Confirmation is the service at which people renew their baptism promises and become full members of the Church of England. The bishop will lay hands on the candidates and pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon those who are to be confirmed.
A Service of Confirmation will follow a course of instruction in what it means to be a Christian, so candidates will normally be at least 12 years old. We run confirmation classes for anyone interested in being confirmed but young people also have the choice of attending confirmation camps (in the year they turn 15), which are organised by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. After the confirmation camp there is an opportunity to be confirmed by a Lutheran parish priest (together with the group who attended the camp) or by an Anglican bishop. If the young person decides to be confirmed by the Bishop, following a regular confirmation camp, then the Chaplaincy will cover the costs of the camp. We usually have a visit by the bishop once a year.
Confirmation used to mark the point at which a candidate might receive Holy Communion, but we also have a First Communion programme for children aged 7 and over. If you would like to find out more about this then please contact Sarah in the office at office@anglican.fi
For more information about confirmation, please speak to the chaplain