With the close of the 2-year program, we had a capstone service during which they read their faith essays. Enjoy!

(watch here: https://youtu.be/dzjmq97tEpU)

Alyssa Brown

Jeremiah 29:11

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

I chose this verse because it always reminds me to never be nervous about my future. To me, this verse means never to worry because the Lord always has a plan for us. My verse is very important to me because I tend to worry a lot. After I read this verse, it reminded me never to worry because the Lord will always have great plans for me.

I will now talk about a couple events in my life that somewhat deepened my faith. One example is when my little sister, Ashlynn, was born. I was young so I don’t clearly remember it. Now that I think about it, I realize that it really was a blessing. Another event that brought me closer to God is having a very loving family. Sometimes I do forget to thank God for a great family who cares about me.

These two years of confirmation have really flown by. We have had some bad memories, but the good memories make up for it. Some of the great memories were the Middle School Gathering, the Mahoney campout, and Box City. My favorite by far was the Mahoney campout. We had so many laughs and great memories. We had so much fun sometimes we forgot how to fight and get mad at each other. I will never forget about these past two years with my confirmation class.

Turner Faxon

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

This verse tells me that God always has a plan for you in your life. It says a lot of what God does for us. It also tells me that His scripture will help me in everyday life. This is the first verse that we could memorize our first year in confirmation. I have never forgotten it.

One big event in my life was when I broke my arm. When I broke my arm, I knew that God would be there to help me. When I had my cast on I prayed to God to help it heal, and to help me get through it. When I finally got the cast off, I knew that God was with me the whole time.

Some of the good times that we have had in confirmation were going to the Middle School Gathering and “Live it Up!” event. These were both awesome experiences that not only taught me more about my faith in God but I also met a lot of new friends at both. The “Live it Up!” conference was my favorite since we got to go to a YMCA and swim and play basketball. My confirmation journey was a lot of fun and it has shown me more about God’s love for us all.

Drew Garrison

Proverbs 3:6

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

This verse means to me to acknowledge Him and He will take you in His hands and guide you to the right way. Whenever I have a bad day, I always think about God and then he guides me to the right way. In sports and school, I always acknowledge God and when I acknowledge Him it makes me feel better than I did. I chose this verse because it means a lot to me.

In 2005, I found out I had a brain tumor. Even though I was 2 and don’t remember a lot about it. I just know that God helped me recover fast. Forever I will have a scar on the back of my head. Every time someone asks me what happened I just think that God helped me through the tough time.

These past two years have been good. There were lots of awesome moments. The MSG from 2015 was awesome. The Mahoney trip was unspeakable. It was the best time in confirmation. These two years have been great even though we fight like siblings. This class is the best!

Drey Heller

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

When it came time to choose a verse for confirmation, I wanted to pick a verse that I could refer back to at any time in my life and it would guide me and give me motivation. Philippians 4:13, I feel will do just that. This verse gets straight to the point and it will always remind me that my strength will come from God even when maybe I do not feel I have it at that particular time.

This verse has already helped me in my life with my family, friends, and sports. I drew strength from God when my Uncle Harley died. I use God’s strength to help me decide right from wrong, even when it goes against what my friends are doing. I use God’s strength every time I am playing in a game or even just at practice. Just knowing I can lean on God will help me through any tough times I will be faced with in my life.

What I have learned through this faith journey is that God has sacrificed so much for me by forgiving my sins and He will always be there for me when I need Him. Having God in my life will make hard decisions easier to make, challenges throughout my life less challenging, and celebrations sweeter. I now know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Hannah Holtmeier

Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or dismay, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Each night before I go to sleep, I pray and I talk to God about my day and things that are on my mind. Things like my friends, school, tests, and what I have going on the next day. I pray to Him for His help and guidance to help me through my stressful times. An example would be about a hard test that I have coming the next day.

Another time I feel close to God is when I am at church. At church I think about what I need to do to myself to make God happy or make myself a better person. I feel myself close to God during communion at church too. I remember the story about the Last Supper and how He gave his life for my sins.

My confirmation verse, Joshua 1:9, reminds me to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid. My verse was there for me when I was in a volleyball incident last month and had to go to the hospital for stitches. I remembered to be strong and to remember that I can get through anything because He is with me. When I pray at night, at church, or anywhere I am, He is always with me throughout the day and week. I can always look back to my verse for comfort knowing that I am always close to God. My verse reminds me that He is always by my side.

Madison Kirchoff

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are what he has made us, created in Jesus Christ for good works, which God       prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

I want to start out by thanking my friends and family not only for sharing this occasion with me, but guiding me through these past two years as I learned about my faith in Jesus Christ. At the beginning of our second year in confirmation, we were asked to pick a verse that meant something to us, that spoke to us! I chose my verse because it really makes me realize how much God and Jesus sacrificed for us so we could be forgiven. Paul carefully puts the word “works” in the right place. You don’t obtain anything from God by working for it. You never deserve anything but judgment at His hand. If He gave us what we deserved, we would all end up in a great stage of misery. But instead, receive His grace, His mercy, and most important, His love. But these things result in good works. That is the point. They are made to produce good works. It is a marvelous explanation of God’s ability.

