Traditional Confirmation vs. Head to the Heart Confirmation
Most confirmation programs are built around one idea: get the content in. Lectures, workbooks, tidy rows of chairs, and a race to cover the material.
Head to the Heart Confirmation is built around a different idea: draw faith out. Small peer groups, parents engaged every night at home, pastoral care, and an intergenerational community that forms faith rather than just teaches it.
| Confirmation Components | Traditional Confirmation | Head to the Heart Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | Head to the Head | Head to the Heart |
| Prime Concern | Information | Faith Formation |
| Content vs. Context | Content heavy, context incidental | Content basic, context essential |
| Prime Directive | Fill blanks in workbooks | Fill blanks in lives |
| Educational Theory | Cram in | Draw out (educatio) |
| Educational Practice | Cover a lesson once | Preview, view, review and connect the lesson to your highs and lows every night |
| Educational Delivery System | Class/lecture | Large group/small peer group/nightly home huddles/community |
| Responsibility Bearers | Pastor/Teacher | Team including parents as partners |
| Church Role | Replacement of parent's duties | Partner with parents, equippers, trainers, motivators and supporters |
| Pastor/Director's Role | Preacher, occasional teacher | One voice of many, coach, encourager, equipper |
| Teacher's Role | Information vehicle, sometimes disciplinarian | Guide, role model, coach |
| Parent's Role | Drop off the kid | Partner in FAITH5 Home Huddles |
| Teaching Goal | Open the book | Open the kid |
| Parent's Goal | Get it over with | Get it started |
| Service | Hours noted on a chart | Community servanthood done in a peer group with followup reflection |
| Fellowship | Youth group and youth education separate | Youth group and youth education blur |
| Care Components | Incidental | Essential |
| Confirmation Outcome | Massive attrition | Jr. High groups grow into Sr. High groups |
| Family Devotions | Nearly extinct | FAITH5 Home Huddles |
| Nightly Family Time | Nearly extinct | Every night in every home |
| What keeps kids coming back to confirmation? | Parent demands, guilt | Belonging to a community |
Ready to see the difference for yourself? Download a free sample of Head to the Heart Confirmation.