The
“2019 Statements of Faith Sermon” was professed at Sunnyside Presbyterian
Church on May 19, 2019 by twelve confirmation students using excerpts from
their own individually written statements. You can listen to an audio clip of
this sermon here. You can watch a video of the entire worship service here.
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
Taylor: This past year we had fourteen of our eighth graders enroll in the confirmation program. They came together to learn more about the Presbyterian tradition and build a confidence in their own beliefs. It was also a time for our youth to discern whether they want to join the Presbyterian Church as full adult members. Two of our students, after completing the entire program, made the faithful decision not to join as they wish to further discern their beliefs and their commitment to the church. That decision takes courage and confidence, and we support them in their choice. The other twelve are here before you today with the faithful decision to join the church, another choice that takes courage and confidence.
As they profess their faith before you today, listen to the Word of God through their voices and their beliefs. Hearing them state what they believe about who God is and what God has done for us is the highest form of praise. And that is what Psalm 148 is telling us to do: to praise the Lord!
So that’s what we are doing today on Confirmation Sunday; we are praising the Lord and all that the Lord has done, through the voices of our confirmation students. Come, listen; let us praise the Lord together!
Taylor: What do you believe about God?
Haley: I believe the Trinity is telling us God is many things including God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is God in three different forms. We define God in this way because God is not just one thing. God is the creator, but he also is a father, mother, friend, mentor, and the list just goes on and on. God is spreading light in our world. He is touching the lives of millions, and giving each one of us purpose. I believe in God because without God nothing matters. What would be the point of getting up every morning? How would we know right from wrong? Overall, I believe in God not just because I’ve been taught that God exists, but because I feel and see Christ in every act of goodness.
Ethan: I believe the Trinity is hard to define. God makes Himself known to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I define God that way because I feel that God is always present. God is everywhere and in everything. I believe we can see God in other people. God is many things.
Noha: I believe that the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are our creators. I believe that they are the ones whom we worship. He created the earth around us and gave it to us because He loves us. God is fixing His love in our hearts and spreading His glory throughout the nations. I believe in God because I know I can rely on Him. He gives me the faith I need. I know that in times of sorrow or happiness, I can feel content speaking with God.
Liam: I believe that the we define the Holy Trinity as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit due to the differences between the three. God is the ever-present force throughout our lives who controls it, and can manifest in many ways. God is doing many things in the world, and influencing many parts of it. I believe in God because I just do, and I feel that it’s just another personality trait, or thing to list about me.
Taylor: What do you believe about Jesus?
Haley: To put it as simply as I can, I think Jesus was the human form of God. However, at the same time I think he was the son of God. To say Jesus was the “Christ, the Messiah” means he was the leader of Christ. Jesus lived with kindness and grace spreading the word of the Lord. He died on the cross, so our sins could be forgiven. Jesus was resurrected, which means he came back from the dead/back from heaven. To us, Jesus’ resurrection is a promise that he will one day return.
Ethan: I believe Jesus is the son of God. I believe that Jesus lived a good life: he taught people how to live, he taught them how to believe, and he healed their hurts. I believe Jesus died on the cross for us, that he conquered death. Resurrection is very hard to understand, but I believe that our souls go to heaven when we die.
Noha: I believe that Jesus is our shepherd, the Son of Man, the Messiah, our King, and the Son of God. Jesus was Christ the Messiah because He saved us from our sins, He came to earth to help us fix our ways. He defined how a Christian should live. He helped others, spread the news, He stayed faithful, and did not sin. He died on the cross for our sins. He repented for us and changed the covenant because He loves us. The third day, Jesus rose. This means that our sins are forgiven and we have a spot for us in heaven alongside Jesus.
Liam: I believe that Jesus was a person who was born in order to help save humanity from sin and teach them the word of God. When we say, Christ, the Messiah, we mean that Jesus Christ was the promised savior of humanity meant to save us. He lived by spreading the word of God and encouraging others to follow it, and he died by being crucified, although he was then resurrected, before going to Heaven to live with God.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Holy Spirit?
