Important update: the classes will now begin on Thursday 6th October, with three weekly sessions before half-term and three after, with admission at Christ the King on 20th November.
You may have seen the notice in recent pew sheets about First Communion classes for children and young people, and wonder what the difference is between that and Confirmation – especially as the practice in our Benefice is changing slightly following resolutions passed in recent PCC meetings.
The following is an attempt to answer some of the most common questions – if you still have further questions, please contact Daniel on vicar@StGilesStMargarets.org
What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is a sacrament open to all those who have been baptised, and in some senses is a “completion” of Baptism. In the Church of England it is common for people to be baptised as infants, with parents and godparents making promises on behalf of the child. At Confirmation, individuals make promises for themselves.
For adults who have not previously been baptised, it is common to be baptised and confirmed at the same service.
Like Baptism, Confirmation is a sacrament which can only be received once, but unlike Baptism can only be administered by a Bishop.
Do you have to be confirmed to receive Holy Communion?
For quite some time in the Church of England (though not as long as some people think!) it was necessary to be confirmed before receiving Holy Communion.
It is still the case that adults who regularly receive Communion in the Church of England and have not yet been confirmed – perhaps with a background in a different Christian denomination – are expected to seek out an opportunity to be confirmed whenever possible.
However, increasing numbers of Church of England parishes (including our own), with the Bishop’s consent, allow for younger children – from the age of around 7 years old – to receive Holy Communion, even though they are considered too young to make the promises required in Confirmation. However, they must first be baptised, prepared and formally admitted.
(This is also common practice in the Roman Catholic Church and some other denominations).
Is this a new idea for our parishes?
Not entirely – both St Giles’ and St Margaret’s have allowed for children to be prepared for, and admitted into, Holy Communion for some time. However, it was on an ad hoc basis in the past.
Our new policy is more detailed, and we will be advertising classes each year and encouraging families to discuss together whether this might be something which is appropriate for them.
What age is First Communion for?
Admission to Holy Communion is aimed at those who are old enough to have some understanding of what is going on (as much as any of us do!), but still too young to make public promises for themselves.
In practice, we are expecting it to be for children and young people aged between about 7 and 13 years old (in school years, those in Year 3 to Year 8). If your child falls out of this range but you would still like them to be admitted, please contact Daniel to discuss it.
What form does preparation take?
We will have a cross-benefice group which will meet on Tuesday Thursday evenings for six sessions – if there are enough children, we may split it into separate older and younger groups.
An important part of this is that each child should be accompanied by a parent, godparent or other trusted (and confirmed) adult – not just for safeguarding purposes but to allow for discussion of ideas between sessions.
Can’t my child just be confirmed first?
There is no pressure for any child to be admitted to Holy Communion before Confirmation – it must be something that is agreed between the child, the parents / responsible adults, and the vicar.
We will be running a Confirmation course for teenagers (as well as a separate one for adults) after Easter in 2023, and the Bishop will be coming to our Benefice some time in late May to offer Confirmation to all those who wish to receive it (and have been prepared).