The last Sunday in January, both services are theirs to lead, and they do a super job. Seventh-graders spend their year on the Ten Commandments, the sacraments and the Lord's Prayer. Eighth-graders work on the Apostles' Creed, Lutheran church history and their faith statement. All are expected to attend Sunday school and worship, complete sermon summaries and spend a week at confirmation camp each year. Getting all the dates at the beginning of the year is helpful.
Students can prepare lessons at their own pace, and parents feel more involved in what's going on.
For all my kids, confirmation camp was the highlight. Small churches combine Working together, an event-based model can assist congregations with few students, while giving youth a broader view of the church. Confirmands gather one Saturday a month at one of the churches. The youth attend Sunday school in their home congregations, where the focus is on Bible study. The program enables instruction to be multiethnic and multicultural since it brings together churches from racially mixed areas with those of less diversity.