Haley: The Holy Spirit is one of the forms of God. We may not to be able to see the Holy Spirit physically, but we can see it through all the good, generous deeds done throughout the world. Every time a child stands up to a bully or invites the new kid to sit with them at lunch the Holy Spirit is in work. Every act of kindness we complete, expecting nothing in return the Holy Spirit is present. As a matter of fact, I believe the Holy Spirit is present in all of our lives in every moment.
Ethan: I believe the Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity. I believe that the Holy Spirit is in every body, every day, and is even in bad people.
Noha: The Holy Spirit is the 3rd part of the Trinity. I believe that the spirit works by sending the Glory of God each and every one of us, actions, objects, and so on. The Holy Spirit can be the peace you feel when you didn't fail your math test, or the rays of sunshine that come after a storm. It could be the feeling of knowing that a loved one is in a much better place, sitting next to God in His kingdom.
Liam: The Holy Spirit is God as he is spiritually present in the world today. It does many things, such as influence our daily decisions, what we do, and even more. It is all around us in our lives.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Bible?
TJ: I believe the Bible is a portion of the word of God. I feel the rest of the word of God is anybody praising or preaching about Him. I believe my favorite passage is the resurrection, I like it because it gives a sense of hope.
Indira: I believe the Bible is the Word of God because it tells us the stories of God and the people He has impacted or helped. I believe the Bible tells us not to make certain decisions that can impact the way we live as Christian, but to become better Christians. For example, going to church, volunteering or just being a good person overall. By doing that, we can join him in the afterlife eternally. My favorite Bible passage is 1st Corinthians 13: 4-5: “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” This is my favorite Bible
passage because it tells me all the rules of love and how love is important.
Stephen: I believe the bible is the word of God interpreted by humans. The bible also talks about the things Jesus’ did. We are supposed to live like Christians by giving your time, talents, and tithes. Christians are supposed to help others even if we don't want to. My favorite Bible Verse is Psalm 23:5-6: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The bible verse means that you will develop haters in your life but you don't have to go against them alone and that God will bless you in front of all of them and that all you can do to the haters is pray for them.
Cate: The Bible is the Word of God, as well as stories from other witnesses of God’s glory. The Bible tells us about how we are supposed to live as Christians by listing the Ten Commandments and giving examples of how Christians are supposed to act. My favorite Bible passage is John 1:1-5. This passage states, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” I like this verse because it explains that God shines through all darkness and that no one can overcome the power of God. He is always with us, even in our darkest times.
Taylor: What do you believe about mission and outreach?
TJ: I believe mission and outreach is to train and equip ordinary people to go and do extraordinary things in the name of Jesus so that all might see, hear and experience God’s love in tangible ways. I believe we do it to help the less fortunate. I believe we go on mission trips to again help the less fortunate and to spread the word of the Lord. I believe my favorite way to help others is to make food for people that don’t have enough food. I believe the Bible says “Treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated.”
Indira: I believe mission and outreach is churches going on mission to help people across the world. I believe we do mission and outreach to help people with God and spread his word. My favorite ways to help people is to make them laugh, listen to and understand them. The Bible says to love our neighbors as ourselves which we can do.
Stephen: Mission and outreach is finding a mission that people need help completing and help them by reaching out. We do mission and outreach because we are Christians and Christians give their time, talents, and tithes. My favorite way to help are at church and at school. The bible says we should treat our neighbors as we treat ourselves, which means we should help and treat them nicely if we want them to help us.
Cate: The mission of Sunnyside is to be the hands and feet of Christ. This means that because Jesus is not on earth with us, we have to carry out his mission for him—whether that be helping the less fortunate or the persecuted. Mission is to be like Jesus and serve others. I went on a mission trip with my youth group to serve food for the homeless. During this mission, I felt like God was watching over me and I knew I was doing a good deed. Outreach is reaching out to others whether they are members of Sunnyside or not, and welcoming them to join us at Sunnyside as well as making people feel included and a part of the church family.
