The following are the essays presented to the congregation by the 2000 confirmands: Amiee Ballard, Lisa Belanger, Robert Guenther, Jessica Heimbold, David Linhorst, Jill Lutz, Nicole Neulist, Jonathan Roop and Nicole Schaper.

     Amiee Ballard.  For my essay, I wrote about the Importance and Benefits We Receive from Baptism, Baptism is not only water, it is water combined with God's word.  The importance of baptism is the fact that our sins are forgiven.  When you're a baby you have the Original Sin from your parents.  Through baptism God forgives these sins.  In Matthew 28 our Lord Jesus Christ says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit."  What does baptizing with water indicate?  It indicates that the old Adam within us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and a new man should emerge daily to live before God in purity forever.

    This is written in St. Paul Chapter 6:  "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."    Through baptism we receive benefits from God.  These benefits are the forgiveness of sins, rescues us from death and from the devil.  Baptism gives us eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and the promises of God declare.  In Mark 16 our Lord Jesus Christ says:  "Whoever believes is baptized and will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."  

    How can water do such great things?  It is not just water - but the Word of God combined with the water, that is what does these things, along with trust.  Faith which trusts this Word of God in the water.  Without God's Word water is just plain water, without any baptism.  With the Word of God it is baptism, which is, a life giving water, rich in grace and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.

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    Lisa Belanger.  In my report I am going to tell you about the importance of prayer in my spiritual life.  For me, the relationship of prayer to my spiritual life is very important.

     Prayer helps me remember that when I pass away, I will still live on forever and go to heaven.  It also lets me know that when I lose someone close to me, like a family member or a great friend that everything will be ok.  They are in a much better place and someday, I will also be there and be reunited with them.

      Another thing Prayer gives me is someone to talk to when I'm upset, mad, happy, or just when I really need someone for no reason at all.  When I'm happy, I like to thank God for everything He has done and tell him how grateful I am for letting me come into this wonderful world that He has granted to me, When I’m mad or sad, and yet I feel as if l can't talk to my family or friends, I know that God is always willing to listen, keep my secrets and help me through everything and give me anything I need. God is also always there for me when I'm afraid or nervous. If I have a huge test in school that I'm nervous about, or there is something that I'm afraid of, I know God will always be there with me, helping me get through it.  

      When I pray, I feel much better about myself and my life knowing that God has given me food, shelter, a loving family, great friends, and Himself to turn to whenever I need someone. That is what prayer in my spiritual life means to me.

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    Robert Guenther.  I will be telling you what is the importance of the Ten Commandments in light of our Christian faith to me.  The importance to me is that we should obey the Ten Commandments to the best of our abilities,  but yet some think these Commandments are not important.  There was a man named Martin Luther who was a monk.  Martin wanted to be the best out of the monks, but Martin did not like the Catholic religion.  So he posted the Ninety-five Theses.  Not long after posting the Ninety-five Theses Martin started his own denomination.  He called this religion the Evangelico  Church.  Martin thought that committing sins was very bad, but breaking one of the Ten Commandments was even worse than committing a sin.  Martin made sure that he did not break one of the Ten Commandments.  Now at this time I will read you the Ten Commandments:

1.  Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.  2.  Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.  3.  Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.  4. Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thy, and thou mayest live long on the earth.  5.  Thou shalt not kill.  6.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.  7.  Thou shalt not steal.  8.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.  9.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.  10.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his neighbor's.  

    These commandments are really important to our Christian faith.   That is why Martin Luther thought that keeping  the Ten Commandments were more important than not committing a sin.  Breaking one of the Ten Commandments is like committing a lot of sin.

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    Jessica Heimbold.  Exodus 20:3-17    "Worship no other god but me."   Unlike many ancient religions, which believed in multiple gods, we believe there is only one God or Lord.   

    "You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain."  When you speak only use kind and thoughtful words. Do not speak of profanity, or speak Jesus, God, or Lord with an evil intent. Do not say "Jesus", when you've made a mistake, or when you are arguing. God's name is only to be used in a loving manner with good intent.

        "You shall not commit adultery."  It is improper to have intercourse before marriage. It is also improper for a man or a woman to have intercourse with a married person. The married person should keep their vows, not be unfaithful. “You shall not steal”.  "You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer" (Leviticus 19:13). It is wrong to borrow or steal what belongs to another. It is wrong to covet something you can't have or afford and then take it. You should pay for everything you want, if you can't afford it don't steal it. Nothing in this world is free you have to earn it or pay for it yourself.

     “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  "You shall not repeat a false report. Do not join the wicked in putting your hand, as an unjust witness, upon anyone" (Exodus 23:1 ). It is unlawful to gossip about anyone, making false statements, or lies. You should only tell true things about a person when you speak. It is also wrong to lie about another person or thing.

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    David Linhorst.  What Christianity means to me. What is Christianity? It is our religion. It is our faith in Christ and all his teachings. We are brought to believe this because it is the basis for what is right. Without this faith our lives are lost. We depend on this religion to tell us that what we do is not without reason. To be Christian is to not just believe, but to show your trust in God by treating others with respect, kindness, and use our faith to remind us what we owe to God. Our religion also gives us a common ally on which we can depend when we need help in our lives. Church gives you a place to gather, rejoice, and also to mourn. It's a place to meet interesting people, make friends, or just feel safe. This is all thanks to our religion. Without it, even the United States itself may have had unsure beginnings. Our own currency states; “In God we trust".

