Youth Ministry

Youth Permission Form

Between sixth and twelfth grade, young people begin their transition from childhood to adulthood physically, psychologically, intellectually and spiritually. St. John’s program for youth seeks, not to ignore these transitions, but to boldly acknowledge and support young people through them intentionally and pastorally. True, the teenage years are not without hardship, conflict and tension. But they are also exciting and filled with the possibility of abundant spiritual growth and deepening faith. They are also the time when young people can deeply attach to their community of peers and when they can best move into leadership roles in every area of congregational life.

At St. John’s, we are deeply committed to respecting and affirming our youth, and we seek to express this support through a lively and relevant Christian Education program and monthly youth group. Our Youth Ministry also sponsors special events as we encourage youth to claim their rightful places of leadership in the wider parish community.

Youth Ministry Team
Our Youth Planning Council is staffed with as many or more youth representing various ages as we have adults. This council will plan all the offerings for people in 6th through 12th grades in the areas of education, recreation, worship and service. Your ideas are important to us, so if you have thoughts about events or projects or things you’d like to study, please e-mail Lisa.

Christian Education

Rite 13 (6th and 7th graders)
Rite 13 begins the 7-year faith journey for young adulthood beginning with the students understanding their faith identity separate from their parents, ending the second year with a ritual of stepping out from their parents. Basic faith issues are covered in this two-year segment.

Journey to Adulthood (J2A) (8th and 9th graders )
Continuing the exploration of faith and their place in the church family and the world, the young people end this two-year exploration with a pilgrimage of significant distance and meaning. In recent years J2A groups have gone to Spain, to Ireland and to Scotland.

Young Adults in the Church (YAC) (10th-12th graders)
YAC enables students back from a pilgrimage to use the energy of their faith to discover their gifts for service in the church and vocation in the world.

Sunday Evening Youth Group
Youth Group is offered to all young people grades 6-12 and meets the first and third Sundays of the month from 5:30-7:30pm, most often in the Parish Hall. A meal and gathering time is followed by activities and programs in two group settings—6-8th graders and 9-12th graders. Service projects and recreational events may be scheduled for 5th Sundays and other times.

We are certain that when you come and share yourself with others in the group by eating and playing and talking, you will have a good time, and you will be more able to share the energy of that connection with people at school and in the world.

Youth group meets during the school year.  Youth group is currently on break until the third week of September.