Taylor: What do you believe about prayer?
TJ: Prayer is a devout petition to God.
Indira: I believe prayer is a therapy session with God because you can tell Him anything because He will listen and understand you.
Stephen: My relationship with God is strong and I am able to talk and pray to God. Prayer is our way to talk to God and it also helps us tell him what we don't want to say to others. We can help people go through hard times by praying for them and help them grieve.
Cate: My relationship with God is based off my prayers and services throughout the church. Prayer is a silent request or expression of thanks addressed to God.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Sacraments?
Sam: The sacraments are sacred and binding acts, the two being baptism and communion. Baptism is the binding to Christ through water, and the Lord’s Supper is binding to Christ through food, both of which are basic needs. This symbolizes that God is also a basic need.
Darrell: The sacraments are the promises we make with our God. Baptism is when you give yourself to God and a pastor does this by putting a symbol of water on our heads. The Lord's supper is the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before he was taken to the cross.
Garrett: The two sacraments in the Presbyterian Church are baptism and communion. Baptism is a sign of covenant between us and God. We believe in one and only one baptism because we believe that we only need to be claimed once. When we celebrate communion, it is an act of profession. In our eating and drinking, we are reminded that Christ’s body was broken and his blood was shed for us.
Destiny: I believe that Sacraments are gifts given by God to us. Baptism is the process of which God is accepting you as his own in the human life. The Lord’s Supper is the event in which God is reminding us that he is always a part of you.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Resurrection?
Sam: When we die, I believe that everyone chooses whether they want to be with God or not. The Easter story gives us hope that anyone can be resurrected and given a chance at redemption. Jesus was sent from heaven to give people in hell hope.
Darrell: When we die we will go to heaven and meet our maker. The Easter story gives us the hope for the future because of what Jesus went through. He really suffered in this earth but after all the bad times, he went back to his father where he has all the glory.
Garrett: I believe that we do have a predestination that God has made for us specifically and that we will go to heaven or hell. The Easter story will give us hope that we can come back from the afterlife to bless other people with our wisdom and love.
Destiny: I believe that when we die we will go to Heaven and continue living with God in peace and harmony. I believe that the Easter Sunday story gives us hope for the future because, God is always around us, he will never leave us, and he will always love us.
Taylor: Why do you believe we should live in Christian community?
Sam: We live in a Christian community to help each other out through tough times. When we join this community, we vow to help our neighbors in their journeys, while also allowing ourselves to be helped. We need to be active members of our community.
Darrell: We live in the Christian Community for us to become better people. I am willing to participate in all activities. It will help me to be a better person, my prayer life will be great, and I will give what I am supposed to.
Garrett: We live in a Christian community to help support one another in our religion and to help relate to others. Also to help reach out to others with our love. I am making a commitment to help support and attend Sunnyside Presbyterian Church when I join the church as a member. This means I will always be a part of Sunnyside in my support, prayers, attendance, and my pledge to help support the church and those in need.
Destiny: I believe that we live in a Christian community so we can connect with others and God altogether. I believe that the commitment you are making when joining a Christian Community is the need of respecting and loving everyone through Christ. I believe in terms of support in your commitment, you need to help your church grow. In terms of prayers, you need to think of others before yourself sometimes. In terms of attendance, you need to participate in church activities, and give the most you can in your pledge or offering.
Taylor: Why do you want to be confirmed?
Destiny: I most definitely want to be confirmed into the church. I believe that I want to be confirmed because I want to become closer with God, have a say in the church’s decisions and become a member of the church. This rite of passage to me means that everything is official and that I am truly ready to be a part of God’s story on Earth.
Garrett: I do want to be confirmed into Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. I want to be confirmed so I can begin my journey into Christianity and so that I can be a part of this community. This rite of passage is a huge milestone because it is your acceptance into a new community and beginning a new journey in religion in a church you are being accepted into.
Darrell: Yes, I want to be confirmed because I want to be more in the church and get to learn more about God.
