Tracking the social, emotional, physical & spiritual development of youth will yield up some rather poignant realities not taken into account in the “traditional Confirmation Ministry model”, beginning in grades 6-8 and ending in grades 8-10, if that means concluding in Fall of 10th grade.
Reality is that the years of grades 6-9 are the most turbulent and restlessly unsettled years in any individual’s life. As long as we persist in beginning and ending our process of Faith Formation during these years, regardless the educational skills and/or charisma of a given pastor, parents and/or mentors, virtually any model will fail abysmally. And the fault is not that of the youth, but falls squarely on us, who continue to use such a faulted and irrationally chosen time line for our instruction intended to produce a “Life-long commitment to the faith we hold in Jesus Christ”; A Disciple.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 ESV
Lutheran Confirmation 