"Chosen" Sets a New Standard for Confirmation Preparation

I'm pleased today to be a part of the weeklong blog tour for a new Confirmation preparation program from Ascension Press -- Chosen. My comments are based on the complimentary materials that I received from the publisher. While I want to state up front that I have not personally read every word of the study or viewed ALL of the twenty-four lessons personally, what I've seen and sampled has blown me away. And the fact that the program has been granted the Imprimatur by Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia gives me great confidence in recommending it to our readers.

First, let's look at an overview of Chosen:

A Powerful Approach to Confirmation

Chosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation is a 24-lesson program that provides everything you need to prepare your students intellectually and spiritually to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. This program will both catechize and challenge teens to fully embrace a life in Christ. Chosen is a dynamic learning experience centered around fully integrated video and workbook lessons. Guides for leaders, parents, and sponsors have been seamlessly incorporated into the program to make Chosen unlike anything available in the Church today.

Visually stunning, fast-paced videos, filmed in over 40 locations around the U.S. and internationally.
Featuring top youth experts presenting the faith in new and unexpected ways.
Effective methodology based on the RCIA model (pre-evangelization, evangelization, catechesis and discipleship) and grounded in the Catechism and Scripture.
Easy to implement with step-by-step leader’s notes and flexible scheduling options.
Connects with teens and inspires them on multiple levels: intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
Evangelizes the whole family through carefully crafted Parent and Sponsor Guides.

For a sense of the incredible impact Chosen will have, take a look at the program's official trailer:

If this amazing filming, high energy, and call-to-action oriented video gets you psyched up for the vast potential that your child's Confirmation preparation can hold, then wait until you see the full program (which you can preview here). I've been through the Confirmation preparation with both of my sons, so I looked at this program through the filter of a mom who has "been there, done that". I can tell you that I wish my sons had enjoyed the opportunity to prepare for their sacrament with this program. And one amazing aspect of Chosen is that this program is not simply for the teens it prepares, but also for their family members with materials aimed at supporting and incorporating parents and sponsors into the process.

Here's a look at the Parent and Sponsor Guides:

If you have a child who will be preparing for Confirmation, I encourage you to check out Chosen and to take the added step of sharing it with your pastor and those who oversee the Confirmation program in your parish. I think you'll agree that Chosen has the potential to impact your Domestic Church, your diocese and even our universal Church as we invite our teens to see Confirmation as simply an early step along their lifelong path to discipleship.

Learn more about Chosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation at www.ConfirmationStudy.com.