‘God has called you by name and made you his own.’
In the Church of England, the bishop says these words to everyone being confirmed. But what is Confirmation all about? Confirmation is
  • A step of personal faith. If you were christened at a young age, at Confirmation you “confirm” that you take on for yourself the promises which were taken on for you at your baptism, confirming your faith and your membership of the body of Christ. If you were baptised as an adult, Confirmation seals the promises you made.
  • A special way of receiving God’s grace. At Confirmation the presence of the Holy Spirit is confirmed and renewed in you through prayer and the laying on of the bishop’s hands. This “extra helping of grace” is a free gift from God to enable you to live the Christian life more faithfully.
  • A rite of passage. Confirmation marks the watershed between spiritual “childhood” and “adulthood”. This might sound as though such a rite should be more relevant for young people, but the truth is that God wants us to keep growing into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Cf. Rom. 8:29 – Eph. 4:15) and Confirmation is an important step along the road to this.
  • Admission to Holy Communion. If you did not begin to receive Holy Communion as a child (perhaps at First Communion Service), then Confirmation admits you to partake in the most wonderful gift from the Lord Jesus, the Eucharist – his Body and Blood.
 
The road to Confirmation requires some preparation. First, we need to be willing: expecting to receive from the gifts of the Holy Spirt, open to God’s calling, ready for his embrace, and wanting to experience his presence and power.
Secondly, candidates are expected to participate to a series of talks to prepare for Confirmation and explore what this might mean for them.  But It isn’t just the people being confirmed who need to be prepared; it is also the community to which they belong. It is good for congregations to reflect on how they will welcome and uphold those who are being confirmed.

If you would like to explore Confirmation, please get in touch with the Parish Office or Father Diego. The next Confirmation service will take place on 4 November at 10:00am at All Saints’.
Confirmations Service
4 November 2018
All Saints’ Sunday
10:00am
by Bishop Alan Smith
Bishop of St Albans
'Speaking the truth in love,
we will grow to become in every respect
the mature body of him who is the head,
that is, Christ.'
- Ephesians 4:15
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