In many ways, confirmation preparation classes are about facing miracles. Christianity is all about a great miracle, God’s love for humanity. Confirmation preparation is really another miracle, something that happens again and again through the interaction of God and individual human beings. In that miracle, there are innumerable stories of how faith in a living Creator, in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit is strengthened, renewed, born and visible in the lives of young people and adults alike. In confirmation preparation, we wonder at the works of God and our own existence as created by God: ‘I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ (Ps 139: 14).
Confirmation preparation still reaches a great majority of young people in Finland. In fact, its popularity is a world record. Part of the explanation for the status of our confirmation preparation is the effort we put into it: the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) has provided plans for confirmation preparation throughout the past hundred years. The first directives proper for confirmation preparation classes were given by the Bishops’ Conference in 1919. Since then, confirmation preparation has been developed and new plans are regularly adopted.
A Great Miracle, Confirmation preparation Plan 2017 follows in the footsteps of the 2001 preparation plan Life – Faith – Prayer and further develops it to meet contemporary needs. The confirmation preparation plan, A Great Miracle, puts young participants more direct ly at the heart of ELCF confirmation preparation. Every young person is a miracle. Young people are the active subjects of confirmation preparation, the people whose engagement is what the preparation strives to support and listen to. At the same time, this new plan endeavours to focus better on community and the involvement of families.