Sponsor Training

What Do I Need to Do? How Do I Get Started?

Your role is to journey with the candidate through the confirmation preparation process and then stand with them at the Rite of Confirmation to testify to their readiness. The preparation process consists of conversations and activities around 7 milestones which are topics that are important to their preparation. We estimate that it will take 6-9 months to go through all the milestones with each milestone needing 1 to 2 meetings to complete (or more if you choose). You will facilitate meaningful conversations around the topics in the milestone along with any activities that you and the candidate identify to do together. Your role is to be a mentor (not a teacher) and provide the relational element needed for the candidate to encounter Christ.

These training materials seek to prepare you for meaningful conversations with your candidate where they feel safe to ask questions, to share struggles and to ask for prayer. In this document and accompanying video, we will define the milestones, give you an understanding of how to prepare for these conversations and activities, and the logistics of going through and completing a milestone.

What are the Milestones?

Milestones are topics of conversation. Each milestone topic consists of a goal with suggested conversation material, activities, and prayer opportunities. Milestones can be completed at the pace of the candidate chooses. The seven Milestones are:

• What is Confirmation?
• Personal Prayer Life
• Heart for Service
• The Saints (Choosing a Confirmation Saint)
• Mass
• Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• I'm Confirmed. Now What?

Be Prepared and Plan Well

When you receive the milestone materials, you will need to go through this process to complete the milestone with your candidate:

• Understand the topic: in the materials, you will find links to adult level content on the topic. If you need a refresher, take time to go over these materials.
• Schedule the meetings: Each milestone will be broken into a series of meetings (2-4). Contact candidate and their parent(s) to schedule these meetings (45-60min). If you are not a family member, in order to maintain a safe environment for you and your candidate, these meetings should be with a second safe environment cleared adult, in a public place or a place where their parent can easily observe.
• After completion of the meetings, assess if they are ready to move on. If not, schedule a time to revisit some of your discussion topics and/or do an activity together to further develop their understanding of the topic.
• Once you have completed the milestone with your candidate, fill out the online form to provide feedback and receive the next milestone's materials.

Be a Mentor

While there is content to learn in each milestone, your primary role isn't to teach. Rather, you will be having a conversation with the candidate about the content. What does that mean?

• A mentor seeks to have conversation about the topic rather than giving the candidate information. (What do you think about... How do you feel about...)
• Instead of always giving answers, a mentor helps the candidate think through the topic eventually arriving at an answer.
• A mentor values and respects the viewpoints and opinions of the candidate without judging them.
• A mentor is interested more than they are interesting.
• A mentor listens more than they talk.
• A mentor makes sure to hear the candidate with active listening skills.

I said "Yes." Where do I start?

Below is a list of steps to get you started in meeting with your candidate:

• Watch the Sponsor Training Video above
• Complete the Sponsor Acknowledgement Form online (sent to sponsor after teens registration)
• If you are a parishioner of St. Gabriel, you're ready for the next step
• If you are NOT a parishioner of St. Gabriel, we will need the Confirmation Sponsor from Outside St. Gabriel Form from your parish priest.
• You will receive an email from the Office of Youth Ministry with the link to the 1st Milestone
• Watch the Sponsor Training Video on that Milestone's page
• Schedule the required meeting(s) with your candidate
• Pray for/Prepare for the meetings by reading the material and suggested outline for the Milestone prior to meeting with the candidate
• Meet in a place where you both feel comfortable and can hear/listen to each other well
• Complete the Milestone Feedback form right after your meeting with the candidate. This is the prompt to the Office of Youth Ministry to send you the next milestone.