A new confirmation resource from Youthscape is helping churches not only prepare young people for confirmation but also lay the foundations for ongoing discipleship and youth ministry.
We spoke to Jemimah Allen of Youthscape about the thinking behind the new resource, how it has been tested in churches across the Church of England, and the hope that confirmation preparation can become a starting point for a longer journey of discipleship.
Youthscape has spent the last decade developing and testing ready-to-use resources for churches. Over recent years, however, one request kept appearing in their inbox: help with confirmation preparation.
“At one point we were receiving at least one request a week for confirmation resources,” said Jemimah. “We realised we needed to stop trying to direct people to resources that could be adapted and instead create something specifically designed for confirmation.”
The need became clear through Youthscape’s work with clergy across the Church of England, including through Launchpad, a training programme run in partnership with dioceses, including the Diocese of London.
“Time and again clergy told us, ‘We don’t have any youth ministry, but we do have confirmation preparation’,” said Jemimah. “We recognised that confirmation was often being viewed separately from youth ministry, and we wanted to help churches see it as a starting point for something more.”
More than preparing for a service
The new resource is designed around discipleship rather than simply increasing confirmation numbers.
“We haven’t written this course to promote confirmation for its own sake,” Jemimah explained. “We want young people taking part in confirmation preparation to have a really good experience of discipleship. We want them not only to learn about God and the Christian faith, but to encounter God, have meaningful conversations and see how faith connects with their lives today.”
A key feature of the resource is that it does not end with the confirmation service. Instead, it is designed to encourage continued engagement and growth afterwards.
“The point wasn’t to get young people to a service and then stop,” said Jemimah. “The confirmation service sits within the journey rather than at the end of it.”
The flexible programme includes 12 sessions, allowing churches to adapt it to the time and resources they have available. Leaders can select from core sessions and supplementary material, building a course that works for their context.
Accessible and adaptable
The resource has been developed to work in a wide variety of settings, from large groups to one-to-one mentoring.
During a six-month testing period, 66 clergy from nine dioceses used the material in churches representing a wide range of traditions and contexts.
Some churches used it with groups of teenagers, while others included adults preparing for confirmation alongside young people. Some even adapted it for younger children.
“Our primary audience is young people,” Jemimah said, “but we’ve seen it used with younger children and older adults, and from the feedback we’re receiving, it is working really well.”
The course is available free of charge, with downloadable leader guides and participant materials. Professionally printed resources will also be available. Each session includes detailed guidance, making it straightforward for clergy and volunteers to use with minimal preparation.
Additional resources include a “before you begin” introduction for prospective candidates and a confirmation rehearsal guide to help participants understand what will happen during the service itself.
Youthscape will also be running webinars in September and October for church leaders interested in learning more about the course.
Reflecting the breadth of the Church
A distinctive feature of the resource is its intentional attempt to reflect the breadth of Anglican traditions and spiritualities.
“We’ve been really intentional in making sure that the whole church is represented,” said Jemimah. “Our team reflects a wide range of traditions within the Church of England, and we wanted the resource to honour that diversity.”
Each session is built around three themes: The Way, exploring the life and teachings of Jesus through the story of St Peter; The Truth, using liturgy, contemplation and reflection to explore Christian belief; and The Life, which uses discussion-based activities designed to engage today’s young people.
Youthscape’s research suggests that members of Generation Alpha respond particularly well to interactive and collaborative learning.
“We know young people enjoy wrestling with ideas together rather than simply being given answers,” said Jemimah. “We’ve incorporated that learning into the course through discussion and activities that help them explore what it means to live as disciples today.”
Importantly, the resource does not seek to prescribe a single theological perspective. Instead, it is intended to create space for clergy and leaders to teach from within their own church tradition.
“The material doesn’t try to provide one answer,” Jemimah explained. “It creates a platform from which leaders can teach, reflect and share from their own theological perspective and spiritual practice.”
From confirmation class to youth ministry
Perhaps the most encouraging feedback has come from churches where the resource has sparked something new.
One church that had no existing youth ministry used the material for confirmation preparation and discovered that the young people wanted to continue meeting afterwards.
“We heard exactly the thing we had hoped for,” said Jemimah. “They ran the confirmation course, the young people didn’t want it to stop, and that became the foundation of a brand-new youth ministry.”
For Youthscape, that outcome captures the vision behind the resource: helping churches nurture young people’s faith while creating opportunities for long-term discipleship and community.
As churches across different traditions continue to test and use the material, its success may be measured not only in confirmations, but in the lasting relationships and faith journeys that begin along the way.