Youth Enrichment

The Journey to Adulthood Program

Our program for youth includes six years of spiritual formation that provides a liturgical framework for the teenage experience of modern culture, celebrates youth’s individuality and their creative potential, and offers training in some basic life skills needed for adult living and interaction. It is based on two key concepts: womanhood and manhood are free gifts from God, and adulthood must be earned. It includes an in-depth exploration of self, spirituality, sexuality, and society and follows the imperatives of the Baptismal Covenant, enables youth to discover and experience the love of God, and provides a sacred space for teens to question, wonder, and work on their relationship with God and each other.

Christian Formation is a lifelong process. This program gives young people a firm foundation on which to build. The program falls into three distinct phases, each of which is two years in length: Rite-13, J2A Journey to Adulthood, and YAC Young Adults in the Church. The J2A program meets on Sunday mornings September through May during the Enrichment Hour from 10 to 11 AM. Questions?

RITE-13: 7th and 8th grades - Room 214 in the Education Wing of the Parish Center
The first two years of the Journey to Adulthood program is called Rite-13, a name that comes from a liturgical rite of passage we celebrate with the young people around their 13th birthday. This rite is loosely based on the bar/bat mitzvah tradition and is a way for the entire congregation to celebrate the unique gifts and abilities of their young men and woman. The Rite-13 program assists young people as they begin to take the first steps of independence from their families into their own lives. During these 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 in which to explore new ideas, new interests, and new abilities.

J2A: 9th and 10th grades - Youth J2A Room
The second two-year segment of the Journey to Adulthood program is J2A. It may seem a little confusing for this second phase to have the same name as the entire six-year program, but this section was the first piece developed, and many young people find that the bulk of their formational work gets done in these two years. In many ways, the J2A years are the heart of the entire program. During the J2A phase, teens learn and practice six basic skills for adulthood: active listening, negotiation, assertion, research and information management, partnership, leadership. In addition to the skills listed above, teens learn different methods of Scripture reading, prayer, and community building. After two years, they are acknowledged as being equipped for new levels of responsibility and given an opportunity to be confirmed with some additional lessons. They are also invited to make a Holy Pilgrimage at the end of the two years.

YAC: 11th and 12th grades - Youth YAC Room
The last phase, Young Adults in Church—YAC, encourages older youth to take on more adult responsibilities, both in their church and in their community. They are challenged to become good stewards of their time, talent, and treasure. They work on identifying their gifts and commit to a specific ministry that uses those gifts. They study some of the church’s ancient creeds and then write their own statement of beliefs. They look back on what they have studied, learned, and experienced over the last six years and use that as a basis for their own growing spirituality.

Family Ski Trip - February 11

A family ski and snowboarding trip to Blue Mountain Ski Resort is being organized by the J2A youth for Saturday, February 11. We need a minimum of 15 persons to receive the group weekend rate. The approximate cost for adults is $47-$52, and the cost for those under the age of 21 is $35-$43. The cost of transportation, lunch, and snacks will be determined once we receive firm commitments. We are asking those interested to make a deposit so that we can move forward with our plans. To express your interest, please contact Hays Faulkner or Bryan Keenan.

Permission Slip for Youth Activity, Transporting Children & Youth, and Medical Release Form

Please download, print, complete, and return these forms to the Church Office. These are necessary for all youth and adult participants in Youth Events and Activities at Christ Church.

Download Permission Slip for Youth Activity

Download Transporting Children & Youth in a Motor Vehicle

Download Medical Release Form

All forms are in Adobe Acrobat format, and you'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open them. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader for your computer if you don't already have it.

Diocese of Delaware Youth Page

Click here to connect with youth throughout the Diocese.