My Confirmation

[gitlance]

HELLO ALL! I realize that I haven't been the most active poster on this board, though I faithfully read up on the new postings every day! But I just thought I should share something with my fellow Anglican brethren. I was officially Confirmed into the Communion this morning! Yay!! I am just so ecstatic over it. Coming from a Charismatic, Pentecostal, non-denominational background, it has been quite the change for me. But it has been a good one! I received a copy of "Habit of Holiness," a beautiful prayer book in the Catholic tradition of the Anglican Church. It has already deeply enriched my prayer life. I just wanted to say "thank you" to all of you... you have helped lead me into the Church in ways you will never know! God bless every single one of you!

[RobNJ]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
:thumbsup: :amen: :clap: :thumbsup: :amen: :clap:

[AveMaria]

Congratulations!!! :crossrc:

[benedictine]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Father Rick]

Gitlance...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!


As someone coming from a P/C background, you should understand more than most the signficance of 'laying on of hands', such as takes place at confirmation. Even though you may not fully realize it yet, there is an impartation for strengthening in the faith and the Christian walk that is central to confirmation.

May God bless you richly with His grace and mercy as you continue your journey in Him.

[julian the apostate]

father rick<<<As someone coming from a P/C background, you should understand more than most the signficance of 'laying on of hands', such as takes place at confirmation


amen

[Cjwinnit]

Cool!.

[Wigglesworth]

Congratulations, gitlance. :)

[PaladinValer]

Welcome to the Anglican-Old Catholic Communion! ^_^

[gitlance]

Thank you, thank you all! Your support and encouragement mean more to me than you will ever know! Please continue to keep me in your prayers, and know that they do not go unnoticed. May the Holy Trinity bless each and every one of you! :crossrc:

[Bonifatius]

Hi Gitlance,

congratulations!
Did you have some kind of preparation for this?
I am asking as I am a *convert* to the Anglican tradition also and have been in my local church for several years now, a member of the PCC and also sometimes preaching (when our priest was away). But as coming from a United Methodist background I did not have a "proper" episcopal confirmation and plan to do this when one of our bishops comes along (we do not see much of them in this part of continental Europe, you see).

The only thing I want to avoid is to sit in classes with giggling 12 to 14 year olds or anything like that ... I hope you understand my concerns :-)

Greetz
Tom

[PaladinValer]

Bonifatius, have you received a valid baptism? Or a baptism and a form of "confirmation" rite already?

Then you've already confirmed your faith! :)

What you would receive is a rite of "Reception" in which you are formally admitted to the Anglican Communion. If you actually want to, in addition, go through the rite of Confirmation as well, talk to your priest and I'm sure he/she will be more than happy to discuss it with you.

But from what I seem to understand, you need no Confirmation rite; just a Reception one.

[AveMaria]

Bonifatius, a lot of parishes have two sets of Confirmation (or, in your case, possibly Reception) classes: one for the teens and one for adults. With a bit of luck, your church might offer a series geared towards adults.

[pmcleanj]

Most Protestant "confirmations" are actually just a graduation ceremony from membership classes, without Sacramental laying-on of hands. So someone who has had that kind of "confirmation" wouldn't be considered sacramentally confirmed. But we must never lose sight of the fact that Baptism is the complete and sufficient Sacrament of initiation. Confirmation is a strengthening in the Spirit, for ministry as a mature Christian.

I was catechized prior to my Baptism and Confirmation in an adult seeker class. Most catechists are reluctant to mix adults and teens, because of the differences in emotional maturity. Of course, adults and other adults have similar differences in emotional maturity ;)

When Anne prepared for her confirmation last spring, the Priest did the preparation one-on-one! It was a very rewarding time -- I think, for both of them.

[gitlance]

I actually took an Adult Confirmation class.... the only time I ever saw the teenagers was during the actual Confirmation service. I think most Parishes do it this way, from my understanding at least. And besides, I'm sure your priest would be more than willing to sit down with you individually and discuss some of your questions. It has been a very rewarding experience, and one that you will fully appreciate.

[gtsecc]

I am not sure my parish confirms teens under 17.

[Bonifatius]

Dear all,

yes, Paladin, I've received a valid baptism and of course had some kind of religious education at the age of 12 to 14 in church with a kind of blessing at the end, but this was not a sacramental, episcopal confirmation in the Anglican sense. Some other members of my church with a similar (UMC) background told me that they had the information from the bishop that they would need episcopally confirmed to be *fully* Anglican. I would not regard this as an act of confirmation of my baptismal vows but rather as an act of fully and formally being received into the communion of the Anglican Church (although I've been there some years now ...). It would definitely help in case I decide to offer myself for some official training als Lay Reader or Lay Eucharistic Minister or something like that in the future ...