By The Reverend Dr. Katie Snipes Lancaster

This Sunday, we will welcome 44 confirmands into membership at Kenilworth Union Church where they will confirm their faith, affirm their faith, and seek God’s blessing.

Some hiked and canoed through the wilderness, wondering about God in the deep woods. Others met here at church on Sundays, bumping elbows with you in the Culbertson Room after class. All of them volunteered at church, at Rummage and VBS, Sunday School and Youth Groups, serving as greeters, readers and ushers in worship, and working with our outreach agencies across the city. They sat in the pews with you for worship, and they met one on one with adult mentors from the church who got to know them and their big questions.

Then, they all wrote faith statements—outlining how they see God in their lives, and what this church means to them. This is all hard work, good work, holy work. I could not be more grateful for this sweet class of students who were in 5th grade when I first arrived. Their tenderness, faith, and honest questions have helped define for me what Kenilworth Union means—a place of radical welcome that allows young people to bring their whole selves to the work of being church.

Please join them this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. for the rite of confirmation, and consider staying, too, for the delightful, meaningful Celebration Service after worship that they lead.

Next year’s confirmands can begin to get excited about their year ahead—registration for wilderness and classroom is now online here.

In God’s big wide love. Katie