St. James' Parish

Youth Formation

Rite 13

The Journey to Adulthood curriculum is a complete youth ministry program of spiritual formation for 6th - 12th grades. It uses Bible studies, prayer, rites of passage, outreach ministries and both serious and playful activities to underscore its core principles:

1. Manhood and womanhood are free gifts from God.
2. Adulthood must be earned.

The first two years of the program is called Rite-13, a name that comes from a liturgical rite of passage we celebrate with the young people around their 13th birthday. This rite is loosely based on the bar/bat mitzvah tradition and is a way for the entire congregation to celebrate the unique gifts and abilities of their young men and women. The Rite-13 program assists young people as they begin to take the first steps of independence from their families into their own lives. During these two years, the community acknowledges the gift of gender, celebrates the amazing creative power and potential of these young people, and creates a safe haven in which to explore new ideas, new interests and new abilities.

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J2A

The second two-year segment is J2A - an acronym for the Journey to Adulthood. It may seem a little confusing for this second phase to have the same name as the entire six-year program, but this section was the first piece developed and many young people find that the bulk of their formational work gets done in these two years. In many ways, the J2A years are the heart of the entire program. During the J2A phase, teens learn and practice six basic skills for adulthood:

• active listening
• negotiation
• assertion
• research & information management
• partnership
• leadership

In addition to the skills listed above, teens learn different methods of Scripture reading, prayer and community-building. After two years, they are acknowledged as being equipped for new levels of responsibility and are given an opportunity to be confirmed. They are also invited to make a holy pilgrimage.

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YAC

YAC comprises the last two years of the Journey to Adulthood program-the tenth and eleventh grades. YAC encourages older youth to take on adult responsibilities in all aspects of parish life and community. They are challenged to become good stewards of their time, talent and treasure. Guided by adult mentors, they use the Anglican model of Scripture, reason and tradition of the Church to guide the lifelong pilgrimage in their faith.

Two important elements of YAC are the Mentorship program (an apprenticeship to an adult with a particular duty/responsibility in the church) and the development of their personal Credo. A final rite of passage sends them out into the world as ambassadors of Christ. YAC students are encouraged to accept more adult responsibilities and to contribute their time, talent and treasure in ways that support the ongoing work of the church. Teens write a personal credo of beliefs and rely on their trusted group of peers as they explore their faith more deeply and struggle with the details of transitioning from teenager to young adult in today's world.

Year I: Who has God called me/formed me to be? What am I called to be/do? What are my spiritual gifts, my vocation, my ministry?

Year II: What do I believe? What commitment am I prepared to make? How can I best make a public affirmation of what I believe and what I am committed to be and do?

Throughout the two years, these older teens will focus on several projects, including : What Do I Want to Do When I Grow Up?, Love and Marriage, Law and Justice, Responsibility, Fighting Fair, Disagreeing, Giving Feedback and a few others that will be decided between he leaders and teens.