Church Family Moment for Sunday, May 12, 2024

By Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman

Scripture: John 17: 6-19

1. Today is Confirmation Sunday! Some of the questions I received had to do with Confirmation. In the Presbyterian Church, we baptize people of all ages, including babies and young children. Obviously, this means that they have not made a personal decision to follow the way of Jesus. So, when those kids reach eighth grade, they are given a choice to join the Confirmation Class. At SMPC, they spend a whole school year learning together and then in May, they write their own Statements of Faith and claim the promises that their parents or caregivers made to them in Baptism. Today, we celebrate that claim with them and formally welcome them to be adult members of the church, who can vote in congregational meetings.
2. In our scripture today, Jesus is praying for his friends. Take some time to pray for your friends. If you haven’t yet learned how to write, you can draw a picture of your friend(s). Or you might try praying in color. Using this template, write the name of your friend in the middle. You can then pray for specific things by writing them around, or just color it in. Remember that prayer doesn’t always have to use words.
3. Print and complete a coloring page, word search, crossword, or maze.
4. Journal, considering the following:
   1. Who is the “them” Jesus is talking to God about? Are we included?
   2. What does it mean for us to be “protected from the evil one”?
   3. What does it mean for us to be sent into the world? What’s our mission?