In July of 2014, my family and I experienced a house fire. It was at the same time as DeWitt Days so we had a party with several other families. I was celebrating uptown with my friends. I got a call from my grandma telling me the news. When I arrived, I didn’t see any of my family! I wasn’t sure if they were inside of the house, injured, or perfectly fine! I prayed and put all of my faith into God that my family and the three other families were okay! Suddenly, I spotted my brothers, parents, and three other families! Right then and there I knew that I had just been blessed and protected by God because I put all of my faith in him! That is what I need to always remember! No matter how bad the situation may be, I will always need to have faith in God.

When we weren’t in church going through our confirmation lessons, we were doing some really fun activities. We attended two Middle School Gatherings throughout these two years. Not only did we learn new ways to use our faith and follow God, but we all met some really nice kids who I became close with over that one weekend! We also had some fun service projects such as going to play bingo at the Wilber Care Center, feeding our congregation, attending MOSAIC proms and Halloween parties, and just going around town collecting cans or picking up trash. But out of everything we did in confirmation, my favorite thing was going to Mahoney for a confirmation celebration! Those two days were nothing but laughter and bonding! We may have not always gotten along the greatest, but these are some memories I will never forget! Thank you to my fellow confirmands and Pastor for making an amazing two years!

Zach Kuhn

Ezra 10:4

“Take action, for it is your duty, and we are with you; be strong, and do it.”

I picked my verse because it is very inspirational. Also because it says take action. It means you need to do things. It is very important to me.

I saw God in a lot of people. I saw God in my mom. Because of her taking me to church. She was the most influential on me.

My connection with God has grown over these two years. I did not really have a connection with God until confirmation. It made a connection. Over the years, God has helped me through a lot. This is the best day ever!

Jordan Muehling

Psalm 100:5

“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all       generations.”

I think this is a good one for me because I love the Lord. The Lord is always with me and He loves me. The Lord will be in my heart and he will never leave. And God is my friend.

He made me feel that my grandpa is in a good place. God helped me believe in Him when I was little. Jesus will come back again and I will be with him. God, thanks for pastor.

God made these two years of confirmation look fun. I will miss all the crazy people that I call friends. But then I will miss learning about God. Thanks pastor, you’re the best!

Dominic Smith

1 Thessalonians 5:16

“Rejoice always.”

My faith journey has been an interesting one. I learned more about the Last Supper, I am able to find things in the Bible much easier now, and I feel like I will practice my religion as an adult because of the lessons I have learned in confirmation.

The Last Supper was an important lesson to me because it taught me how Jesus went out. It also taught me what His legacy is. I am really interested in history, and when we studied about the Last Supper I felt like we were getting a solid history lesson, which I appreciated. We learned many stories about Jesus of course, but for some reason, this one really sticks out to me. Maybe because Jesus was so bamboozled. I think maybe his disciples could have tried harder to help Jesus, but then again, maybe the deception and treachery and secrets were all part of the bigger picture…God’s plan, if you will.

My faith journey also allows me to find things in the Bible easier. I am a question asker. I like to know a lot of stuff about a lot of different stuff. You might be amazed to find that the Bible is really the best search engine around, if you are willing to turn some pages rather than just Googling stuff. Pastor helped us to study the Bible and know where we could find important lessons and verses that can teach us things and guide us to make good choices. I hope I always know how to use my Bible and how to use it in a good way.

When I grow up, my faith journey has taught me that I will practice my religion for the rest of my life because of the lessons I’ve learned in confirmation, in church, and from my parents. One of my favorite things about church is when Pastor Koos sings. It is really the highlight of my week. I can do a very good impression of Pastor singing, but my mom says it’s sacrilegious. I don’t think it is, because I think God gave us all a sense of humor to enjoy life. And I really enjoy listening to Pastor sing.

So, my faith journey has been interesting, but I don’t think it’s over by a long shot. I learned more about the Last Supper, the Bible, and how I want to practice my religion as an adult. Confirmation has helped me in all these things. And so has Pastor’s singing.

Maddox Smith

Revelation 21:6

“And said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

My faith journey is a journey about questions and answers. I think that when a person takes a look at what they believe in, what they value, and what answers they are looking for with religion, they become smarter people. I believe in God, I believe in heaven, and I believe in Jesus.

I believe in God because my family has taught me to wake up on Sundays and go to church. My parents talk to us about God and religion, but they always tell that we can make our own choices when we are adults, just like how they say we can have long hair and tattoos, but not until we are adults. So I guess when I grow up, I have some things to think about: whether or not I’ll grow my hair long, whether or not I get a tattoo, or whether or not I will keep the same kind of faith that my parents have shown my brothers and sister and me.

