In a recent edition of CrossLinks, we shared with you the intriguing story of a church in Bethany, Oklahoma, that requires parents (or a relative) to attend confirmation class with their children.  The benefits to the youth, their families and the congregation have been so wonderful that we decided to follow up.

Chris Schwenneker is DCE of Lutheran Church of Our Savior. He has had a long association with Crossways International's materials. He still remembers a CI illustration he saw when he was in the fourth grade, featuring "Sylvester" trying to make his way across the gulf of sin and death through keeping the commandments.

This 1995 graduate of Concordia University, St. Paul, is now engaged in some creative teaching, having been reintroduced to Crossways materials as an adult.

Frustrated with traditional confirmation materials that "didn't really make an impact on kids," Schwenneker and his colleague, Pastor Ron Schornhorst, opted for The Divine Drama®. "We also looked at the fact that without parental involvement, the kids' involvement dropped off right away after they got confirmed," says Schwenneker.  "I talked with parents one on one.  I told them I want to move away from being the sole responsible instructor for everything that goes on in confirmation class. I don't want to be the slave driver that makes them memorize the books of the Bible."  Schwenneker asserts that involving parents in their child's spiritual education is biblical.

When neither parent can attend confirmation class, another relative —grandparent, uncle, aunt, older sibling — is asked to come. When no relative is able to attend, a mentor from the congregation takes over the role.

Schwenneker likes The Divine Drama® because it is challenging enough for adults, "not a rehash of things they learned as a kid," yet the visuals were stimulating enough so "the kids relate to them."

During the sessions, Schwenneker works to illustrate points in creative ways.  For instance, he takes an old Bible, rips the pages out and staples the individual books of the Bible back together. He tucks the books into the cover.  In class, he trips and the Bible's contents spill all over the place. Children and parents are then assigned to put the books of the Bible into the groups discussed in unit 1 (history, poetry, major and minor prophets, the Gospels and Acts, Paul's letters, general letters, apocalypse).

He will assign questions to groups comprising two families. "It's not always exciting dialogue," observes Schwenneker, "but I do believe the kids watch their parents and observe how they react to Scripture and even interact with other parents. I go from group to group, encouraging participation."

To illustrate the journey of Jesus' ministry, Schwenneker sets up stations around the church building. A fountain, for instance, becomes the River Jordan.

"I have fallen in love with the Crossways material in that obviously it is focused on what God has done for us," says Schwenneker.  But, he notes, it also emphasizes what it means to be a servant. "What does it mean to love God by loving others? Parents who were marginal start realizing there is more to being a Christian than coming to church on Sunday morning. These marginal families become more connected to the congregation. Now they are serving on boards and committees, volunteering for youth activities."
Schwenneker wants to explore ways to help parents grasp their responsibilities even earlier in the child's life.

While some parents occasionally show resistance to being in class with their children, the end of the year finds them in a different frame of mind. Schwenneker recalls some who said, "We didn't like this at the beginning, but we really learned a lot."

For more on The Divine Drama®, click here.

Please contact us with your questions (& pictures!) and tell us about your own experiences with Crossways International's materials and resources.