Should I speak to our YM about Confirmation program?

[leonie]

I went to my son’s confirmation prep meeting last night. In our parish the sponsors usually attend with the confirmation candidates, but my son’s sponsor couldn’t attend. I was very disappointed in the meeting. The topic was social justice. The speaker was well intentioned, but rather vague. He also had a heavy accent was difficult to understand. A question came up at “discussion” time about the disparity in the Church’s riches and the service of the poor. The speaker replied by saying the Church wasn’t perfect. He did bring up Mary annointing Jesus’s feet with expensive oils, but I don’t think the kids got the connection.

They gave the kids wash cloths to take home to remind them that they should “wash each other’s feet.”

I am wondering if I should call or send a note telling the Youth minister my concerns that the meeting was, er, a waste of time. I was formally on the committee that oversees the confirmation program, so I know that the Youth minister is very territorial concerning the program.

I also know that by personality, I tend to be critical of group programs. I don’t think it would hurt my son to attend the sessions because they are so vague and uninformative, they don’t really teach anything (good or bad). And, I’m doing confirmation prep with my son at home.

I am wondering if I should wait until the program is over and then write a letter to send to both the youth minister and the pastor.

 

[carol_marie]

Hmm… what to do? what to do? Well, I can only compare what your kids heard to what my son’s same class heard last week. Ours was so VERY awesome - a beautiful young woman talked about how she felt the call of God to become a nun, her feelings about that, and finally her peace with decision to heed His call. She talked about how God has a plan for each & every one of us and we need to seek His guidance. She talked about how the students are on a journey and through participation in the mass, prayer & study they will continue to grow into the young men & women God desires. It was basically about how we all have a vocation in life.

Ok - so what about yours? I agree - the whole washrag thing sounds so very hokey - but maybe you should give it a bit more time? I’d wait & see how things progress - maybe they will get better? If they don’t, then I would contact the person in charge - esp. since you served on the commitee.

I agree - group activities are ok - but nothing beats the one one one time you’ll spend with your son at home. But it’s too bad for the kids who don’t have parents who are involved with their children’s religious formation. They are the kids who will come to Catholic Answers 10 years from now & not know a thing about our Faith.

 

[stbruno]

Since you are on the committee, I think constructive criticism is definitely something you should offer. Be gracious and offer some other suggestion.

Obviously the kids missed the true message that was intended. Perhaps more can be offered, but until someone speaks up, no one will realize the missed point. Pray on it first.

 

[puzzleannie]

a tack that will be more beneficial in the long run is for you to become involved in the confirmation preparation program as well as in the doctrinal formation of youth of your parish.

do you know how this speaker fit in with the rest of the program, are there a series of topics to be covered. Social Justice is a topic that should be covered as it relates the Christian service as well as to morality. Is you objection to what the speaker said or to how he said it? If the confirmation meetings are the only preparation the youth are receiving then the program is totally inadequate, but it is not fair to expect one speaker in one session to cover more than one topic.

Before you cricize I would look at the entire program. What the meeting you attended a teaching session? a retreat-type setting? intended to give suggestions for reflection, meditation and action? Best to evaluate in reference to the goals of the meeting itself.

I am sure you are concerned about whether the kids “got” the message. Was any kind of evaluation, journaling, discussion or reflection done at the end of the meeting or another time to assess what they got out of the presentation?

 

[leonie]

a tack that will be more beneficial in the long run is for you to become involved in the confirmation preparation program as well as in the doctrinal formation of youth of your parish.

The youth minister runs the confirmation program exclusively and does not allow others to have a say. I know this because our faith formation commission tried to evaluate the confirmation program and he refused to allow us. The youth ministry program is also under his discretion. There is a youth leadership team, but not many opportunities for parents to be involved.

do you know how this speaker fit in with the rest of the program, are there a series of topics to be covered. Social Justice is a topic that should be covered as it relates the Christian service as well as to morality. Is you objection to what the speaker said or to how he said it? If the confirmation meetings are the only preparation the youth are receiving then the program is totally inadequate, but it is not fair to expect one speaker in one session to cover more than one topic.

The talk wasn’t heretical; it was just vague and all over the place. The kids are supposed to receive instructions from their sponsors, but many sponsors are older teen siblings or friends, so there isn’t a lot of consistency.

Before you cricize I would look at the entire program. What the meeting you attended a teaching session? a retreat-type setting? intended to give suggestions for reflection, meditation and action? Best to evaluate in reference to the goals of the meeting itself.

It was a teaching session.

There was suppose to be a meditative moment when the kids listened to a fast pace Christian rock song about being Christ’s hands. It was not conducive to meditation. In fact, it wasn’t a very good song. I have been through the program as a sponsor a few years ago, so I know that this meeting was indicative of the program. The retreat (1/2 day) in the summer is particularly bad. It is very new agey.

I am sure you are concerned about whether the kids “got” the message. Was any kind of evaluation, journaling, discussion or reflection done at the end of the meeting or another time to assess what they got out of the presentation?

The discussion reflected that the kids didn’t get much out of the speaker.

I’ll probably let it go.

 

[Orogeny]

The youth minister runs the confirmation program exclusively and does not allow others to have a say. I know this because our faith formation commission tried to evaluate the confirmation program and he refused to allow us. The youth ministry program is also under his discretion. There is a youth leadership team, but not many opportunities for parents to be involved.

Then the problem isn’t with the YM, it is with the pastor for allowing this to take place. He may think that it is HIS program, but he is mistaken. Your pastor should have dealt with the issue the minute he refused to allow the commission to evaluate the program.

Peace

Tim