Oasis Confirmation 2024 - 2025 | Articles

Oasis Confirmation 2024 - 2025

by Nancy Ewing on March 06, 2025

Bethesda has fifteen 6th, 7th, and 8th graders participating in our Oasis Confirmation this year. Like Splash Children's Church, our Oasis Confirmation program has taken on a different look. We have been following the Faith Inkubators, Head to the Heart (H2H) confirmation ministry.

Head to the Heart (H2H) is an integrated approach to confirmation ministry. More than a program or curriculum, H2H intersects the head (knowing God's promised story) and the heart (living God's story). This intersection is the very center of our baptismal promise. The H2H faith formation system weaves in critical thinking, a system of care, and creative faith practices while growing connections in Christian community.

The H2H system includes:

Confirmation learning elements based on adolescent brain development research, including object lessons that teach engaging PowerPoint visuals, art, music, skits, and game shows. The comprehensive menu of over 100 relevant teaching options allowed us to pick and choose what works best in our unique setting.

Our Learning events (LE) are led by Pastor Bryan and are extensions of the scriptures that we also hear at our Living Water Wednesday services. This year, Pastor Bryan has chosen to focus on the Life of Jesus and Lutheran Life. We schedule two LEs per month.

A culture of deep connection and care created in small student peer groups led by trained, committed adult Guides.

This year's adult guides are Scott Smyth, James Harriman, Gretchen Moser, and Nancy Ewing. Our guides lead the small group discussions during the Learning Events and accompany the youth at their Service and Fellowship Events. Volunteering to be a guide is a huge commitment to the Head to Heart program, and these volunteers have been building relationships with our Oasis students throughout the year. They are a huge part of this program's success, and we are grateful for their service.

An authentic relational/experiential model for adolescent faith formation.

With Head to the Heart, young people experience meaningful action/reflection, empowering them to live what they learn and stay engaged long after they are confirmed!

Our Fellowship Events allow for fun and relationship-building. We have had game night parties, gone bowling, and will bring in the Lutheran Lakeside staff to lead us in an overnight lock-in close to Easter.

This year, five of our students will complete their confirmation journey. They have been working with their mentors and Pastor
Bryan and plan to be confirmed the weekend of May 3 and 4. It has been an exceptional year with our Oasis Confirmation students! Seeing these young people grow in their faith is rewarding as we help guide them in knowing and living God's promised story.

About the Author

Nancy Ewing

I grew up in Cherokee, Iowa, and was surrounded by music my entire life. My grandmother was a long-time piano teacher and organist in our community. My parents, siblings and I followed suit by being involved in choir, band, symphony, community theatre productions, and church music from a very young age. (Fun fact: there are four generations of all-state musicians in my family totaling 38 years of participation in the festival.)

I attended Iowa State University receiving my Bachelor of Music in 1989 and began teaching vocal music that fall in Manly, Iowa. After my husband (Randy) and I were married, we moved to Audubon and then to Le Mars as we continued our careers in music education. During that time, I was actively involved in the American Choral Director’s Association both at the district and state levels and attended the University of South Dakota to receive my master’s degree in Voice and Music Education in 2003. After 33 years in public education, I retired from teaching in 2022.

We moved to Ames after retirement to be closer to our beloved alma mater AND (more importantly) our wonderful children, Katelyn (Layton) Elscott and Karter (Brooke). We brought with us our miniature golden doodle Koko. Grateful to continue sharing my musical gifts, I’m currently working with the Ames Children’s Choir, I have opened a private voice studio out of our home, I continue to be involved in ACDA as a clinician, director, and mentor to new music educators in the state of Iowa.

I feel blessed that God has called us to our new church family and look forward to joining with Bethesda’s many gifted members as we “Make A Joyful Sound”.