03/22/2018

We got final word after Musings went out last week, so the big news has not yet appeared here. The Rt. Rev Thad Barnum, Assisting Bishop for the Diocese of the Carolinas, will be with us for a pastoral visit Sunday April 15th! Bishop Barnum will be with us to preach and preside at Confirmation, and to encourage and support us. This is the same day as our 10th Anniversary, and it means our Anniversary Celebration just got much bigger!

What is Confirmation? In Confirmation, the Bishop lays hands upon and prays over those being Confirmed. The words Belief and Belonging characterize what Confirmation is about.
Belief. For those Baptized as infants or at a young age, Confirmation is an opportunity for them to publicly affirm their faith in Christ.
Belonging. Confirmation also confirms one’s identity as an Anglican. It is a way saying “An Anglican Christian is what I choose to be.” We are Baptized into the larger body of Christ and the church as a whole, we are Confirmed as an Anglican.

Should I be Confirmed? Confirmation is a personal choice. It is required of no one, yet a good idea for all. There are offices within the Diocese and at CTR that require one to be Confirmed in order to serve, yet one can be a full member at CTR without receiving Confirmation. ACNA canons require that TLT (Vestry) members be confirmed.

What does it take to be Confirmed? See article below for information about the newly scheduled instruction sessions on April 5th and 12th.

What if I was Confirmed in another Church? If you were Confirmed in another body and wish to affirm your identity as an Anglican, you will be Received rather than Confirmed. The same instruction is needed in either case.

What if I want to Baptized? It is appropriate for older children and adults who wish to be Baptized to receive Confirmation at the same time.

If you are interested in Confirmation, Reception, or Baptism please get in touch with me asap. Time is indeed short!

Thursday Night Instruction and Review April 5th & 12th
Given the tight schedule for the Bishop’s visit and Confirmation, we thought we would make best use of our existing structure to help you get ready.

Set aside Thursday, April 5th and Thursday April 12th as our instruction times to prepare for Confirmation. These sessions will follow our normal Thursday night schedule: Dinner together at 6:30, followed by class starting at 7:00pm. Plan on ending at 8:30pm rather than our normal 8:00pm stop time.

If you are interested in being Confirmed or Received, you will need to attend one of these sessions. Each of the two sessions will cover the same ground, but will not be identical. The classes will focus on both the belief and belonging aspects of Confirmation.

What if I’m not being Confirmed or Received? Come join us anyway! A little review never hurt anyone, and you might learn something new!

Please get in touch with me if you are interested in Confirmation/Reception but can’t make it to either Thursday session. I’m happy to work something out with you that fits your schedule.

See you Sunday!
-Bill