Baptismal Promises

At baptism, parents & sponsors make these commitments regarding the child to be baptized:

“… to live with them among God’s faithful people, bring them to the word of God and the holy supper, teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and the Ten Commandments, place in their hands the holy Scriptures, and nurture them in faith and prayer, so that the child may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace.”

Affirmation of Baptism:

At their affirmation of baptism, confirmands are asked to make this promise for themselves

Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:

Live among God’s faithful people;

Hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper;

Proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed;

Serve all people following the example of Jesus; and

Strive for justice and peace in all the earth?”

Response: We do, and ask God to help and guide us.

The process of preparing people to affirm these promises can take many forms, including classes and increased involvement in congregational life. The process of confirmation takes many forms and varies from congregation to congregation, but the end goal is the same: to prepare people to boldly and confidently make those promises, affirm their baptisms and continue to live out their faith in the church. The intent for confirmation is to support faith formation, which translates into ministry in daily living.

While confirmation is a time-honored rite of passage in our Lutheran tradition that can seem like a sort of finish line, it is really more like the starting gate.