Considering Confirmation

Would you like your children or yourself to be confirmed? We’ve all the info you need.

We would like to offer the opportunity for you or your child to explore their faith and perhaps consider confirmation. The tradition within the Church of England is that children are often baptised or christened as babies. Confirmation is an opportunity for them to make their own choice. They confirm the promises made on their behalf and decide for themselves to want to be a Christian and follow Jesus. Confirmation is a public declaration of faith. It involves making promises to God and committing to a life of prayer, bible reading and worshipping God. It is also a wonderful and joyful way of celebrating faith in God.

We feel that children aged ten upwards (current Yr 5) are mature enough to make this commitment for themselves. Many of the children at our church schools attend worship at family services or Messy Church and participate in collective worship at school. Many of them are clearly thinking deeply about faith and what it means to them. Being confirmed gives your child a chance to explore faith more deeply and make decisions for themselves.

There will be series of sessions to help you or your child prepare for confirmation and explore their faith. It is likely that these sessions will be held on a Sunday either in the morning or the afternoon. The first session will be Sunday 8th May at 10.45am in Salway Ash Church which will be a chance to attend our family service in the village. Everyone in your family is welcome to attend. Sessions will continue on 15th, 22nd and 29th May in the afternoon and then 12th (in the morning) 19th and 26th June (afternoon). Times and venues will be confirmed once we have a group of people signed up. It is likely that confirmation will be in the autumn either in Salisbury Cathedral on 5th November or possibly nearer to home sometime in September or October. We will confirm the date as soon as we are able to.

Signing up for preparation does not commit you or your child to anything, they may decide after preparation that confirmation is not for them. However, if your child is interested do encourage them to sign up and explore it for themselves before making a final decision. If your child is not yet baptised but would like to be then that can be combined with confirmation. We are also happy to include older siblings or other family members if they would like to be confirmed. Just let us know how we can help.

If your child or any other members of your family would like to be confirmed or baptised, please contact me directly by phone (01308 867816) or email (revneary@gmail.com). I would be pleased to answer any questions you or they have. If your child is interested in finding out more then please let me know by Easter, 17th April 2022. You can also come with your child to Messy Church on Sat 26th March at 4pm in St Mary’s Church Beaminster, 10.45am at Salway Ash Church on Sunday 10th April, or Good Friday 15th April at 10am in Beaminster and catch me for a chat. Information about all our church services can be found on this page.

With every blessing,

Rev Jo Neary