Becoming & Belonging: A Practical Design for Confirmation

Rating:
Summary: Good but Uneven
Review: Becoming & Belonging is a two-part exploration of confirmation in Christian churches.

Part one is "A Working Theory of Confirmation." Here the authors explore the history of confirmation as a rite of passage, develop four "core conditions" of confirmation, discuss one pastor's confirmation program, and examine the connections / disconnections between youth and the church. I found all of this material helpful in my own reflections about confirmation.

The one other chapter in part one was the real highlight of the book for me. It is a 16-page transcript of a series of conversations between the books contributors (Gary Halstead, Brenda Kinder, Richard Kirchherr, William Myers, Timothy Nelson, and Richard Wolf). The chance to be a fly on the wall as these experts discuss the insights and problems from their own experiences as confirmation leaders was priceless.

The second part of the book is a confirmation program based on the four core conditions the authors identified in part one: covenant, tradition, pilgrimage, and ministry. This part did have some interesting ideas and helped flesh out what the authors meant by the four core conditions. However, I found it rather lifeless. The most important aspects of confirmation cannot be captured by descriptions of activities.

Whether you are looking for an understanding of the confirmation process or a sample confirmation program, you are sure to find something helpful in Becoming & Belonging. You may just find that the book also comes with some chapters you won't find especially helpful.