Confirmation: What a confirmand should know

What requirements does a confirmand have to meet?

In order to be admitted to confirmation, a confirmand must meet certain requirements. Most evangelical congregations require the following from a confirmand:

• Baptism : If you want to go to confirmation, you have to be baptized. If your child has not yet been baptized but would still like to go to confirmation, it can attend the preparatory class together with the other confirmands and be baptized shortly before confirmation.
• Registration for confirmation: If your child would like to go to confirmation, you must register them at the parish office.
• Age: A confirmand must be at least 14 years old at the time of confirmation. At this age a person becomes of religious age and has the right to decide independently about their faith. Otherwise there is no age limit for confirmation, so adults can also confess to the evangelical church at any time.
• Preparation in Confirmation Classes: A confirmand is required to regularly attend confirmation classes in his or her ward. This usually begins a year before confirmation.
• Regular attendance at church services: Many congregations prescribe a certain number of church services that a confirmand must attend in the preparation time in order to be admitted to confirmation.
• Voluntary decision: At the end of the preparation period, a confirmand must voluntarily decide for or against confirmation. Confirmation only makes sense if he wants to enter the evangelical church out of full conviction.

How is a confirmand prepared for confirmation?

Preparation for confirmation takes place in confirmation classes, which are led by a pastor, a vicar or volunteer parishioners. There, a confirmand learns everything he needs to know for confirmation. How often and for how long your child has to go there is regulated differently in each municipality; Normally, however, you can register your child for confirmation classes one year before confirmation, i.e. at the beginning of the seventh school year.

In terms of content, a confirmand gets to know the principles of his faith during the preparation time. The confirmands discuss together what the Bible says and what it means to believe or to be baptized. Other topics include the course of a service, belief in everyday life and memorizing important prayers and Bible passages, for example the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments or the 23rd Psalm.

At the same time, a confirmand should get to know life in the congregation. That is why the confirmands often do smaller internships or visits to social institutions or take on tasks in the community, such as distributing the community newsletter. The services are also organized by the confirmands during the preparation time. One of the confirmands may take over the collection, another pray for prayer and another contributes a song. A confirmation retreat brings the group of confirmands closer together and strengthens the sense of community.

Shortly before confirmation, there is an introductory service that the confirmands prepare themselves to present what they have learned. This service replaces the formerly customary teaching survey, in which the confirmands were strictly examined before their big feast day and had to recite many texts by heart.

What rights and obligations does a confirmand have?

With confirmation, a confirmand is recognized as a full member of the congregation with equal rights. So he is growing up in the eyes of the evangelical church. As a result, a confirmand is granted certain rights that people without confirmation do not have:

• Assume sponsorship: From the day of his confirmation, the confirmand has the right to become a godfather for another parishioner himself.
• Marry in a church: Confirmation is the prerequisite for being married by the Protestant church.
• Church elections: After confirmation at the age of 16, the confirmand may take part in church elections.
• Church honorary offices: At the age of 18, anyone who has been confirmed can be elected to church offices.

In the evangelical church everyone can practice their faith freely; that is, after confirmation, a person being confirmed is not forced to regularly attend church services or take communion. Nevertheless, there are also some obligations when a confirmand confesses to the evangelical church:

• Lead a Christian life: The confirmand undertakes to lead a life based on the rules of faith of the Protestant Church and to spread the Christian principles.
• Church tax: All members of the evangelical church who have their own income have to pay taxes to the church.
• Godparent letter: In some communities it is customary for the confirmand to write a letter to his or her godparent at confirmation . In this way, the confirmand can once again thank his godparent for the time together, because the godparenthood officially “ends” with the confirmation. Of course, the sponsor can continue to accompany and support the confirmand.

What clothes does a confirmand wear?

There is no longer a fixed dress code for confirmation, as there used to be when a confirmee traditionally wore black clothing. Today all possible colors and cuts are allowed. The only important thing is that the confirmand’s clothing fits the festive occasion, i.e. it is chic and serious. Particularly playful, childish and provocative clothing is not appropriate for a confirmand.

Boys usually wear a suit in muted colors or a combination of smart pants and a matching shirt as a confirmand. For girls, a dress or a pantsuit is suitable, but a skirt and an elegant blouse are also good choices. With the right accessories, such as shoes, jewellery, a tie, a scarf or similar, the confirmee can give his clothes a personal touch.

It is important that the confirmand feels comfortable in his clothes, after all it is his party. Therefore, the confirmand should definitely choose the clothes themselves and you should only take on an advisory role. In our article “5 beautiful confirmation dresses for a successful appearance” you will also find a few nice suggestions.