Protestant views

A girl is blessed by the priest during her confirmation in the Norwegian state church.
Some Protestant churches call confirmation a "rite", not a sacrament, and see it as merely
symbolic, not an effective means of conferring divine grace. Protestant groups in which
baptism in the early teens is the norm often have no confirmation. The Roman Catholic
Church confirms converts from Protestantism, not recognizing their Protestant
confirmations as valid sacramentally.
[edit] Lutheran view

A stained glass representation of a Lutheran Confirmation

Main article: Confirmation (Lutheran Church)
Lutheran confirmation is a public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful
instruction. In English, it is called "affirmation of baptism", and is a mature and public
profession of the faith which "marks the completion of the congregation's program of
confirmation ministry".[21] The German language also uses for Lutheran confirmation a
different word (Konfirmation) from the word used for the sacramental rite of the Catholic
Church (Firmung).[22]
Lutheran Churches do not treat confirmation as a dominical sacrament of the Gospel,
considering that only baptism and the eucharist (and, among some Lutherans, sacramental
confession) can be regarded as such. Some popular Sundays for this to occur are Palm
Sunday, Pentecost and Reformation Sunday (last Sunday in October).
[edit] United Methodist view
In the United Methodist Church, Confirmation is a rite where baptized individuals
recognize the work of God's grace as well as an embrace of being a disciple. It is the first
public affirmation of the grace of God in one's Baptism and the acknowledgment of one's
acceptance of that grace by faith. It often occurs when youth enter their junior high school
years, but it may occur during the early high school years.[23] In the UMC candidates to be
confirmed take a class which covers Christian Doctrine, Theology, United Methodist
Church history, stewardship, basic bible study and other topics. Adults are not confirmed,
but they can be baptized or reaffirm their faith at any time.