After worship, Sunday school is the most important ministry for teenagers at All Saints’. It is in these classes where serious discussions arise concerning living the Christian way of life and the journey of faith. Youth in grades 7-12 participate in the Journey to Adulthood, a six-year program of spiritual formation (Rite 13, J2A and YAC). Grade 6 adapts various curricula from Living the Good News, a lectionary-based model. It is our goal, amidst a broad array of topics, to give youth the opportunity to explore commitment and to discern for themselves what it means to follow Jesus in this world.
Sixth Grade
Youth in 6th grade move on from the children’s program but have another year before they begin Rite 13. In the interim year, the class adapts a lectionary-based curriculum from Living the Good News. Various topics are presented including pursuing peace, forgiveness, generosity, commitment, stewardship, love, humility and wisdom. While the class intends to be fun and energetic, the teachers are intentional about giving the children opportunities to share personal experiences and relate biblical topics to everyday Christian living. This is a change from the non-discussion oriented children’s curriculum, and it prepares them for the type of discussions they will encounter with The Journey to Adulthood.
Rite 13 (7-8 grades)
The Rite 13 curriculum assists young people as they take the first steps of passage away from their families and into their own lives. It includes a liturgical celebration (in November and May of year one) and continues to acknowledge the gift of gender and the creative power and potential of each child. Rite 13 creates a safe environment to explore the faith with new ideas and new possibilities. At the end of two years, each teenager should be capable of expressing his or her special and unique qualities and acknowledging and understanding that life is truly a gift from God.
J2A (9-10 grades)
J2A Pilgrimage Note Cards are now available!
Journey to Adulthood (J2A) is the core program which blends action and contemplation in teaching young people faithful living as disciples of Jesus. During the 10th grade year, they are given an opportunity for Confirmation, at which time they embrace the Christian faith for themselves, are ordained to the laity and empowered by the Holy Spirit for ministry. At the end of the 10th grade, we acknowledge them as young adults, rather than children, and invite them to make a holy pilgrimage. Upon return from pilgrimage, the young adults are invited to take on adult responsibilities in all aspects of parish life and the community. They are challenged and expected to become stewards of their money as well as to continue giving their time and talents to the church.
Confirmation
“In the course of their Christian development, those baptized at an early age are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism…”
—Book of Common Prayer, page 412
Confirmation is an opportunity for each teenager to make an adult affirmation of his or her Christian faith and to graduate to the Lay Ministry in our community. In the liturgy, each candidate for Confirmation will say the baptismal creed and vows which were once spoken by parents and Godparents on his or her behalf. In order for Confirmation to have integrity, each candidate should choose to make these vows, rather than be forced to make them.
“Confirmation class” at All Saints’ is the Rite 13 and J2A curriculum. It is a four year curriculum. However, we recognize that some teenagers do not wish to participate in Rite 13 and J2A, but are still interested in Confirmation. Therefore, in addition to the classes designed specifically for Rite 13 and J2A, the clergy at All Saints’ teach various classes throughout the Sunday school year. The classes cover the Old Testament, the New Testament, Church History, the Sacraments, the Creeds, the Book of Common Prayer, and Our Call to Lay Ministry. These classes are included in the 10th grade J2A curriculum. All 10th grade students who wish to be confirmed must attend the clergy led classes.
Pilgrimage
“Pilgrimage is the kind of journeying that marks just this move from mindless to mindful, soulless to soulful travel. The difference may be subtle or dramatic; by definition it is life-changing.”
—Phil Cousineau, The Art of Pilgrimage“Happy are the people whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way.”
—Psalm 84:4
As part of the Journey to Adulthood program, 10th graders at All Saints’ are invited to make a holy pilgrimage, a culmination of four years of formation and fellowship. The J2A pilgrimage provides our teenagers with an opportunity to deepen their relationship with God in Christ, strengthen their ties to the church community, and forge stronger bonds with their peers. This is not a tourist trip. It is intentional, spiritual and holy travel. Each day our pilgrims spend time in prayer and reflection. Each evening the group spends time discussing spiritual topics. Every evening comes to a close with student-led Compline, a form of prayer found in the BCP. Past pilgrimages have taken our teenagers to Brazil, Scotland, Greece , Ecuador and Spain. The 2011 pilgrimage will take our teenagers to Ireland.
J2A Pilgrimage to Ireland – June 7-14, 2011
Daily Blog from J2A Pilgrimage in Ireland
(a day-by-day account of the trip, with photos, written by the pilgrims)
J2A Pilgrimage to Camino de Santiago Spain – June 7-16, 2010
Daily Blog from J2A Pilgrimage in Spain
(a day-by-day account of the trip, with photos, written by the pilgrims)
J2A Pilgrimage to Ecuador – June 8-12, 2009
Daily Blog from J2A Pilgrimage in Ecuador
(a day-by-day account of the trip, with photos, written by the pilgrims)
J2A Pilgrimage to Greece – June 16-25, 2008
In 2008, the group traveled to Greece, visiting biblical sites and “following the footsteps of St. Paul.” They visited Athens, Delphi, Kalambaka, the Orthodox monasteries of Meteora, and the island of Patmos, where St. John is believed to have written the Book of Revelation.
Daily Blog from J2A Pilgrimage in Greece
(a day-by-day account of the trip, with photos, written by the pilgrims)
J2A Pilgrimage to Scotland – 2007
The 2007 J2A class traveled to Scotland to immerse themselves in Celtic spirituality and the beauty of the Scottish Isles. They visited Oban, Iona and Edinburgh
Daily Blog from J2A Pilgrimage in Scotland
J2A Pilgrimage to Rio de Janeiro – 2006
The 2006 J2A class traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as guests of the Diocese of Rio, to build relationships with Rio youth and adults.
Daily Blog from J2A Pilgrimage in Rio de Janeiro
YAC (Grades 11-12)
Young Adults in the Church (YAC) is about youth taking their place in the congregation and community as young adults. Over the course of two years the class will be challenged to exercise responsibility, partnership and leadership in the life of the congregation; exercise good stewardship with tangible giving of time, talent and treasure; design and lead a mission or service project; discern and undertake a ministry in the congregation and community; take responsibility for the maintenance of the group; work with adult mentors to establish group norms and meeting agendas; lay a foundation of personal disciplines to carry through the faith journey; and each member will be invited to develop a personal credo about what he or she believes and share it with the community. Will confirmation be an end ritual or the beginning of something new and spiritually dynamic? With the vision of YAC and the support of adults and parents at All Saints’, our youth will head towards college and beyond, towards adulthood, with a strong sense of who they are, affirming what they believe, and equipped to live their lives as Christian disciples in this world.
All Saints' Episcopal Church
