sails.