Sam: I would like to be confirmed, because I feel that it is a step that will help me in completing my faith journey. This rite of passage is teaching me the basics of Christianity that I need to progress further down my journey.
Cate: I want to be confirmed because I want to become an active member in the Sunnyside church. Becoming a member of the church would allow me to participate in church meetings. This rite of passage means to me that I will now be able to be a member of this congregation and participate as one. Sunnyside feels like a family to me because every member is there to support one another through every decision.
Stephen: I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed so I can be closer to God and also be able to help vote in the church and so I can make a difference. The rite of passage means that I can live my life the way I want to and I can be myself.
Indira: I want to be confirmed because I want to be a member of the church and help in new ways so that I can impact people with my “Indira Flair”. I believe it means that we become closer to God and He is happy with us. And when we help out and respect each other, we become better people and make the Christian community stronger together.
TJ: Yes I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I can be closer to God. This means I am growing spiritually, and by growing spiritually I am closer to God.
Liam: I do wish to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I wish to be an active member in the church community, and the rite of passage means that I am taking another big step on my faith journey. Being an active member, I can give to the church by helping with music, working with mission groups, doing community service, and regularly attending and supporting the youth group.
Noha: Yes, I do want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed to seal my faith for the second time since my baptism. Being confirmed represents the growth in my faith journey. This journey has been a long but meaningful one. It has greatly strengthened my faith and beliefs. My classes have opened my eyes to new ideas. They also have helped me understand my place/position in God’s Kingdom.
Ethan: I believe I want to be confirmed, so that I can be a member of the church. I want to be with fellow believers, which will help me see God. People expect me to be confirmed, and I trust that this is the right thing.
Haley: I want to be confirmed because I believe it is the next step in my Christian journey. It is a way for me to get more involved in the church and become an active member. This rite of passage to me holds as both an honor and a commitment. I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to be confirmed. With this in mind, I think being confirmed means opening yourself up and allowing God to take action in your life. Along with this, can come responsibility, but I think responsibility can bring purpose, and we all have purpose.
Amen.
—————————————
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
—————————————
Taylor: This past year we had fourteen of our eighth graders enroll in the confirmation program. They came together to learn more about the Presbyterian tradition and build a confidence in their own beliefs. It was also a time for our youth to discern whether they want to join the Presbyterian Church as full adult members. Two of our students, after completing the entire program, made the faithful decision not to join as they wish to further discern their beliefs and their commitment to the church. That decision takes courage and confidence, and we support them in their choice. The other twelve are here before you today with the faithful decision to join the church, another choice that takes courage and confidence.
As they profess their faith before you today, listen to the Word of God through their voices and their beliefs. Hearing them state what they believe about who God is and what God has done for us is the highest form of praise. And that is what Psalm 148 is telling us to do: to praise the Lord!
So that’s what we are doing today on Confirmation Sunday; we are praising the Lord and all that the Lord has done, through the voices of our confirmation students. Come, listen; let us praise the Lord together!
—————————————
Taylor: What do you believe about God?
Haley: I believe the Trinity is telling us God is many things including God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is God in three different forms. We define God in this way because God is not just one thing. God is the creator, but he also is a father, mother, friend, mentor, and the list just goes on and on. God is spreading light in our world. He is touching the lives of millions, and giving each one of us purpose. I believe in God because without God nothing matters. What would be the point of getting up every morning? How would we know right from wrong? Overall, I believe in God not just because I’ve been taught that God exists, but because I feel and see Christ in every act of goodness.
Ethan: I believe the Trinity is hard to define. God makes Himself known to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I define God that way because I feel that God is always present. God is everywhere and in everything. I believe we can see God in other people. God is many things.
Noha: I believe that the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are our creators. I believe that they are the ones whom we worship. He created the earth around us and gave it to us because He loves us. God is fixing His love in our hearts and spreading His glory throughout the nations. I believe in God because I know I can rely on Him. He gives me the faith I need. I know that in times of sorrow or happiness, I can feel content speaking with God.
