This Sunday, April 19 at the 9:00 a.m. Eucharist, we will celebrate a new group of young people who are in our Rite-13 program. Here’s an explanation of Rite-13 and its purpose that all of us, not just families with teens, need to understand.
It’s not Confirmation Class.
You may remember that for generations Confirmation was generally administered to children at age 11 or 12 after a series of classes with the priest about what the Episcopal Church believes, etc. Over the years it became clear that at that age children were not yet ready to take on the mature commitment to the faith that Confirmation is supposed to be about.
Some years ago the Episcopal Church developed a different approach. It seeks to recognize that in the years between 6th grade and college, our young people are growing into adulthood. We borrowed the idea of recognizing that growth in the way Judaism always has by a ceremony at the beginning of the teen years in which the congregation, the young people’s parents, and their peers celebrate the beginning of the journey to adulthood.
The overall process is called Journey to Adulthood or J2A.
It is designed to replace the old six Saturday mornings with the priest with a multi-year program of Christian Formation with the goal of allowing young people in high school (or later) to themselves determine when they are ready to make the mature commitment to living their Baptismal Covenant that is celebrated in Confirmation.
In their journey they participate in the Rite-13 program through grade 8. Then in their high school years they are in the J2A program.
Elements of both include Sunday formation classes to explore faith, society, ethics, spirituality, and mission. In addition there are retreats, mission trips and service projects, participation in the parish’s worship life, and after grade 10 the Spiritual Pilgrimage.
Our practice at Transfiguration is to work toward Confirmation no earlier than 10th grade (some of our youth in the past have waited later – at least in one case coming back to be confirmed after being in college for a year.) In grades 10/11 the Sunday formation classes in even numbered years focus in the winter and spring on a deep exploration of the meaning of the Baptismal Covenant and how to live it out, with Confirmation offered that year to those who believe they are ready. Then in odd numbered years the Spiritual Pilgrimage is for all who have completed grades 11/12 in that spring.
Parents, godparents, and the congregation have important roles to play. The first one is to take part in the Rite-13 ceremony to recognize and express support for their young people as they begin young manhood and womanhood.
Please join in prayer for these Fig Youth as they celebrate this important stage in their journey to adulthood.
Contributed by: Father Michael Merriman