Good Shepherd's youth program, "Journey to Adulthood," is a six- or seven-year program that begins in the sixth grade. It consists of three groupings:
Rite 13, J2A, and YAC. A new group forms every other year (even years) and stays together until graduation. This spiritual formation program for young people celebrates their individuality and creative potential. It instructs them in skills needed for successful adult participation in the church and society. In the process, the youth build a community of friends and find their ministry niche through fellowship and service. The topics over the six years primarily focus on issues of life and the Christian faith.  To see our current Education Brochure click here.

 

Esther Harless, a parishioner of the Church of the Good Shepherd for about twelve years, died in 1987 and left her estate to the church.  As a result of her gift, a committee was established to disburse the funds to the needs and wishes of the parish. A scholarship fund for youth was designated as one of these needs by the “Harless Committee”, an amount to be invested and the income given to active youth of the parish. The deadline is the end of April. Download your application here.

 

Rite 13 is the first two years of the program Journey to Adulthood. The focus of Rite 13 is to celebrate our God-given gift of manhood and womanhood by exploring issues that help shape our identity. All activities are designed to build community and remind young people that this is their Church, and they belong here. Rite 13 meets every Sunday morning (9:00-10:15 a.m.) during the entire school year in the youth room on the second floor of the parish hall.

 

J2A is the core piece of the program Journey to Adulthood. The focus is to prepare youth for adulthood by teaching six basic skills: listening, negotiation, leadership, partnership, and information management. Confirmation material is woven in with four key topics: self, spirituality, sexuality, and society.

J2A meets every Sunday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. during the entire school year. Youth are to first gather in the auditorium.

 

YAC Youth Cutting UpYoung Adult Christians (YAC) begin to live more fully into their baptismal promise by taking on more adult responsibilities in the life of the parish and community. Their discussions focus on the current events of their lives and how to understand and articulate God's presence with them through those events.

 

YAC meets every Sunday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the entire school year. Youth are to first gather in the auditorium.

 

Youth are eligible to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from our Bishop in May 2018 if they meet the following criteria during the two years of the J2A program.

    Maintain a 75% attendance level through the two years of the J2A Sunday evening program.

    Maintain a 75% attendance level at the "Special Activities" events through the two years of J2A. These are described in our brochure.

    Accumulate 75 "points" through the two years of J2A.  Points can be earned in the following ways and need to be verified.

        ONE (1) point for attending a Sunday morning church service.

        ONE (1) additional point for every time one participates in the life of the church as an acolyte, lay reader, usher, nursery care helper, teacher's aid, choir member, Bellringer, etc

A one-day retreat will take place in the month (date TBD) just prior to Confirmation.