Liam: I believe that the we define the Holy Trinity as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit due to the differences between the three. God is the ever-present force throughout our lives who controls it, and can manifest in many ways. God is doing many things in the world, and influencing many parts of it. I believe in God because I just do, and I feel that it’s just another personality trait, or thing to list about me.
Taylor: What do you believe about Jesus?
Haley: To put it as simply as I can, I think Jesus was the human form of God. However, at the same time I think he was the son of God. To say Jesus was the “Christ, the Messiah” means he was the leader of Christ. Jesus lived with kindness and grace spreading the word of the Lord. He died on the cross, so our sins could be forgiven. Jesus was resurrected, which means he came back from the dead/back from heaven. To us, Jesus’ resurrection is a promise that he will one day return.
Ethan: I believe Jesus is the son of God. I believe that Jesus lived a good life: he taught people how to live, he taught them how to believe, and he healed their hurts. I believe Jesus died on the cross for us, that he conquered death. Resurrection is very hard to understand, but I believe that our souls go to heaven when we die.
Noha: I believe that Jesus is our shepherd, the Son of Man, the Messiah, our King, and the Son of God. Jesus was Christ the Messiah because He saved us from our sins, He came to earth to help us fix our ways. He defined how a Christian should live. He helped others, spread the news, He stayed faithful, and did not sin. He died on the cross for our sins. He repented for us and changed the covenant because He loves us. The third day, Jesus rose. This means that our sins are forgiven and we have a spot for us in heaven alongside Jesus.
Liam: I believe that Jesus was a person who was born in order to help save humanity from sin and teach them the word of God. When we say, Christ, the Messiah, we mean that Jesus Christ was the promised savior of humanity meant to save us. He lived by spreading the word of God and encouraging others to follow it, and he died by being crucified, although he was then resurrected, before going to Heaven to live with God.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Holy Spirit?
Haley: The Holy Spirit is one of the forms of God. We may not to be able to see the Holy Spirit physically, but we can see it through all the good, generous deeds done throughout the world. Every time a child stands up to a bully or invites the new kid to sit with them at lunch the Holy Spirit is in work. Every act of kindness we complete, expecting nothing in return the Holy Spirit is present. As a matter of fact, I believe the Holy Spirit is present in all of our lives in every moment.
Ethan: I believe the Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity. I believe that the Holy Spirit is in every body, every day, and is even in bad people.
Noha: The Holy Spirit is the 3rd part of the Trinity. I believe that the spirit works by sending the Glory of God each and every one of us, actions, objects, and so on. The Holy Spirit can be the peace you feel when you didn't fail your math test, or the rays of sunshine that come after a storm. It could be the feeling of knowing that a loved one is in a much better place, sitting next to God in His kingdom.
Liam: The Holy Spirit is God as he is spiritually present in the world today. It does many things, such as influence our daily decisions, what we do, and even more. It is all around us in our lives.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Bible?
TJ: I believe the Bible is a portion of the word of God. I feel the rest of the word of God is anybody praising or preaching about Him. I believe my favorite passage is the resurrection, I like it because it gives a sense of hope.
Indira: I believe the Bible is the Word of God because it tells us the stories of God and the people He has impacted or helped. I believe the Bible tells us not to make certain decisions that can impact the way we live as Christian, but to become better Christians. For example, going to church, volunteering or just being a good person overall. By doing that, we can join him in the afterlife eternally. My favorite Bible passage is 1st Corinthians 13: 4-5: “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” This is my favorite Bible
passage because it tells me all the rules of love and how love is important.
Stephen: I believe the bible is the word of God interpreted by humans. The bible also talks about the things Jesus’ did. We are supposed to live like Christians by giving your time, talents, and tithes. Christians are supposed to help others even if we don't want to. My favorite Bible Verse is Psalm 23:5-6: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The bible verse means that you will develop haters in your life but you don't have to go against them alone and that God will bless you in front of all of them and that all you can do to the haters is pray for them.
