2,000 Years in 2 Days!

We had our annual confirmation retreat this weekend at Camp Wesley, one of our United Methodist camps just north of Bellefontaine, Ohio. Confirmation consists of youth (mostly 7th graders) who are preparing to become full members of the church this April.

The purpose of the confirmation retreat is to help the youth, their adult mentors, and the confirmation program leaders (including me) to get to know each other and to learn about church history and Methodist history.

This means that we have to cover the highlights of 2,000 years of church history in 24 hours. Imagine trying to cover all of this without being boring! Amazingly, with a little creativity, and with the presence of the Holy Spirit, we were able to hear about the ups and downs of the history of Christianity and to hear about what makes United Methodism unique and helpful in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

In addition to our church history presentations, the special worship services during the retreat are also really meaningful. For the last worship time together, we celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and gave thanks to God for our deeper relationships with Christ and with each other.

What I think is special about the annual confirmation retreat is that the confirmands have the opportunity to get to know the pastors and the adults as real people.

Enjoy the brief video interview I had with two of our ten confirmands, Chris Beckelheimer and Amy Wilkinson. It's difficult to hear their responses, so listen carefully.