Confirmation gift ideas

[GaBelle]

Help!
Friend's 13 year old son is being confirmed and I need gift ideas. They are Lutheran and I am clueless as to traditions and typical gifts.
Any thoughts?

 

[stitch'sgirl]

Traditionally in our family, the godmother buys the confirmand a Bible engraved with the name and confirmation date. Which makes it easy if you are the godmother! But if not, I always give cash and a card. Another thought is a nice Bible cover. www.cph.org is a Lutheran publishing house, and there is a "Life Events" section where you can find some gifts for confirmation. If you are crafty, you can find out what his bible verse is and make something with the verse on it. Most churches either assign the confirmands with a bible verse, or the child picks a verse that is special to him. Whatever you choose it will be appreciated, confirmation is special!!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

We are Methodist and confirmation was not a gift giving event. Just a card. But we also didn't have a party.

 

[burnurcomputer]

Raised Episcopalian here Confirmation was a mixed bag of presents. Crosses, Charm braclets with religious charms ( long before Pandora and Chamila), Bibles, womens daily devotionals, andchurch newspaper subscriptions, and some people had money donated to the church in their name.

Confirmation is similar to adult baptism, in as they are confirming the ideals used in infant baptism and confirming those vows. Gifts simular to those you would give at adult baptism whould all be accetable for the occasion

How kind of you to think of that young person!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Always cash for us. Never actual gifts. i've never even seen bibles being given as gifts. Only jewlery (given by the sponsor), or cash by everyone else.

 

[stitch'sgirl]

btw, I'm Lutheran , went to Lutheran school K-12, to a Lutheran college, then taught in a Lutheran elementary school! If the child goes to a Lutheran school, it generally coincides with finishing elementary school and moving on to high school, a coming of age time in our faith. Also, yes it is tied to baptism; however, the focus of confirmation is on receiving communion and accepting wafer/wine as body/blood. Until you are confirmed, you will receive a blessing from the pastor when you go up for communion, not the wafer and wine.

 

[SC Minnie]

I was in the same situation as OP a couple of months ago and gave the friend's son a card (actually found a confirmation card) and included an iTunes GC. He had just received an iPad so worked well.

 

[mjkacmom]

Cash giving Catholic here. The money received from these occassions is usually put into some type of savings acount for the child's future.

 

[soccerdad72]

Cash giving Catholic here. The money received from these occassions is usually put into some type of savings acount for the child's future.

Same here -- cash always works.

 

[wiigirl]

Always cash for us. Never actual gifts. i've never even seen bibles being given as gifts. Only jewlery (given by the sponsor), or cash by everyone else.

 

[Tralliam]

I would say it depends on how close you are to the confirmand. i.e. do you attend the same church, have you known them since they were born, are you "Aunt/Uncle so and so", etc.

I like the idea of using their chosen/assigned bible verse. Or if they have a cross wall get them an addition to that. I would stay away from giving a Bible, part of the liturgy includes recognizing the parents commitment at baptism to "place the Holy Scriptures in their hand" so in our church the parents at that point hand them a Bible. Devotional books are good. And of course cash can never go wrong.

 

[GaBelle]

Thank you everyone for your responses and wonderful ideas! Never thought about cash, but I very well may go in this direction.
My husband and I are good friends with the parents and have only met the son a handful of times.
Thank you guys again!

 

[clh2]

ELCA Lutheran here...DD received a couple of nice pieces of jewelry for her confirmation, as well as cash. We typically give cash for the confirmations we attend.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Lutheran here. We did a small luncheon following conformation and a few of the people brought a card with money or a gift card but most did nothing. It's a pretty low key event here. If you are invited to attend some type of social engagement, I would suggest a small money gift or gift card.

 

[GaBelle]

Lutheran here. We did a small luncheon following conformation and a few of the people brought a card with money or a gift card but most did nothing. It's a pretty low key event here. If you are invited to attend some type of social engagement, I would suggest a small money gift or gift card.

Yes, we are invited to a "casual" party following the confirmation.

 

[Disney Doll]

Catholic. For my nephews Confirmation, for which I was his sponsor, I gave him a watch. When I asked his mother if there was anything he wanted, she mentioned that he was talking about wanting a watch. I felt that was an OK gift for Confirmation because it would be around for a while. Probably not all his life, but I figured he'd be wearing t for at least a few years and it would remind him of his Confirmation.

 

[cybrkitn]

btw, I'm Lutheran , went to Lutheran school K-12, to a Lutheran college, then taught in a Lutheran elementary school! If the child goes to a Lutheran school, it generally coincides with finishing elementary school and moving on to high school, a coming of age time in our faith. Also, yes it is tied to baptism; however, the focus of confirmation is on receiving communion and accepting wafer/wine as body/blood. Until you are confirmed, you will receive a blessing from the pastor when you go up for communion, not the wafer and wine.

It sounds like each synod is different. I'm also Lutheran (LCMS) and our kids do not make communion until they are in 6th grade Sunday School. Back when I was a kid, 6th grade was the start of confirmation. After I was confirmed in 1985, 6th grade was moved down to Sunday School. DS11 will be starting communion classes during the Lenten season and make his first communion on Palm Sunday (IIRC). He won't make his confirmation until 8th grade.

OP, I would say it really depends on the person. Trying to find a confirmation gift for our family and friends has always been difficult for me as well. DH and I usually go to Christian stores by us to find an appropriate gift, like a cross or a frame. Something that will remind them of their confirmation. If you are not sure, you can always ask the parent(s).

 

[dyna]

DH an I plan to get Gson a cross on a gold chain that he can wear on holy and special days the rest of his life.

Abit off topic GD will get a ribbon bracelet for her christening that she can use for holy and special days for life.....on her wrist as a baby, her conformation she can wear it in her hair or pin it to her dress her wedding day she can wear it hair work it into her bridial bouquet or put it on garter ect.....it will also work as a bible book mark.

 

[stitch'sgirl]

It sounds like each synod is different. I'm also Lutheran (LCMS) and our kids do not make communion until they are in 6th grade Sunday School. Back when I was a kid, 6th grade was the start of confirmation. After I was confirmed in 1985, 6th grade was moved down to Sunday School. DS11 will be starting communion classes during the Lenten season and make his first communion on Palm Sunday (IIRC). He won't make his confirmation until 8th grade.

OP, I would say it really depends on the person. Trying to find a confirmation gift for our family and friends has always been difficult for me as well. DH and I usually go to Christian stores by us to find an appropriate gift, like a cross or a frame. Something that will remind them of their confirmation. If you are not sure, you can always ask the parent(s).

LCMS too! Let's face it, any gift for a boy that age is tough. Girls are easy, one can find an appropriate necklace or bracelet with a cross, but boys on the other hand....well I guess I'm not the only one that struggles!

 

[aprilgail2]

Raised Episcopalian here Confirmation was a mixed bag of presents. Crosses, Charm braclets with religious charms ( long before Pandora and Chamila), Bibles, womens daily devotionals, andchurch newspaper subscriptions, and some people had money donated to the church in their name.

Confirmation is similar to adult baptism, in as they are confirming the ideals used in infant baptism and confirming those vows. Gifts simular to those you would give at adult baptism whould all be accetable for the occasion

How kind of you to think of that young person!

I was raised Episcopalian as a kid and for my confirmation I got a cross from my godmother and cash from everyone else- glad I didn't get any of those other things you mentioned!

My daughters friends all made their confirmations last year, we gave each one whose party we went to cash in a card.