Cate: The Bible is the Word of God, as well as stories from other witnesses of God’s glory. The Bible tells us about how we are supposed to live as Christians by listing the Ten Commandments and giving examples of how Christians are supposed to act. My favorite Bible passage is John 1:1-5. This passage states, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” I like this verse because it explains that God shines through all darkness and that no one can overcome the power of God. He is always with us, even in our darkest times.
Taylor: What do you believe about mission and outreach?
TJ: I believe mission and outreach is to train and equip ordinary people to go and do extraordinary things in the name of Jesus so that all might see, hear and experience God’s love in tangible ways. I believe we do it to help the less fortunate. I believe we go on mission trips to again help the less fortunate and to spread the word of the Lord. I believe my favorite way to help others is to make food for people that don’t have enough food. I believe the Bible says “Treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated.”
Indira: I believe mission and outreach is churches going on mission to help people across the world. I believe we do mission and outreach to help people with God and spread his word. My favorite ways to help people is to make them laugh, listen to and understand them. The Bible says to love our neighbors as ourselves which we can do.
Stephen: Mission and outreach is finding a mission that people need help completing and help them by reaching out. We do mission and outreach because we are Christians and Christians give their time, talents, and tithes. My favorite way to help are at church and at school. The bible says we should treat our neighbors as we treat ourselves, which means we should help and treat them nicely if we want them to help us.
Cate: The mission of Sunnyside is to be the hands and feet of Christ. This means that because Jesus is not on earth with us, we have to carry out his mission for him—whether that be helping the less fortunate or the persecuted. Mission is to be like Jesus and serve others. I went on a mission trip with my youth group to serve food for the homeless. During this mission, I felt like God was watching over me and I knew I was doing a good deed. Outreach is reaching out to others whether they are members of Sunnyside or not, and welcoming them to join us at Sunnyside as well as making people feel included and a part of the church family.
Taylor: What do you believe about prayer?
TJ: Prayer is a devout petition to God.
Indira: I believe prayer is a therapy session with God because you can tell Him anything because He will listen and understand you.
Stephen: My relationship with God is strong and I am able to talk and pray to God. Prayer is our way to talk to God and it also helps us tell him what we don't want to say to others. We can help people go through hard times by praying for them and help them grieve.
Cate: My relationship with God is based off my prayers and services throughout the church. Prayer is a silent request or expression of thanks addressed to God.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Sacraments?
Sam: The sacraments are sacred and binding acts, the two being baptism and communion. Baptism is the binding to Christ through water, and the Lord’s Supper is binding to Christ through food, both of which are basic needs. This symbolizes that God is also a basic need.
Darrell: The sacraments are the promises we make with our God. Baptism is when you give yourself to God and a pastor does this by putting a symbol of water on our heads. The Lord's supper is the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before he was taken to the cross.
Garrett: The two sacraments in the Presbyterian Church are baptism and communion. Baptism is a sign of covenant between us and God. We believe in one and only one baptism because we believe that we only need to be claimed once. When we celebrate communion, it is an act of profession. In our eating and drinking, we are reminded that Christ’s body was broken and his blood was shed for us.
Destiny: I believe that Sacraments are gifts given by God to us. Baptism is the process of which God is accepting you as his own in the human life. The Lord’s Supper is the event in which God is reminding us that he is always a part of you.
Taylor: What do you believe about the Resurrection?
Sam: When we die, I believe that everyone chooses whether they want to be with God or not. The Easter story gives us hope that anyone can be resurrected and given a chance at redemption. Jesus was sent from heaven to give people in hell hope.
Darrell: When we die we will go to heaven and meet our maker. The Easter story gives us the hope for the future because of what Jesus went through. He really suffered in this earth but after all the bad times, he went back to his father where he has all the glory.
Garrett: I believe that we do have a predestination that God has made for us specifically and that we will go to heaven or hell. The Easter story will give us hope that we can come back from the afterlife to bless other people with our wisdom and love.
