# So my kids are about to do their profession of faith ...



## Caroline (May 28, 2010)

They are going for their interview with the elders probably this Sunday. The kids are fine about it and excited. 

Is it okay to say that I am scared? In meetings like this, I invariably start to faint as soon as I walk into the room. I always get the sense that it will turn out that I messed up somehow and I'll get excommunicated and go to hell. This has nothing to do with the elders personally. They are nice guys. Just I can't stop panicking about what I might have missed.

I did everything I could think of. The kids have memorized the Lord's prayer, catechism (WSC for my daughter, modified Catechism for Young Children for my autistic son), Ten Commandments, Apostles Creed. My daughter knows Psalm 8, Psalm 23, Psalm 27, and Psalm 134 by memory and the Sh'ma in Hebrew and English. I added extra catechism questions for my son about the significance of the Lord's supper, preparation for it, and so on, to be sure he understood...

Did I miss something? If I did, they'll give me a chance to fix it, right? 

Any suggestions on remaining calm?


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## au5t1n (May 28, 2010)

Your kids are SO far ahead of the vast majority of Christian kids, it's not even funny. You've done well.


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## Grimmson (May 28, 2010)

Personally I think you should be excited, but dont stress out. Instead, celebrate.


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## Caroline (May 28, 2010)

Thanks. I don't really know what kids normally come to interviews prepared with. I think we're ready. I dunno. If I kept them back a year, we could do more, but then, no matter how much you do, you can always do more if you wait, and I don't want to make them wait indefinitely. 

Mostly I'm worried about panicking and fainting and thus humiliating my children. What do you all do to steady your nerves?


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## JOwen (May 28, 2010)

This is all wonderful brother. Praise God. As a pastor, the most important question I want to hear answered is this: "Where has Christ been made precious to your heart?" Confession of faith is just that, a confession of personal faith in Christ. I would stress the needful demonstration of the knowledge you mentioned, but the personal aspect is of vital importance. Just some thoughts.


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## Grimmson (May 28, 2010)

I doubt it may work for you, but I drink coffee, you may try talk to someone about it, like a good friend,or eat some Dark Chocolate with ice cream. Your choice.

---------- Post added at 10:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 PM ----------

Hiking relaxing too. As seen in my picture. LOL


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## py3ak (May 28, 2010)

It sounds like your children are extremely ready. The Hebrew is a nice touch. And no one is going to do anything to you, beyond maybe asking if they're really _that_ scary!

You can do this, too, through Christ who strengthens you. As far as the nerves go, not thinking about the situation by thinking about the providence of God or the fullness of Christ or some other joyful theme and breathing deeply will help to combat it on two fronts: spiritually and physically.


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## TimV (May 28, 2010)

Yay for Caroline and her faithfulness!


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## Montanablue (May 28, 2010)

JOwen said:


> This is all wonderful brother. Praise God. As a pastor, the most important question I want to hear answered is this: "Where has Christ been made precious to your heart?" Confession of faith is just that, a confession of personal faith in Christ. I would stress the needful demonstration of the knowledge you mentioned, but the personal aspect is of vital importance. Just some thoughts.


 
Its wonderful that your children have memorized all those things Caroline - its sure to serve them well later in life. But I'm sure what the elders are most interested in is the condition of their hearts. And even if they completely blank out, their love for Christ will still show. I got really nervous when I made my profession of faith and forgot a lot of things, but you don't forget your faith and that's what my elders really cared about - not how much Scripture I had memorized. (Although, like I said, that's wonderful.)


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## Caroline (Jun 1, 2010)

Kids passed the POF interview. I will report a little more later ... too late at night now, but wanted to give the update and say thanks!


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## Andres (Jun 1, 2010)

Caroline, from what you've shared your kids sound more theologically sound than some liberal seminary grads I know! You've done well and should be proud mom.


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## Caroline (Jun 1, 2010)

Thanks, Andrew. That did seem to be the consensus, although I am a little puzzled about that. I was honestly quite concerned that they may not be ready because I hadn't really worked at preparing them until late last year. I mean, we had reviewed the Bible, some theology, etc, the Catechism for Young Children, etc, but we hadn't really focused specifically on POF preparation until last November.

I still haven't totally sorted out what happened, because one of the elders even started crying. But they were all saying nice things like, 'Impressive', so I tried not to let that freak me out too much. And I did not faint.

The only thing I can think of is that I think maybe it's easy for people to underestimate my kids. My daughter has connective tissue dysplasia like me and so noises are too loud for her, and she has trouble understanding what people say sometimes. Maybe because of that, she has a speech impediment and stutters a lot. But the impediment disappears when she recites, so it is rather startling when you aren't used to it. The kid who struggles to get three words out in a row without stuttering suddenly says in a clear ringing voice: _"The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, decending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him and fell with him in his first transgression."_

Anyway, I'm a proud mama with kids who are about to make their POF, so I'm happy!


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## Andres (Jun 1, 2010)

Caroline said:


> Thanks, Andrew. That did seem to be the consensus, although I am a little puzzled about that. I was honestly quite concerned that they may not be ready because I hadn't really worked at preparing them until late last year. I mean, we had reviewed the Bible, some theology, etc, the Catechism for Young Children, etc, but we hadn't really focused specifically on POF preparation until last November.
> 
> I still haven't totally sorted out what happened, because one of the elders even started crying. But they were all saying nice things like, 'Impressive', so I tried not to let that freak me out too much. And I did not faint.
> 
> ...


 
oooh, your daughter sounds like Moses!


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## Caroline (Jun 21, 2010)

My daughter did her profession of faith yesterday. My son is going to do his in a few weeks with some other children. My daughter insisted on going ahead yesterday because it was the day of the Lord's Supper. The pastor and elders had suggested waiting at first (thinking that she would want to stand up with her friends instead of alone, and the rest of the class had not yet done their interviews), but she replied that she had done everything that they had asked of her and they had promised that she could take the Lord's Supper in June. They quickly relented.

So here's my baby on her POF day:


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## TimV (Jun 21, 2010)

So very happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## BJClark (Jun 30, 2010)

Andres;



> oooh, your daughter sounds like Moses!



I was thinking the same thing when I read that about the stuttering..

Caroline, it sounds like you have done very well with your children, the elder may have been crying thinking he hadn't done as well with his own..


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