Pay close attention Sunday morning to the stoles that will be placed on the shoulders of our confirmands.  Each stole is a unique creation designed and made by the students themselves.  Take note that on the one side of the stole are depictions about the child’s life in the world – hobbies, sports, special interests.  On the other side of the stole are depictions of the child’s life in the church – symbols, stories, indications of their faith.  All are found on just one stole that gives us a complete depiction of their lives.  Our hope is that it will remind them and all of us that as Christians, we do not live in the world and leave our faith locked behind the doors of the church.  As Christians, we do not enter the doors of the church and leave the other parts of our lives behind.  What makes us children of God is the ways we incorporate all aspects of our lives into a life lived for God – doing God’s will and being the people God calls us to be.