The Journey to Adulthood promise:
If you seek the Christ, together we will find Him.
Emmanuel Church J2A Program – Your Questions Answered !!
1. What is The Journey to Adulthood ?
Emmanuel Church’s J2A Program is based upon the nationally acclaimed Journey to Adulthood. This is a program of spiritual formation for young people that…
- Provides a liturgical frame for their experience in our modern culture.
- Celebrates their individuality and creative potential
- Instructs them in the skills needed for successful adult participation in church and society.
The Journey to Adulthood is based on two key concepts:
- Manhood and Womanhood are gifts from God.
- Adulthood must be earned.
- Includes in-depth exploration of self, society, sexuality, and spirituality.
- Follows the imperatives of the Baptismal Covenant.
- Enables young people to discover and experience the love of God.
- Is a complete youth program with a systematic curriculum.
Balances Bible study, prayer, and both serious and playful activities to nurture the whole person during the treacherous passage from childhood to adulthood. Leaders model living the faith and remind young people of the ever-present love and mercy of God.
2. How does The Journey to Adulthood work at Emmanuel Church?
Christian formation is a lifelong process; this program gives young people a firm foundation on which to build. The curriculum falls into four distinct phases:
- Rite-13: Beginning the journey to adulthood (2 yrs; grades 6,7,8)
- J2A: Developing core values for the journey (2 yrs; grades 8,9,10)
- CAP: *Confirmation and Pilgrimage (scheduled for Spring 2010) (1 yr; grades 10 or 11) *We have several teens who will be making their Confirmation in the Spring (2009).
- YAC: Young Adults in the Church (2+ yrs; grades 11+)
Rite-13: Beginning the journey
The Rite-13 curriculum assists young people as they take their first steps of passage away from their families and into their own lives. Youth enter into Rite-13 in the 6th or 7th grade and on turning 13 participate in the Rite-13 Ceremony (a liturgical celebration of the gift of womanhood and manhood). During the 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 to explore new ideas, new interests and new abilities.
J2A: Core values for the journey
J2A is the core program, which blends action and contemplation in teaching young people faithful living. To prepare them for adulthood, they learn six basic skills:
- Active listening
- Negotiation
- Assertion
- Research/Information Management
- Partnership
- Leadership
The program also helps them understand and affirm Christian living.
During J2A the group will determine a theme and destination for their pilgrimage. They will also begin fundraising for this.
CAP: Confirmation and Pilgrimage
After two years of J2A the group enter into their CAP year in which they are invited to be confirmed and to make a holy pilgrimage. These are different but complimentary ways in which the community recognizes that the youth are now young adults, rather than children, and equipped for new levels of responsibility. Father Peter will assist with Confirmation preparation. The pilgrimage chaperones will also attend some classes to integrate them into the group.
YAC: Young Adults in the Church
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.
3. Who is working on the J2A program at Emmanuel Church?
Father Peter originally promoted The Journey to Adulthood program to the Emmanuel Church vestry early last year (2007). As Rector he continues to be actively involved in the program (especially with preparing J2A teens for Confirmation).
Carol Mowatt, a member of Emmanuel Church, the vestry and Liturgical Assistant at the 10 AM service is the Coordinator of the J2A Program.
Our Steering Committee (soon to be in place) will consist of Father Peter, a representative from the parent group, a representative from the leadership team of the church, as well as one to two members of the congregation, such as a representative from the Outreach Committee. This committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing the program as it happens here at Emmanuel Church, in addition to suggesting and managing future program revisions and supporting the recruitment of leaders.
4. Who leads the particular groups?
Emmanuel Church J2A Program has leaders, not teachers. This is an important distinction as it underlines that leaders are not gate-keepers or holders of information, rather they are there to assist the youth and journey with them as together they ask questions and try and find answers.
- Rite-13 John Davidson, Carol Mowatt
- J2A Jim Perry, Alicia Lyon
*There are additional leaders who have expressed interest in participating in the J2A program and are in the process of determining availability, etc.
5. When and Where do the groups meet?
Our groups take place from 9- 9:50 AM on Sunday mornings. The liturgical celebrations which form part of the program take place at the 10 AM service, and we encourage the youth to be involved in worship as acolytes, lectors, ushers, etc… Rite-13 and J2A groups take place in designated classrooms in the parish hall.
Calendars are distributed to families in advance of the start of the program in the Fall in order for families to plan ahead and, hopefully, adjust their schedules to allow consistent attendance at all the groups and community activities.
6. Where does Emmanuel Church’s J2A Program come from?
The Journey to Adulthood was developed over a ten-year period by the parishioners of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Durham, North Carolina. Development was funded, in part, by a grant from the Episcopal Church Foundation.
7. How can I find out more about what takes place within the program?
Emmanuel Church’s J2A Program requires that the youth are able to share with one another in a confidential setting. To this end personal information and comments that have been shared will always remain in the room. However, we encourage youth to share (and discuss) with parents and families the topics/material they are covering in class.
Carol Mowatt as Coordinator of the J2A program has copies of all the material associated with the Emmanuel Church J2A Program. This is available upon request. Where there are particular questions or concerns, Carol Mowatt 575-6503 or cam61@cox.net is happy to meet with parents and individuals.
8. How can I help?
We welcome help from anyone in the parish. Please speak to Carol Mowatt as to how you might get involved. The program is made possible through people offering their prayers, practical help, and financial support. We wish to thank all those who have already supported the program so generously! Examples of how folks have helped out last year:
- Sponsored a movie “afternoon” at the home of one of the families (Christian-themed)
- Accompanied teens and leaders to community outreach activities, such as St. George’s Soup Kitchen, RI Community Food Bank, etc.
- Participated at fundraising activities alongside the teens and leaders, for example last year’s church yard sale.
- Assisted with baking or buying snacks for the weekly groups. *We NEVER say no to snacks!!
- Supported the weekly group activities by providing additional materials needed and “goodies” as requested by the leaders.
Everyone, every family has different “gifts” to offer… tell me what you would like to do and I will try to make it happen! We appreciate anything and everything, no matter how small it may seem to you! Everyone is needed to make this program successful!
