Using Parents in Preparing their Children for Confirmation and First Communion

The theme of this paper is the involvement of parents in the spiritual life of their children as they prepare for confirmation and first Communion. A problem exists in most churches where these very vital steps are left to the pastor and the church. Through a study of the Scriptures, the writings of Dr. Martin Luther, and the history of the Christian Church, the extent to which parents are to be involved in this process is determined, as well as the age at which the child is ready to begin. Several surveys were conducted at Faith Lutheran Church to determine attitudes regarding confirmation and first Communion. A program was developed to involve parents in both the pre-Communion and pre-confirmation readiness of their children. A series of lessons using Bernice McCarthy\u27s 4MAT System was written and applied to the program. Involving parents in an individualized program for determining the readiness of their children for both first Communion and confirmation is found to be in accordance with Scriptures, the writings of Luther, the history of the church, and childhood learning theories. Such a program is outlined and recommended