what if confirmation wasn’t the end?
With so many teens leaving the Church, Confirmation can feel like a last-ditch effort to reach them. This puts enormous pressure on Confirmation leaders.
What can you do? Cram in as much content as possible? Or sacrifice content to make the sessions more fun?
We can show you another way.
Reclaim the Sacrament of Witness
Pope St. Paul VI famously said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”
That sheds a whole new light on Confirmation prep.
The Holy Spirit will empower young people for a life of witness. But they need an example to follow. They need a community of witnesses around them.
Bring the Joy Back to Confirmation
How Witness Works
Invite Teens Into THE STORY
Our culture has lost the Christian story. Without it, Catholic teachings sound like disconnected ideas.
Across 24 lessons, candidates enter into the great story of salvation — the story that equips them to become witnesses.
This narrative approach brings theology to life. It answers young people’s deepest questions: Who am I? Where do I belong? How am I meant to live?
GIVE THEM A VOICE
Witness is not a “press play and let the video teach” kind of program.
Instead, the catechist takes the lead as both a teacher and a witness. They can use a short video to open the topic, then move to a series of prompts to get the teens talking and learning together.
TEACH THEM TO REFLECT
Every teen receives a Witness journal to guide their study and prayer.
This journal purposefully doesn’t look or feel like a textbook. It’s designed to engage the students by encouraging them to think, write, or even draw their responses to different topics and Scripture passages.
We provide a variety of resources to engage parents, sponsors, peers, and the parish community.
This program is adaptable to address teens’ changing questions and challenges.
The program offers theological formation and practical guidance for teaching the faith.
For years, we’ve created trusted formation resources for Catholic parishes and schools, including Formed digital content and the Word of Life K–8 catechetical series. The Witness Confirmation Program grew out of feedback from educators on what they needed for a Confirmation curriculum.
Frequently Asked Questions
The difference comes down to two words: story and community.
This program takes a unique, narrative approach to Confirmation prep. The twenty-four lessons comprise a story made up of three major movements, each of which is rooted in Scripture. Teens are invited into the story, to see it as their own. By embracing the story, they learn how the truths of the faith are connected, they discover its meaning for their lives, and they are empowered to be witnesses to Christ.
But to truly be witnesses, teens need witnesses in their own lives. Our program equips Confirmation leaders to surround each teen with a community of witnesses.
Candidates in grades 6–12. The material is written at an accessible level across that range, with open-ended discussion questions suitable for a wide span of students, plus resources differentiated by grade level (such as icebreakers and lesson enhancements).
Witness includes:
- Print books: the Witness Journal (a copy for each student) and the Catechist Guide
- 48 videos: 24 student videos (one per lesson), 7 catechist “how-to” training videos, 9 “difficult topics” videos, 4 parent videos, and 4 sponsor videos
- Per-lesson digital resources: 2–3 icebreakers, 4–7 lesson enhancements, a parent newsletter, and a discussion guide for the student video
- Additional digital resources: event blueprints, a fully built-out retreat, and practical tips for engaging parents, sponsors, peers, and the parish community
- An easy-to-use digital platform for Confirmation leaders and volunteers
Parents are the single most powerful influence on the faith of their teens, so Witness engages them, too. Every lesson includes a parent newsletter with practical ways to continue the conversation at home. Lesson 1 is designed to be done with parents and candidates together. Videos for parents and sponsors (also available in Spanish) equip them to be involved with their teens. The goal is to surround each candidate with a “community of witnesses”: parents, sponsors, peers, and the parish.
Yes. This curriculum has been developed in partnership with, and under the guidance of, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The tone stays inviting (“Come and see”) while remaining doctrinally sound.
This program was designed to stay responsive. Instead of a static program that hasn’t changed in years, the Witness digital platform gets updated with new resources to address timely topics.
Yes. Witness gives you a complete Confirmation program while also giving you more to work with when you need it. Along with the core lessons, you’ll have access to optional components, lesson enhancements, and supplemental resources that you can adapt for the needs of your setting.
This program was designed to flex around you. It supports:
- Program length: 1 year or 2 years
- Session length: under 60 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes+
- Meeting frequency: weekly or bimonthly
Each lesson has a 60-minute and a 90-minute version, and every lesson comes with 5–7 optional enhancements so you can expand a single lesson across two or more sessions if you meet more often. (Lessons 23 and 24 can also be used after Confirmation as mystagogical lessons.)
Witness is designed with volunteer catechists in mind and equips them to lead confidently. Support includes seven “how-to” training videos, nine “difficult topics” videos with best practices for challenging conversations, and the Catechist Guide. Witness also offers ongoing support (new resources, webinars, and events) shaped by catechist feedback, to support your team both practically and spiritually.
The Story Gives Them Purpose
Our narrative approach shows candidates what God has done through Christ and continues to do through the Church. The journal invites them to participate in that story.
This prepares them to be strengthened in the Holy Spirit and become active in your parish.
Their Faith Builds Up Your Community
Think of what could happen in your parish if a whole class of young people started living like witnesses for Christ.
They come to Mass because they love being there. They volunteer with the adults. Some discover their religious vocation. Younger kids look up to them. The community of witnesses keeps growing.
That is what a great Confirmation program can set in motion.
Get a Free Sample Lesson
See how this narrative-based formation can transform your Confirmation candidates into witnesses for Christ.