This month I am sharing with you the faith statements from our outdoor confirmation service on Sept. 20th.

                        ~ Pastor Lynne

     God has had a very big impact on me throughout my life.  I started going to church at a young age, and my faith in God has only grown from there.  My friends and family have definitely impacted the way I see God and shaped how my faith in him is today.  Whether it was just simply Sunday school lessons or youth gatherings and trips with people from all over Canada, my faith grew every time I was around them.

     In 2018 I was lucky enough to go on the CLAY trip despite not being old enough.  I found that trip helped grow my faith and really bond with the other youth members.  I was looking forward to doing it again this year, but it was unfortunately cancelled because of Covid.

     Going to Luther Village has also been a big part of my life, and I’m thankful I’ve been able to go there with everybody else and make some amazing memories with them.

     My confirmation classes have taught me a lot throughout the years and have expanded my faith beyond what it was before.  I’m thankful that I have been able to have these opportunities and experiences throughout my life to grow in faith and make memories with these fantastic people.  I hope and look forward to making more memories with them and expanding my faith throughout my life.  Thank you.

                        ~ Kaiden 

     God has played a big part in my life ever since I was a child, because he is always there for me if I was sad or felt like I couldn’t be successful in my life.  But God has taught me not to fear or not to care what other people think of you and to just be yourself.

     Faith is important to me because it shows who I am and who I can be in my life.  Some of the areas in my life that have helped me grow in my faith were Sunday school, where I participated in many activities which included plays; community events such as putting together food hampers; planting a flower garden for one of our church members; putting together We Care bags; and Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.  These events have shown me the fundamentals of supporting my community and others around the world.

     Another area in my life is the youth group that has brought me on a journey to places like Luther Village where I have many fond memories, such as late night worship and singing by the fire, as well as more funny memories like when Kaiden accidentally stepped on a mouse in our cabin and I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night.  Anyways, Luther Village gave me an extended family where I could fit in and a second place I could happily call home.

     The Bible story about David and Goliath means a lot to me because in the story God shows that you can do anything as long as you work your hardest to strive for success and have faith in God.  The youth has been a big part of my faith, showing and teaching me about the Lord and how he loves us and brings people together.  Confirmation to me means that I am ready to start a new journey in my faith to meet new people and help the people who are in need.  Sometimes we may not be able to see or hear God, but he is there.  In times of sadness and failure he is there.  In times when you’re in need of forgiveness, he is there.  God has always been there for me, and he is a leader that I will continue to follow in this new journey of my life.  I hope to continue to grow in my faith by praying to God and reading his word.

     God is always in my daily life no matter where I go.  I know that the Lord is always with me and watching over me and keeping me safe.  A reading from Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  What the Lord is trying to say here is to just live your life day by day and not to worry about what is to come but enjoy what you have now.  This relates to me because I try to take it day by day and pray to God that tomorrow will be a better day.

     I would like to take this time to thank everyone who has helped me grow in my faith.  Thank you to my mom and dad for bringing me to church to learn about God; to my amazing sister Maddy for always helping me with my confirmation homework.  Thank you to Pastor Lynne for teaching me new things from the Bible every Tuesday and Sunday.  Thank you to my grandparents for building a strong bond with God.  Thank you to the youth and all the leaders for helping me get to this new beginning in faith. (And a shout-out to Byron!)

                        ~ Aidan