I believe in heaven because I know that my Meme is there (she is my grandma and mom’s mom). When we see rays of sun coming through clouds, we always talk about that Meme is talking to us from heaven. I think it makes my mom happy when we talk about remembering Meme. I also know that my grandma Carolyn is in heaven. She is my dad’s mom. I know that true because my day says she was the nicest person he ever knew. I know if she was, she is in heaven. I never got to meet either one of my grandmas because they both died before I was born, but I feel like I know them because my mom and dad talk about them so much, and my mom does a pretty good impression of Meme! Finally, I believe in heaven because my great-grandpa Warren is there. I did know him and I really miss seeing him. He was a cool guy with a great cowboy hat. I look forward to going to heaven someday so that I can talk to both my grandmas and my great-grandpa.

In my faith journey, I have realized that I really do believe in Jesus too. I know that he existed as an actual person that actually did things. I think that Jesus is a pretty stand-up guy. If I had to choose a religion to follow, I would choose to be Lutheran. I have nothing against Muhammad or Abraham, but I think that a belief in Jesus is the way to roll. Every night before we eat our supper, we make sure to say, “Come Lord Jesus be our guest, let this food to us be blessed.” I kind of like that we invite Jesus to be our guest because I think I will always do that. I don’t think my faith journey will really ever be over.

My faith journey really was good when we got out and did stuff, like going to MOSAIC or going to the Middle School Gathering. I think my journey helped me answer questions. I feel like I’m a smarter person because of confirmation, and I feel like my beliefs in God, heaven, and Jesus are stronger too.

Krayten Uher

Psalm 86:5

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.”

This verse is an inspiring verse for me and should be inspiring for everyone. In sixth grade I participated in the annual Soap Creek church’s Vacation Bible School. One of our activities was to select a verse off a sheet and to then glue it on a stone tablet. I read them all but Psalm 86:5 really caught my eye. I have that stone tablet on my dresser and still read it and let guide me through my tough times. This verse tells me that we will always be forgiven and loved even if we are dead in sin.

Have you ever had that one day where you just feel that nothing worse could happen? Well, I’ve had one day that sticks out the most. It was a rainy day, kind of humid, and I was heading to a Beatrice baseball camp. Well, I played catch with one of my friends then we went on to our first drill. My first drill was sliding, but we had to do it in the outfield since the infield was too wet to use. Right when I slid I heard a “pop.” I severely broke my radius. Well, I couldn’t participate in any sort of activities for at least 3 months. After getting home I kept saying to myself God has a reason for everything, then I decided to go watch my team play baseball. That was when I felt the closest to God. He showed me that even if I’m not playing I still matter in some way.

One day my mom asked me if I would like to participate in confirmation. I said yes of course and I have not regretted it one single day yet. We took many trips, went to many gatherings, and did so many activities to get closer to God and other follower of Him. My favorite out of the many things we did was Mahoney State Park. We all had so much fun as a group and in those days we were there I bet we all forgot how to argue and even fight. That trip brought us all closer to God and if I had a choice I would go back there in a heartbeat. But I would not go with just anyone. I would have to have my favorite pastor and my favorite confirmation group to join me. Thank you all for giving me a great experience in confirmation and thank you pastor for being a great role model in how to get closer to God!

Kynlee Uher

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

That’s the verse that will always be with me throughout life. When I don’t think I can do it, Christ is the one that believes in me. From praying when I go to sleep, or praying before every one of my sport events, or even praying when I have my struggles. I listen to what He has to say back to me. Philippians 4:13 has been my favorite verse since I was in sixth grade. So I decided to have it be my confirmation verse.

Feeling close to God is an everyday thing for a lot of people, but I know that there has been one time in your life where you have felt closer or closest to God. Family is a tough thing to lose, but it is also a time when you come closest to God. Like I did when my great grandma Annie and great grandpa Lester passed away. Losing them was very hard for me, but I still look up every night to ask them questions, or tell them things about my day. Even though I already know that they are with me and they are watching over me, I don’t ever have to worry about them because God is the one protecting them and helping them.

Being in confirmation was my choice, and it was a good choice. Even though our classes, trips, or gatherings kind of got a little crazy, confirmation is not something I will ever regret or forget. As the end of confirmation was coming near, all the little memories became big ones that will last forever. Out of all the trips and gatherings we have been to, going to Mahoney State Park has to be my favorite. There was so much laughter and sounds of fun that we forgot how to argue and fight. Along with our laughter, we also made sure to keep close to God in those two days. I chose to be in confirmation to be closer to God and have Him to lean on in my daily life. Confirmation has been amazing thanks to my class and of course our awesome pastor! Thanks for everything you did to make sure we were with God and we were always having fun!