Teaching Confirmation When Students Can't Be There
Note: This article was written by Faith Inkubators Senior Partner Monty Lysne during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the specific circumstances that prompted it have passed, the strategies here remain relevant for any situation where students cannot gather in person, whether due to weather, illness, travel, or other disruptions. We are keeping it available as a practical resource for remote and hybrid ministry.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused us all to rethink what it means to be church and how we operate. Like many of you, I had to adapt and change ministry processes, and some of those changes have become a lasting part of how we think about flexible ministry delivery.
Every church has its own reality. I would never claim to have all the answers on how to run large group/small group confirmation ministry in every setting, but what follows are a few adaptations worth considering whenever students cannot gather together on-site.
Give parents permission to temporarily opt out. As a parent myself, I know that life can feel overwhelming. Be a source of understanding and grace to families who cannot manage one more commitment right now. Make sure they know the door is open and that the church wants to support them in whatever way helps them get back connected when they are ready.
Equip opt-out families with home resources. Send them FAITH5 reminders and the Home Huddle sheets found in each Head to the Heart theme. These sheets include a weekly focus and are designed to function as a complete, stand-alone resource for families engaging at home.
Gather outside with your group. Outdoor gatherings can be a welcome change of pace. We brought a campfire vibe to our outdoor events, with music and groups gathered around a makeshift fire pit on the church lawn. We used three long tables stood on end as a projection screen. Each student brought their own chair, and small groups spread out in clusters when it was time for group time.
Meet via video call. It is not the ideal solution, but it works better than nothing. When we gathered online, I simply worked through each part of the Theme Event as if we were together, including breakout small groups. The main PowerPoint for the theme was our guide for the evening. With a bit of practice, most of the standard Theme Event can be replicated in a virtual format.
Record your presentation and post it. If you have the means, record your theme presentation and make it available for those who cannot join live. A screen recording tool makes it straightforward to record yourself walking through the slides for the main presentation portion of a given theme. Here is an example: