Description
Beginning with the (Communal) End in Mind: Confirmation, Christian Formation and the Life in the Congregation
Many congregations are dissatisfied with the current state of their Confirmation ministry. They should be. Barna recently reported that 59% of 18–29-year-olds with a Christian background have dropped out of church. Statistics in the LCMS are even worse. A recent study by LCMS Youth Ministry showed that less than two of every 10 children we baptize are still members of LCMS congregations when they graduate from high school. This fits what many congregations already know from local experience: many young people — often confirmed young people — are leaving our congregations. And they aren’t 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. Another response is to examine how well we are cultivating a communal life for all our members.
In this workshop we will do both. We will take a close look at Confirmation and how we raise up young people. We will also discuss ways in which congregations and pastors might cultivate a more communal conception and practice of the Christian life. Our goal will be to imagine (and work toward) a future for Confirmation and Christian formation that is better equipped to handle today’s challenges, as well as the challenges that we can’t yet see coming.
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 deadline: Sept. 5, 2025
Location contact: Rev. Peter Frank
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Note: The schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the workshop presenters.