St Mark & St Stephen
Confirmation
Sharing life's precious moments
What is confirmation?
Confirmation is a special church service in which a person confirms the promises that were made when they were baptised. If you were baptised when you were a child, your parents and godparents made these promises on your behalf. As a young person or adult, you may be ready to affirm these promises for yourself and commit your life to following Jesus Christ. At a confirmation service, you make these promises for yourself. Your friends and family, as well as the local Christian community, will be there to promise to support and pray for you.
The local bishop will lay their hands on your head and ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of your life.
What happens during the service?Confirmation takes place in a special service in church. There will be hymns and readings. After the Bishop has laid hands on each person’s head there will be special prayers – then there will be some celebratory refreshments to follow!
There will be a rehearsal before the confirmation service so that you understand everything that happens in the service.
The confirmation has four key parts:
- Presentation of the candidate - The individuals awaiting confirmation are summoned.
- Renewal of baptismal vows - The individuals renew the promises made at their baptism.
- Laying on of hands - The candidate being confirmed kneels before the bishop, who reads out the candidate’s name. A sponsor places their right hand on the shoulder of the candidate and the bishop lays his hands on the candidate’s head. This is to call down the power and blessing of God.
- Anointing with chrism - The bishop then anoints the candidate with chrism, which is holy oil. The bishop then makes a sign of the cross on the candidate’s forehead, saying the words “be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit”.
Will I need Godparents?
At a christening, Godparents stand alongside the parents to make promises on behalf of the child being baptised. At confirmation, there are no godparents because you make the promises for yourself, but you can have a sponsor to stand with you as a supporting friend in your journey of faith. Usually this is someone who has previously been confirmed. It may be one of the people who has prepared you for confirmation, a good friend, a relative, or a godparent.
What is the right age for confirmation?
There is no right age for a person to be confirmed. Anyone may be confirmed who has been baptised and if they are old enough to answer responsibly for themselves. In some areas of the country, the local bishop sets a minimum age for confirmation. As a general rule, anyone who is over 10 years old and can answer for themselves could be ready for confirmation, but the right time for you might be at any age – you could be in your teens or in your nineties!
How can I tell if I am ready for confirmation?
If you feel strongly for yourself that confirmation is right for you at this point in your life, it’s likely that it is. Pray about this and ask others in your church to pray for you. Talk to your vicar too, and even if you are unsure about being confirmed, you will be able to participate in the confirmation course to help you think about it.
What if I wasn't baptised as a child?
You will need to be baptised before you are confirmed. If you were not baptised as a child and want to make a commitment of faith, you can be baptised and confirmed in the same service, or baptised at a separate service shortly before your confirmation.