Confirmation Instruction
1,432 boys and girls have been confirmed at Calvary between 1950 and 2000. Confirmation classes were so large for about 10 years (the highest was 69 in 1964) that they were divided into two groups. Pastor Kern and the Parish Assistant or Minister of Christian Education and Youth alternated in teaching the groups. In each session an adult or a confirmed youth gave a personal testimony or described some area of our church life. The public exam is one experience the confirmands and their parents will never forget. It was not meant as a torture but as an incentive. All survived. The confirmation class had at least four special activities with Pastor Kern each year such as retreats upstate, bike rides to Wantagh Park, and trips to Concordia College, Bronxville, Mill Neck Manor, Lutheran Churches in Queens and Brooklyn and to True Light Lutheran Church in Chinatown (an opportunity for some boys to buy fireworks).
For his last 11 years at Calvary Pastor Kern together with class members and several adults walked the 15-mile round trip from our church to Long Island Lutheran High. Most walkers had sponsors. Several thousand dollars were raised by the confirmation classes from these walks and the Saturday morning offerings. This money was used for needs at Calvary and various mission and charity projects in our region and distant places.
Pastor Therwanger inaugurated a first-rate confirmation program. First, he taught the lesson to the entire number of first and second year classes. The pupils were then divided into groups of about five with one or two adult mentors. They discussed the lesson further with their group. Sometimes the groups presented skits. Part of the course consisted of servant events. Among other things, the boys and girls served as acolytes, made banners, washed cars, and helped members. The mentors in many cases developed a relationship with the pupils and sometimes with the parents. Their aim was to encourage the young people to become active participants in the life of Calvary, to practice their Christian faith. That's faith alive!