Confirmation
at
Inspire
INSPIRE seeks to make Confirmation a time of training from which the whole family can enjoy and grow, without undue burden on their busy schedules. The Wednesday night IGNITE service is for the whole family but, is specifically built to be part of the Confirmation curriculum. These Wednesday night activities include a family mealtime, a group learning hour for various age groups, and the highly creative and biblical IGNITE worship hour. This allows the family to arrive and leave together.
What is the Confirmation Tracker?
A confirmation tracker is a Google Sheet we have created to help your family and our staff keep track of where you are at in your progress towards getting confirmed. If you do not have a tracker, you must reach out to Kate and she will send you your individualized tracker. This is for you (the youth) to be working on and filling out as you complete the following requirements. If you have any questions on this tracker, please reach out to Kate for help!
Requirement 2: Service Projects
Conferment must complete two separate service projects WITHIN Inspire (minimum of one hour each). Examples include, but are not limited to: helping with kids, serving food, running technology, singing/playing in the band, office work, etc.
"I can't believe my KID is the one dragging me to church!!"
Requirement 4: Confirmation Class
ONCE YOU ENTER HIGH SCHOOL, you must attend a two-session class about confirmation, complete the parent questions, and turn them in to Kate. This class will be held during normal youth group time from 6 pm-7 pm in the Coffee Shop. This class will be held twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. You only need to attend this two-session class once. This class will take you through what confirmation is, what your next steps are, and what to expect when getting confirmed. Fall Class: 10/5 & 11/2 (must attend both October and November sessions) Spring Class: 2/1 & 3/1 (must attend both February and March sessions)
"I love hanging out with all the other kids and it is so high Energy! I love it!"
Requirement 1: Regular Attendance
Conferment Must have regular attendance to Ignite Youth Group from 6 pm-7 pm AND Ignite Worship Service from 7 pm-8 pm.
"I wanted a place where my entire family could worship and learn Biblical, Spiritual Truths. I found that place at Inspire!"
Requirement 3: Community Service Project OR Mission Trip
Conferment must complete five separate service projects within the Bismarck/Mandan community (minimum of one hour each). Examples include, but are not limited to: Heaven's Helpers Soup Café, Closet 701, Carrie's Kids, etc.
Requirement 5: Meeting with Kate
Once you have all of the above requirements completed, and your confirmation tracker is filled out in its entirety, you must schedule a meeting with Kate. This meeting will go through what your testimony should entail, how you'd like to give your testimony, what date you'd like to be confirmed on, what your confirmation bible verse is, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns about any of the above-listed steps, and to request a tracker, please reach out to Kate Little at 701-220-8247 or kate@inspirefamily.org
Bailey Upgren
6th grade
Hey everyone, my name is Bailey Upgren! This is my first year leading and I am one of the 6th grade leaders this year. I am a freshman at BSC, and I am majoring in early childhood education. I have one brother that is a freshman in high school named Ethan, and my two parents are Mike and Melissa! My hobbies include hunting, walks, reading, fishing, going to the lake, and hanging out with friends! A fun fact about me is that I love working with kids!! I’m so excited to meet you all this year and look forward to an awesome year of Ignite!
Josh Upgren
6th grade
Hi, my name is Joshua Upgren! As you can see, I’m a professional stock car driver. It’s a demanding job, but someone has to do it, right? Anyways, yes, I’m tall. I am 6’5” if you were wondering! I love to fish, hunt, and do most things outdoors. I also like to watch Vikings football, and hang out with my friends and family. The most important thing to me though is my faith in Jesus Christ as my savior. I graduated from NDSU in 2019 with a B.A. in Natural Resource Management, but I am currently attending Dickinson State University pursuing a Teaching Degree, with the goal of being a history teacher. I’m excited to get to know all of you in the coming year, and I am looking forward to getting “Back to the Basics” with all of you!
Carole Jacobsen
7th grade
Aloha everyone, my name is Carole Jacobsen! I am one of the 7th grade leaders again this year! I have been working at Inspire since we opened, and I am now the Director of Curriculum and Team Building. I am originally from Williston, ND, and graduated from UND with a Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I have been working with kids and teens for many years in a wide variety of experiences; such as preschools, clinic settings, elementary & high schools, and running a home daycare/preschool. I am a mother of two amazing and busy kids; Joycee and Jettler, and our dog Zuri, a half border collie/husky. I enjoy playing volleyball, reading, journaling, sunshine/heat, kayaking, listening to music and I’m always up for a good conference. I am looking forward to another fantastic year at Inspire with the kids, teens, and all the parents!!!!
Karalee Butman
7th grade
Hey everyone, my name is Karalee Butman and I am one of the 7th grade leaders! I am a hair stylist at Salons on 40th. I have been married to my husband John for 14 years, and we have two children together. Their names are Layla who’s 10, and Emmett who’s 8. We have two dogs, Sig is a German Shepard and Remi is a rescue with multiple breeds. I enjoy wakeboarding, tubing, swimming, and being outside in the summer! During the winter, we enjoy crafts, sledding, and snowboarding! I also love cooking, and I am always up for new recipes as being in the kitchen is fun for me! I am very outgoing, love to have fun, and love to meet new people! I am always up for a challenge and I love games of all kinds! I am excited for a new year as this is my first time as a leader and I am looking forward to all the fun memories!