Destiny: I believe that when we die we will go to Heaven and continue living with God in peace and harmony. I believe that the Easter Sunday story gives us hope for the future because, God is always around us, he will never leave us, and he will always love us.
Taylor: Why do you believe we should live in Christian community?
Sam: We live in a Christian community to help each other out through tough times. When we join this community, we vow to help our neighbors in their journeys, while also allowing ourselves to be helped. We need to be active members of our community.
Darrell: We live in the Christian Community for us to become better people. I am willing to participate in all activities. It will help me to be a better person, my prayer life will be great, and I will give what I am supposed to.
Garrett: We live in a Christian community to help support one another in our religion and to help relate to others. Also to help reach out to others with our love. I am making a commitment to help support and attend Sunnyside Presbyterian Church when I join the church as a member. This means I will always be a part of Sunnyside in my support, prayers, attendance, and my pledge to help support the church and those in need.
Destiny: I believe that we live in a Christian community so we can connect with others and God altogether. I believe that the commitment you are making when joining a Christian Community is the need of respecting and loving everyone through Christ. I believe in terms of support in your commitment, you need to help your church grow. In terms of prayers, you need to think of others before yourself sometimes. In terms of attendance, you need to participate in church activities, and give the most you can in your pledge or offering.
Taylor: Why do you want to be confirmed?
Destiny: I most definitely want to be confirmed into the church. I believe that I want to be confirmed because I want to become closer with God, have a say in the church’s decisions and become a member of the church. This rite of passage to me means that everything is official and that I am truly ready to be a part of God’s story on Earth.
Garrett: I do want to be confirmed into Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. I want to be confirmed so I can begin my journey into Christianity and so that I can be a part of this community. This rite of passage is a huge milestone because it is your acceptance into a new community and beginning a new journey in religion in a church you are being accepted into.
Darrell: Yes, I want to be confirmed because I want to be more in the church and get to learn more about God.
Sam: I would like to be confirmed, because I feel that it is a step that will help me in completing my faith journey. This rite of passage is teaching me the basics of Christianity that I need to progress further down my journey.
Cate: I want to be confirmed because I want to become an active member in the Sunnyside church. Becoming a member of the church would allow me to participate in church meetings. This rite of passage means to me that I will now be able to be a member of this congregation and participate as one. Sunnyside feels like a family to me because every member is there to support one another through every decision.
Stephen: I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed so I can be closer to God and also be able to help vote in the church and so I can make a difference. The rite of passage means that I can live my life the way I want to and I can be myself.
Indira: I want to be confirmed because I want to be a member of the church and help in new ways so that I can impact people with my “Indira Flair”. I believe it means that we become closer to God and He is happy with us. And when we help out and respect each other, we become better people and make the Christian community stronger together.
TJ: Yes I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I can be closer to God. This means I am growing spiritually, and by growing spiritually I am closer to God.
Liam: I do wish to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I wish to be an active member in the church community, and the rite of passage means that I am taking another big step on my faith journey. Being an active member, I can give to the church by helping with music, working with mission groups, doing community service, and regularly attending and supporting the youth group.
Noha: Yes, I do want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed to seal my faith for the second time since my baptism. Being confirmed represents the growth in my faith journey. This journey has been a long but meaningful one. It has greatly strengthened my faith and beliefs. My classes have opened my eyes to new ideas. They also have helped me understand my place/position in God’s Kingdom.
Ethan: I believe I want to be confirmed, so that I can be a member of the church. I want to be with fellow believers, which will help me see God. People expect me to be confirmed, and I trust that this is the right thing.
Haley: I want to be confirmed because I believe it is the next step in my Christian journey. It is a way for me to get more involved in the church and become an active member. This rite of passage to me holds as both an honor and a commitment. I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to be confirmed. With this in mind, I think being confirmed means opening yourself up and allowing God to take action in your life. Along with this, can come responsibility, but I think responsibility can bring purpose, and we all have purpose.
Amen.
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