Head to the Heart Confirmation
2026-2027

You don’t need a better workbook. You need a better way.

If Confirmation Feels Like a Problem to Solve, You’re Not Alone

Maybe you've inherited a confirmation program that isn't working. Maybe you're starting from scratch with no curriculum and a group of middle schoolers showing up in the fall. Maybe you've tried other programs and found them theologically thin, hard to lead, or impossible to make stick.

Whatever brought you here, you're in the right place.

What Is Head to the Heart?

Head to the Heart is a complete confirmation ministry system built on a single conviction: confirmation shouldn't just fill young people's heads with information. It should connect their faith to their hearts -- and to their lives at home, with their families, and in the world.

It's not a textbook. It's not a fill-in-the-blank workbook. It's a full ministry system that gives you everything you need to run confirmation that actually forms faith.

For Pastors: Depth Without Compromise

If you've led confirmation before, you may be wondering whether a system built around small groups and PowerPoint-driven lessons can hold up theologically.

Head to the Heart is built on serious theological content. The 91 lessons cover the full sweep of Scripture -- Old Testament narrative, the life of Jesus, and the New Testament -- alongside the foundational documents of the faith: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. Head to the Heart is rooted in Lutheran theology and fully compatible with Presbyterian, Methodist, and UCC traditions, making it a strong fit across a wide range of Protestant congregations.

The engaging formats are not a substitute for content. They are a delivery system for it, designed around how adolescent minds actually learn and retain what they're taught. The theology doesn't get lighter. It gets taught in a way that lands.

Head to the Heart respects the pastor's role. Many congregations expect their pastor to be the primary teacher and theological voice in confirmation -- and that's exactly how Head to the Heart is designed to work. Each session begins with a Large Group gathering where the pastor or designated leader teaches the lesson. The content, the visuals, and the structure are all there. You bring your voice and your congregation's context.

This is a program with a theological spine. The joy and the energy are features, not workarounds.

Curious how Head to the Heart compares to a traditional confirmation model?

You Don’t Have to Be a Theologian to Lead This

For many congregations, confirmation is led not by a pastor but by a youth director, a dedicated lay volunteer, a parent, or a staff member carrying multiple responsibilities. If that's you -- someone who cares deeply about these students and wants to do this well -- Head to the Heart was built with you in mind.

You don't need a theology degree to lead this program. Every session comes with a fully developed lesson, complete PowerPoint presentation, and leader guide. The content, the structure, and the visuals are all there. You bring your relationship with your students and your congregation's context.

If your church is between pastors or your pastor isn't available to lead Large Group, that's not a problem. The materials are designed so that a prepared lay leader can step in and teach with confidence.

Your role as program leader also includes recruiting and leading a team of Small Group Guides -- caring adults from your congregation who work directly with small peer groups of students. Guides are not theological experts. They are listeners, encouragers, and consistent presences in students' lives. Your membership includes everything you need to recruit, train, and support them.

How it Works

Head to the Heart is a complete system -- every piece is designed to work together, and every piece is ready when you are.

91 comprehensive, flexible lessons. Every lesson is fully built out -- content, PowerPoint, leader guide, and student materials. A few minutes of customization each week lets you shape it to fit your congregation, your students, and your schedule. The format is grounded in decades of research into how adolescent minds actually learn and retain content. Young people don't remember lectures. They remember experiences -- and Head to the Heart is built around that reality.

A two-part session structure. Each gathering begins with Large Group time, where the lesson is taught to all students together. Then students move into their small peer groups, led by their Guides, for discussion and deeper connection. It's a simple, proven structure that works across a wide range of congregation sizes and settings.

Events built into the year. Every lesson includes a Servant Event suggestion for small groups -- a simple, actionable way for students to live out their faith between sessions. Fellowship Events bring small groups together outside of confirmation for low-key activities like a group bike ride or a pizza outing, building the relationships that make the small group time work. And periodic Guide gatherings give your adult leaders a chance to share stories, encourage one another, and stay connected to the bigger picture of what they're doing. None of these are afterthoughts -- they're built into how the program forms faith.

You choose what fits. No congregation is the same. Head to the Heart gives you 91 lessons and lets you build the confirmation experience that fits your calendar, your community, and your students. Lessons you don't use for confirmation work just as well for retreats, senior high ministry, camps, adult education, or Sunday worship.

Faith That Goes Home

One of the biggest challenges in confirmation is what happens between sessions. Head to the Heart addresses that directly with two connected tools: a Family Home Huddle handout for every session -- printed to send home with students or emailed directly to families -- and FAITH5, a simple five-step practice families can use any night of the week.

The same five steps used during small group time can be practiced by families around the dinner table or at bedtime. No preparation needed. No theological background required.

Share — Share the highs and lows of your day or week.

Read — Read a short passage of Scripture together.

Talk — Talk about how the reading connects to real life.

Pray — Pray for one another, by name.

Bless — Close with a simple blessing -- a word, a touch, or a gesture.

FAITH5 is simple enough for a middle schooler to lead and meaningful enough to become a lifelong practice. The goal is faith lived every week at church and every night in every home.

Your Annual Membership

Head to the Heart is available as an annual membership, with the license year running September 1 through August 31. Once you purchase, you have immediate access to all materials -- so if you're ready to get started before September, nothing is stopping you.

Your membership includes digital access to all 91 lessons plus four seasonal resources (Advent, Lent, Stewardship, and an additional bonus set), full PowerPoint decks customizable for your congregation, student handouts and leader guides for every session, Family Home Huddle materials and FAITH5 resources for every lesson, Guide training and recruiting tools, and promotional materials for introducing Head to the Heart to your congregation and families.

The current release is Head to the Heart 2026-2027, with full access through August 31, 2027.

Order by May 31 and receive a free Faith Stepping Stones license -- a $199 value.

Faith Stepping Stones is a complete cradle-to-graduation family ministry resource covering eight milestones from birth through high school graduation. It's a natural companion to Head to the Heart and extends your ministry well beyond the confirmation years. This offer is included automatically with any 2026-2027 membership order placed by May 31, 2026.