“The Journey to Adulthood” is our youth program. The intent of this program is to balance both serious and playful activities to nurture the whole person during the challenging passage from childhood to adulthood. The youth are reminded of the ever-present love and grace of God. Based on the premise that “personhood” is a gift from God and that the passage to adulthood is shared in community, our youth gather for in-depth exploration of self, spirituality, sexuality, and society. Presently, we have about 16 youth involved in the two following programs.
Rite 13 is a two-year program for 11 to 12 year olds that focuses on important questions as the youth enter the teenage years and includes occasional fun outings and events. New participants are welcomed at any time. We have 4 leaders who have been offering leadership.
J2A is a two-year program for 13 to 16 year olds that focuses on questions about what it means to become an adult. The program culminates with a 7 to 10 day pilgrimage, and includes occasional fun outings and events. New participants are welcomed prior to the finalization of the pilgrimage.
The vision of the youth programming is based on a premise that adulthood is a free gift from God and that the passage to adulthood is shared in community. Within our programs, the youth gather for in-depth exploration of self, spirituality, sexuality, and society that...
- Provides a liturgical framework for the teenage life in modern culture.
- Celebrates youth individuality and creative potential.
- Offers training in some basic life skills needed for adult living and interaction.
More about the Journey to Adulthood Program
The program is based on three two-year stages, for a total of six years. However, new youth are welcome at any step along the way.
Rite-13 (approx grades 6 to 8) is the first stage of the Journey to Adulthood program. The key element in Rite-13 is celebrating the “rite of passage” as these youth become teenagers. This ritual is a way for the entire congregation to celebrate the unique gifts and abilities of our youth. Through regular Sunday programming, fun outings, a sleepover at church and some mid-week activities, these youth develop into a strong cohesive group.
J2A or Journey to Adulthood (approx. grades 8 to 10) is the second stage of the program. This level focuses on developing six basic skills for adulthood (which are active listening, negotiation, assertion, research & information management, partnership, leadership). These skills are learned by developing a strong sense of community and adapting different methods of Scripture reading, prayer, and community building. A pilgrimage will be the culmination of the two years for this group. In 2008, the pilgrimage went to Sedona, Arizona; in 2010, the pilgrimage went to San Francisco, California; in 2013, another J2A group went on a pilgrimage to Alaska; in 2018, the pilgrimage went to Ireland; in July 2022, the group went to Vancouver, B.C. And in 2025, the group went to Calgary!
YAC Youth Group- (Young Adults in the Congregation)- youth born in 2008 to 2010
This group focuses on knowing and sharing our gifts within the community, having fun social and social justice focused activities. We have 5 leaders who offer leadership.
Youngish Adults Group- anyone 18 years of age up to 35ish
This group builds connections and develops caring friendships, has interesting conversations and explore their faith over a meal. We have 2 leaders offering leadership.
For more information, please email Nikki: nikki@firstunitedchurchottawa.org