Journey to Adulthood (J2A)

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

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

There are three two-year segments of the program:

Rite-13: The first two years (6^th-7^th or 7^th-8^th graders) 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 from childhood towards adulthood.

J2A: The middle portion of the program (8^th-9^th or 9^th-10^th graders), engages youth with the skills and critical thinking involved in adulthood. 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 a mentor-based program that helps older teens (11^th-12^th graders) discern and carry out a ministry within their church or in the larger community. Vocation and development of a personal credo are also emphasized. A final rite of passage sends them out into the world as ambassadors of Christ.