Prof Insights: Faculty-Led Workshop – Professor Nafzger in Conover, NC

Beginning with the End in Mind: A Vision for a More Effective Confirmation Process

Many pastors and congregations are dissatisfied with the current state of their Confirmation ministry. They should be. Barna recently reported that 59% of those 18–29 years old with a Christian background have dropped out of church. This fits what we already know from experience: many young people — often confirmed young people — are leaving the church. And there’s no evidence they’ll be coming back. What should we do? One response is to take a close and critical look at how we conduct Confirmation ministry in our congregations. This involves asking tough questions about how well we are preparing young people for life in an increasingly post-church culture. It also requires creative reflection about how we could do better.

In this workshop we will do both. We will take a close and in-depth look at the history of confirmation; we will consider insights from contemporary studies of youth culture; and we will examine a potential future for a confirmation process that is better equipped to handle changes we can’t yet see coming. The workshop concludes with discussion about how pastors and church workers, together with their congregations, might make significant changes to confirmation.

Dr. Peter Nafzger

Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Director, Student Life, Coordinator of International Seminary Exchange Programs

Dr. Peter Nafzger is a gifted theologian and speaker. He joined the faculty at Concordia Seminary in 2016 after serving as a pastor for nine years in Minnesota. While in Minnesota, Nafzger served as a leader (and continues to do so) in the planning of our National Youth Gatherings. His dissertation (and hence his expertise) centers on a Lutheran approach and the use of Scripture over and against the fundamentalist approaches that often dominate American Christianity.

Schedule

DAY	TIME
Friday, Sept. 19	6-9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20	8:30 a.m-noon
	12:45-4 p.m.

Registration cost: $150
Registration deadline: Sept. 5, 2025
Location contact: Rev. Peter Frank
 
Register
More Workshops