WHAT IS THE J2A PROGRAM ALL ABOUT?
The Journey to Adulthood
is a complete youth ministry program of spiritual
formation for 6th-12th grades. It uses Bible study,
prayer, rites of passage, outreach ministries and
both serious and playful activities to underscore
its two guiding principles:
1. Manhood and womanhood
are free gifts from God.
2. Adulthood must be
earned.
There are three two-year
segments of the program:
Rite-13: The first two
years (6th & 7th) focus on celebrating the
individuality of each young person and their
creative potential. The Rite-13 liturgy (A
celebration of Manhood and Womanhood) is the
community expression of this and a rite of passage
form childhood towards adulthood. A lot of time is
also spent on community building and forming a
cohesive group. This two year cycle culminates in
the Urban Adventure, a trip to Washington DC where
the youth practice their emerging adult skills of
organization and cooperation.
J2A: The middle portion
of the program (8th & 9th), engages youth with the
skills and critical thinking involved in adulthood.
There is much emphasis on developing their
spirituality and spiritual practices. The youth plan
and embark on a pilgrimage together at the end of
this segment. This experience is often the spiritual
highlight of their youth.
YAC: This is the part of the program when the older
teens (11th and 12th graders), after exploring their
own spirituality, discern and carry out ministries
within the church or in the larger community.
Vocation and development of a personal credo are
also emphasized. The youth will also plan a
week-long mission trip at the end of these two
years. A final rite of passage sends them out into
the world as ambassadors of Christ.
The youth in all three
groups meet every Sunday in Trinity House after the
10:00 service. They also participate once a month in
an ?extracurricular? activity such as bowling,
picnics, lock-ins, etc.
The Journey to Adulthood
program is designed to bring young people into full
participation in the life of the congregation so
they actually ARE the church of today instead of the
church of the future!
If you have any questions about the program
or would like to learn more about it, please
contact Susan Damiano.
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