Dear Manakin Family,

Nearly every one of you was baptized as an infant or young child at Manakin or another church. (If there is anyone who has never been baptized, or is in doubt about when or where this took place, we have a short rite of “Conditional Baptism.” Ask me or the office about this.)  Your parents and godparents made baptismal promises in your name to renounce evil and “accept Jesus Christ as Savior.”  They also promised to be responsible for seeing that you would be brought up in the Christian faith and life. Normally, in the Episcopal Church, this means that when someone is old enough to make mature promises, that person will renew his or her baptismal commitment to Christ in the presence of our Bishop and receive the “laying on of hands” in Confirmation, with prayer for help of God’s Holy Spirit.  Others may have been confirmed elsewhere and are received into the Episcopal Church by the Bishop.  Still others may have been confirmed at a young age, been away from an active faith and church life for some time, and may want to “Reaffirm” their commitment to God.  This also takes place in the presence of our Bishop.  Finally, there are some who are questioning about making such a reaffirmation, or want to know more about how the Episcopal Church understands the Christian faith and what it teaches.

Therefore, we are preparing for one of our bishops to come during April, 2018, two or three weeks after Easter Day which comes on April 1st.  We want those adults who would like to prepare for confirmation or any of the above-mentioned purposes to meet with me and Dr. Julia Eliades, our Christian Formation Director, to discuss possible times for preparation sessions and an inquirers class to begin in the Fall, or to discuss questions about being confirmed, reaffirmed, etc. We have chosen to meet after church at 11:00 a.m. on Pentecost Sunday, June 4th (for no more than 20 to 30 minutes) and hope you will attend.  If that is not possible, and you still want to be received or reaffirmed in 2018, please call Wendy in the office to give her that information, 794-6401 or to indicate that you will be present on June 4th.  Thank you, and God’s peace be with you.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Dr. Tom Bauer