Saint Michael & All Angels

Disciples (Confirmation) FAQ

 Why does my child need a mentor?

We experience faith in relationship with others.  The mentor component of confirmation names and formalizes a relationship with an adult with a vibrant faith that your child admires and respects.  Just a few conversations over the course of a year with this adult outside of the family will be conversations of great influence

What does the ideal mentor look like?

The ideal mentor is an adult member of Saint Michael’s that the child and parents both know and respect.  It is important that this person is close enough to be available for a few mentor/confirmand events (see calenedar).  Sometimes there is a great adult that a family has in mind that is not a member of Saint Michael (neighbor or coach).  Adults that are not members of Saint Michael are more than welcome to be mentors, but if all else is equal between two folks we would prefer you go with the mentor who is a member of Saint Michaels. 

Who does not make a good mentor?

In our experience, teenagers, church staff, and people who are already mentoring someone are all less than ideal.  Adults simply have more to offer than teenagers.  Church staff are wonderful, but one of the main goals of the mentoring component is to have more adults speaking into the lives of our young people, and if church staff are the mentors we’re not really expanding that circle.  Finally, people mentoring more than one young person simply won’t be as available to their confirmand, particularly at our planned events when we have all the kids and mentors present.

What if I really want a mentor that doesn’t fit any of these criteria?

We are offering these criteria based on our experience on what has and hasn’t worked in the past.  We are not going say “NO” to you regarding your mentor, we are trying to set you and our church community up for success.  Weigh the pros and cons of those you’re considering and go for it.  We have a lot of kids asking people to be mentors, so sometimes we have to bend our ideals to make sure everyone is covered. 

Why is Confirmation so much money?

$325 is a lot of money for a church program.   The Confirmation fee simply covers the costs of several things including; a weekend retreat (including transportation), a silver ring commemorating Confirmation, transportation to our service projects, a mentor fun event, and supplies for various activities and teaching illustrations.

Are scholarships available?

Yes, scholarships are absolutely available, but we need to know that you need one.  The best way to get this ball rolling is to contact Andy Sahl in the youth ministry office and work out the details.