Meet The Team
Meet The Team
Harrison Hruby
8th grade
Hi everyone, my name is Harrison Hruby! I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Computer Science, and I am currently working at NISC as a Software Developer. Some of the things I enjoy doing in my free time are going curling and playing board games with my friends and family. During the summer I love going camping, boating, and doing various water sports like surfing and tubing on the lake. My favorite color is red, and my favorite food is Chinese. I can’t wait to get to know all of you in this coming year!
Kate Little
8th grade
Hey everyone, my name is Kate Little! I am one of the 8th grade leaders, and I’m the Children’s and Youth Director here at Inspire! So if you see me running around the building, don’t be alarmed, it’s just a normal day for me haha! I graduated from Minot State University with a degree in social work. I love playing yard games, board games, sports, etc. I will play pretty much any and every game that’s put in front of me, besides Monopoly and Risk (ask Harrison about Risk). I love hanging out with my friends and family, going exploring outside, and lake days where I enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, tubing, surfing, and swimming. I love dressing up here at church in various costumes. I also LOVE going to concerts. I have seen over 150 concerts! One thing you should know about me is that I am a very sarcastic person and love joking around with people! Now that you know a little bit about me, I am excited to get to know you all more too in this coming year!
Rachael DeMaria
8th grade
Hello everyone, my name is Rachael DeMaria! I am one of the 8th grade leaders this year. I started working as an ER nurse at Sanford at the beginning of August this year. I am a dog mom to my adorable pup named Willow. My hobbies include anything outdoors, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends. I was a leader at Inspire for two years, then had to take a couple years off during nursing school, but I am happy to be back again! I look forward to an awesome year!
Bailee Otterness
Senior High
Hey everyone, my name is Karalee Butman and I am one of the 7th grade leaders! I am a hair stylist at Salons on 40th. I have been married to my husband John for 14 years, and we have two children together. Their names are Layla who’s 10, and Emmett who’s 8. We have two dogs, Sig is a German Shepard and Remi is a rescue with multiple breeds. I enjoy wakeboarding, tubing, swimming, and being outside in the summer! During the winter, we enjoy crafts, sledding, and snowboarding! I also love cooking, and I am always up for new recipes as being in the kitchen is fun for me! I am very outgoing, love to have fun, and love to meet new people! I am always up for a challenge and I love games of all kinds! I am excited for a new year as this is my first time as a leader and I am looking forward to all the fun memories!
Laurie Martin
Senior High
Welcome back to Ignite everyone, my name is Laurie Martin! I am looking forward to getting "Back to the Basics” this year. I have been with Inspire from the beginning and it is so exciting to see how everyone has grown in every aspect of the word. I can't decide if my favorite time of the year is summer or fall. During summer I love going sailing, kayaking, and spending time outdoors. In the fall, I love going for bike rides, reading, and trying new recipes as the days get cooler. I have three grown kids that I love to spend time with: Logan, Alainna, and Mason, and I have been with the Department of Transportation for 30 plus years. I think it is going to be a great year of connecting with each other and deepening our relationship with the Lord.
Pastor Ernie Hocket
Senior High
Hey everyone! My name is Ernie Hockett! I have been involved in ministry for 39 years as a pastor, youth leader, worship leader, and counselor. I wear many hats around Inspire as our Community Care Pastor. As most of you know, I have also been hanging out with our senior high group on Wednesday evenings for the past few years and I have loved every minute of it! When I am not working at Inspire, I am usually with my lovely wife Kris. Together we have three amazing kids, Naomi, Nick, and Nate. I love hanging out with all of my amazing grandkids as well. I love people and can’t wait to get to know you all and grow deeper in our faith together in this coming year!
Jordan Upgren
Senior High
Hi everyone! My name is Jordan Upgren and I am just one of our amazing leaders here at Inspire Family Fellowship! I am currently a student at Dickinson State University and occasionally work as a substitute teacher. As you can see by the picture, I am a father! That is my adorable son, Lucas, who you will more than likely see running around the church every once and a while. Although, he is much bigger now! I love to hunt, fish, and pretty much do anything outside. I also love the Minnesota Vikings! I can't wait to get to know all of you! See you around!
Danielle Smith
Senior High
Hi everyone, my name is Danielle Smith! My husband Travis and I have three children. We have two boys named Brandon and Alec, and a daughter named Harper. We love doing anything outdoors, including going boating and camping! Together my husband and I love to motorcycle. We also have a golden retriever named Oakley that we love to take for walks. I have been a hairdresser for 16 years, an educator for 14 years, a salon owner for 3 years, and I am currently taking classes to become a real estate agent. I look forward to going Back to the Basics with all of you during this upcoming Ignite year!
“Do what you love, love who you do it for”
Kristen Otterness
Senior High
Hello! My name is Kristen Otterness, and this is my second year as an Inspire high school leader and I am so excited to be back for another year! Pictured here with me is my husband Broc. We got married earlier this year! During a typical day you can find me working at Bismarck Advanced Dental and when I’m not at work you can find me at home with my husband, our two Great Danes, and our kitty! I love spending time with family, friends, and making memories! I can’t wait to get to know all of the youth and have a great year!
 Getting ready to hang out and learn about Jesus |  Leaders and students worshiping together |  Brother and sister embrace |
|---|---|---|
 Listening to the words of Jesus |  Amazing worship at Inspire |