Finland confirmation camp
Churches in Manchester renewed their ties with the Lutheran Church in Finland over the summer when a group of young people joined a confirmation camp in Tampere.
Finland has a very successful model for those seeking to be confirmed, part of which is to take the candidates away for a week in order to look at Christianity through a varied programme including times for serious discussion as well as leisure and relationship building.
Eight young people from Manchester joined the camp, which gave them an opportunity to build relationships with Christian young people from another country and culture, as well as enhancing their confirmation preparation journey.
Surrounded by lakes and forests in the Diocese of Tampere, each day included time for games, sauna, morning and evening services and times for discussion of key topics within the Christian faith.
Johanna Pearson, Youth Officer, said, "The group bonded well with the Finns and it was remarkable to see the ways in which each young person grew in faith even in the relatively short ten days of the trip. Creative arts were used to develop and explore the young people’s thinking around Christianity and some of the discussions which took place highlighted the benefits of engaging in confirmation preparation along the lines of the Finnish model."
Five of the young people were confirmed by Bishop Mark at Bolton Parish Church on their return to England.
