On May 4 the Diocese of Missouri’s youth program, Journey to Adulthood, held a dinner celebration to honor students who turned 13 during our first year as a group.
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion in University City is hosting the youth program. Journey to Adulthood began in the Episcopal Church in the 1980s. The program centers on intentional relationships with youth as they enter physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual stages toward adulthood.
The first two years of the program, known as Rite 13, address the personal, spiritual and societal issues of the significant changes that take place in a young person from ages 11 through 13.
Our new diocesan program started with two girls who wanted more.
At Holy Communion we had two middle school girls who are very involved members, in need of something that asked more of them than babysitting and moving chairs. These two fabulous girls, Olivia Mensah and Sheifa Olivia Bethune, committed to forming a group. I had them look over the J2A (Journey to Adulthood) program and they agreed it provided a content and structure that would allow them to have fun with peers, be taken seriously, and offer a unique component: faith mentoring with other adults in the church.
J2A’s Rite 13 is a two-year commitment which traditionally begins with age 11 and takes young people to age 13. In order to begin this program, we had to “color outside the lines” and began with any young person between the ages of 11-13 in the St. Louis area who wanted to go on this adventure. We have eight students in the program. The students are members at Holy Communion, St. Mark's in St. Louis, Church of the Advent in Crestwood, and Trinity Church in St. Charles.
The adults who serve as mentors are a key component to the success of this program. They committed to spend two years with these young people. Holy Communion had six members, none who were “youth ministers” but all who either had watched these young women grow in the church since they were toddlers or because they personally had important experiences in a youth group in the past and wanted to offer it back. After meeting all together for the first two meetings, the six adults were allowed to rotate leading the twice-monthly group meetings. This really helped with keeping the commitment and offered their own supportive group as well.
We knew the first year was a success when we got the comment, “ I can be myself here.”
The eight youths in our Rite 13 program are VERY different individuals, but are finding a way to respect each other and create that safe space, to be yourself. And feeling you can not put on a mask is what true church should be.
This Rite 13 program continues next year at Holy Communion. If you have a student who is interested in being a part of this diocesan youth program, please contact the Rev. Julie Graham.