    But this religion, as powerful as it is, could not do a thing without the people who believe in it.  People like you and me, who live each day trying to our lives as God wishes us to do; to help a person in need, be kind, or to just open the door for someone is a reflection on how our Christianity makes us better people.  Even if you're not having the best day, if you have done these things for someone else, chances are you're going to be treated this way when you aren't feeling well.   And believe me, it's a wonderful feeling. 

    So just what does Christianity mean to me?  It means having faith, faith in God, and faith in yourself.  But it also means treating everyone you know, or don't know, in a way that makes the Lord proud.

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    Jill Lutz.  . Out of all of the topics Pastor gave to us, I have chosen to write about the importance of prayer in my spiritual life.   I think prayer is very important because it is like you are talking with God person to person. There are no interruptions and no one judges you when you pray. God just listens. You are pouring out everything inside of you.

You can pray for what you would like to be better, like praying that your sick or injured grandfather in the hospital will get better. Or you could pray that a friend who is in trouble gets some help. Or you could just pray because you need someone to talk to and you know God will always be there. God will always listen to what you have to say.

I think that you should pray before every meal no matter where you are. I do not care if you are at Thanksgiving dinner or a fast food restaurant. If you pray before every meal, you realize that you should be thankful that you have food to eat and a family to eat it with.

You should also pray every night before you go to bed. That way, you have a chance to wrap up your day and think about the things that happened. If something bad happened, you have the chance to try and understand why it occurred and what you have to do to fix it. If something good happened, you can be appreciative and thank God that it occurred.

I do not think it matters if you pray in order to go to heaven because I do not believe God keeps track of how many times you pray. God is happy that you take the time to pray. You do not have to pray to go to heaven because God already knows what is in your heart and nothing can change that.

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Nicole Neulist.   To me Christianity is the knowledge that God is always there for me. He is there to help us with difficult decisions, or just to guide me towards the correct path.

Sometimes we choose the wrong path, but God knows we live and learn. We learn that we make mistakes but now know how to fix or prevent it later down the road.

A man on the streets keeps living because he knows that God is watchin9 over him and listening when he asks for help.

A young boy is being pressured by his friends to do drugs.  He has the choice of smoking it or saying no. He chooses no because of his faith in God.

At a woman's work the office ladies are making fun of a new employee with a disability.  The young lady decides to say "Hey this person has done nothing to hurt you but yet you choose to hurt him to make yourself feel superior.  Her belief in God helped someone have a much nicer day.

    All of these things show what little things can show your faith.  If I've ever came face to face with a tough problem I always think of What Would Jesus Do?  It helps me choose that path that I can walk down smiling without having to think of all the things I'll have to do better next time.   

    Not only does God show us a way of living but also gives us happiness in bad times, and hope in tough times. God gives us every essential thing we need to lead a joyous and fulfilling life.

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Johnathan Roop.  Every, Sunday we confess our faith by saying either the Apostles or the Nicene Creed.  We state that we believe in God the Father, who created the world. We believe in Jesus Christ who became man, lived on earth, suffered, died and rose again to redeem us from our sins. The HolyGhost gives us our faith and keeps our faith strong.

One Bible verse which seems to me to proclaim my faith is Ephesians 2: 8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." This says that we are saved by believing in the grace of God. Good works, being a good citizen, and helping others will not cause us to be saved and taken to heaven. Our salvation is a gift we receive from God, free and clear, All He asks is for us to believe in Him. 

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Nicole Schaper. The Importance of the Ten Commandments in Light of Our Christian Faith

The importance of the Ten Commandments to me is that it's a list of rules that I should live by in the eyes of God.

The First Commandment states Thou shall not have strange Gods before me which means you should have no other God or Gods but the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Second Commandment states Thou shall not take the Lord our God's name in vain which in my opinion means don't misuse God's name in anger, sadness, and/or happiness.

The Third Commandment states Observe the Sabbath and keep it Holy which means work for six days and on the seventh day rest your body and soul and reflect on God.

The Fourth Commandment states Honor your Father and Mother which means respect adult's opinions and ideals because they were put on earth for guidance.

The Fifth Commandment states Thou shall not murder which means you don't have the right to take someone's life for revenge and/or pleasure.

The Sixth Commandment states Thou shall not commit adultery which means don't break or cause the breakage of the union of Holy matrimony.

The Seventh Commandment states Thou shall not steal which means don't take things that are not purchased by or for you, or that is your neighbor's money or property.

The Eighth Commandment states Thou shall not give false testimony against your neighbor which means treat people and/or nature the way you want to be treated.

The Ninth Commandment states Thou shall not covet your neighbor's house which means do not desire to get our neighbor's possessions by scheming, or pretending to have a right to them.

The Tenth Commandment states Thou shall not set your desire on your neighbor's wife or land or anything else that belongs to your neighbor which means don't take or think about taking out of want or jealousy from anybody.

This is my interpretation of the laws of God. We should all try to follow them daily, but if human error sets in we have the power of prayer to forgive us and start each moment fresh.