The Journey to Adulthood, a parish program of spiritual formation for youth, consists of three 2-year segments: Rite-13, J2A, and YAC. It prepares young people in grades seven through twelve for adulthood by celebrating their individuality and creative potential. The six years of Journey to Adulthood are jammed full of talk, teaching, Bible study, prayer, play and laughter as young people move from childhood to adulthood. New members are always welcome.

Rite-13

Rite-13 Room, Room 22
Facilitators: Terry Farnell, Rick DeKalb, and Kelli Gottemoller

The Rite-13 segment of the Journey to Adulthood program is for young people whose 13th birthdays occur between the summer of 2008 and the spring of 2009. This group's commitment is to Sunday morning education hour and an occasional Sunday evening event. They learn how to study, pray, play and serve others within a community as they explore together new ideas, new interests and new abilities. They celebrate the gift of womanhood and manhood through a liturgical rite, marking their passage from childhood to adolescence.

Youth Events

Facilitators: Jeff Pearce, Dorothy Barnes, Helen Collins, Don Mosteller, and Jimmy Snyder

Because there are new members to be added to the existing Rite-13 class, a decision was made to extend the Rite-13 segment of the program by one year, incorporating into this year an opportunity for mission to better prepare this group for its J2A years and eventual Holy Pilgrimage. The J2A program is one that can incorporate the needs of the community, and one of those needs is for this age of youth to engage in community service as a part of their school curriculum and also their spiritual growth. In addition, there will be a youth event planned for all youth approximately every other month beginning in late October. The leaders have already met to begin planning and are very excited about the potential of this added time for bonding and spiritual experience.

J2A - Journey into Adulthood

J2A Room, Room 15
Facilitators: To Be Announced

NOTE: There will be no J2A group for the years 2008-2009

Meeting Sunday mornings and two Sunday evenings a month, the J2A group is made up primarily of 9th and 10th graders. This two-year segment is the core of the whole formation program for youth. To prepare them for adulthood, we seek to teach the six basic skills of active listening, negotiation, assertion, research/information management, partnership and leadership in the context of our Christian community through exploration of the four realms of self, spirituality, sexuality, and society. During the second year of this segment, the young people and their adult mentors go on holy pilgrimage to seek God's presence in the wider world. Previous classes have gone to England, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The hard work for the J2A class is to select the place of holy pilgrimage and organize the many fund-raising projects needed to reach their destination.

2006 Pilgrimage - Spain

Spain Pilgrimage Photos

YAC - Young Adults in Church

YAC Room, Room 23
Facilitator: To Be Announced

The "Young Adults in Church" are those who have made a holy pilgrimage. The members of YAC are in the 11th and 12th grades and are quite busy preparing for their future. Upon returning to St. Peter's, many have continued in ministry in different ways through childcare, teaching, music, and helping to care for the church property. Although we may not see the YAs in church as often as we would hope, their leaders do stay in touch through email and conversation. It is our hope that this year we can get everyone involved in a community service project.