Being a Vital Church Essential Today, Tomorrow and Beyond

Tomorrow is Confirmation Sunday. Eleven young people will publicly take on their baptism vows for themselves and become members of Brighton First. They have been studying together for the last four months and they come to the confirmation ritual schooled in the doctrines of Christianity, the history of United Methodism and the mission and structure of their church. Their families and mentors will gather to worship with the confirmands as they take this significant step in their lives.

This is the traditional practice of the church, to recognize this faith declaration in the lives of young Christians. However, we cannot expect that the young Christians who, tomorrow, profess their belief in Jesus Christ and vow to uphold the church by their prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness, will experience the same church as their parents and grandparents.

Vital churches come in all shapes and sizes. Our youth may worship in churches formed in friends' homes, community centers or on the internet. They may be part of churches that emphasize quiet, meditative worship steeped in ritual or specialize in fast-moving, high energy worship.

If our new confirmands choose to worship in vital faith communities, they will have a few things in common. Their worship will be relevant, authentic and compelling, full of passion for God. (This speaks to the quality of worship, not the style.) The vital church community will know who they are, why they exist and where they are going. They will be intentionally welcoming, offering a place where each individual is valued and finds a place to belong. The vital church will have an intentional faith building plan that takes people into deeper relationship with God. And the church will have a heart to reach out into the community to build real relationships.

If we expect Brighton First to be a home for our confirmands (including those who are part of our community who have been confirmed over the years), we must be very clear about who we are and why we do what we do. We must be intentional in our welcome, our faith development and our community connection.

This commitment to be a vital church doesn't have to do with those of us who already worship regularly at Brighton First. It is for those who say "yes" to Jesus today and tomorrow and into the future. For the sake of the gospel, for the sake of Jesus Christ, we have to be ready.