Junior Youth Ministries (7th-8th Grades)

"So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:1

JYM: The Edge is a Catholic middle school youth ministry for early adolescents in grades seven and eight. JYM: The Edge is designed to meet the educational, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of young adolescents, and to ease the transitions these teens will make coming from elementary school, and heading into high school. Here at St. Jude, we have infused Confirmation Preparation into the program.

JYM - The Edge:

Is experiential, allowing the middle school youth different occasions to put their faith into action in a variety of ways: group discussion, small group activities, service projects, etc.

Has a catechetical theme for each semester.

Serves the diversity of personalities found in middle school youth by offering both large and small group settings.

Prepares the students for Confirmation through a 2-year program of catechesis, covering in-depth, the primary tenants of our Catholic faith.

Over the course of this 2-year Confirmation Program, students will do in-depth study of the following pillars of our Catholic faith:

Saints of the New Testament	Saints of the Old Testament
Seven Sacraments	Ten Commandments
The Creed	The Mass (Liturgy)
Beatitudes	Jesus Christ

JYM ~ Year 1: For 7th graders and all candidates who are just beginning Confirmation preparation. These classes occur every Wednesday night from 6:00 - 8:00pm during the school year. (See 2008-09 Calendar)

JYM - The Edge ~ Year 2: For 8th graders and all candidates who have completed 1 year of confirmation preparation classes (Year 1 must have been completed in the previous year). These classes occur every Sunday afternoon from 1:30 - 3:30pm during the school year.
(See 2008-09 Calendar)

(For more information on the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Jude, click here.)

A typical JYM - The Edge session includes:
Prayer, catechesis, large group activities, small group discussion, bible study, catechism study, social time, food and fun.

Fun & Fellowship Opportunities: We also offer social and recreational activities and fellowship retreats and lock-ins during the school year designed to create a greater sense of community among our middle school youth.

Service Opportunities: We have different opportunities for the youth to be involved in service ministries. In the fall, the 7th grade serves the community through participating in the St. Jude All Saints Carnival, and in the spring, the 8th grade serves the community through a presentation of the Living Stations of the Cross. We also offer a Mission Week during the summer.

Summer Programming: We offer a summer activities for our youth through a program called WACK (We Are Christ's Kids). We plan various fun and fellowship activities for our middle school AND high school teens to socialize with each other and build friendships. This also allows opportunities for our high school teens to mentor to our middle school youth.

Mission Week: In addition to our social programs, each summer our high school and middle school youth get together for a week of true service to those in need. Outreach activities include (but are not limited to!): food drives for the community food pantry; baby-item drives for the White Rose Women's Center; visits to the senior citizen home; serving the elderly and shut-in in our parish by doing yard work, providing meals; and participating in a Youth Rosary for Life.

Parents are important! We have many opportunities for parents to be involved, and the parents' component is designed to assist parents in raising their middle school youngster.

Goals of JYM: The Edge

To prepare the student for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Foster a transforming spiritual experience of Jesus through the liturgy, allowing early adolescents to have a profound experience of the Word of God and the Eucharist.

Create a positive experience of the Catholic Church for early adolescents.

Assist middle school youth in gaining an understanding and appreciation for what the Catholic Church teaches and believes.

Incorporate the Catholic Church's vision of social justice and peace into their spiritual life.

Develop an identity in middle school youth to make them a vital and visual presence in the parish of St. Jude.

To help ease the transition from elementary school, and to bridge the gap into high school.

To make the middle school youth feel welcome and to help the Church be a place they WANT to come to.

**These files are in .PDF format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and print. If you do not have Acrobat Reader or would like to upgrade, you may download the latest version FREE by clicking on the icon below.


Home	Sitemap	Contact Us	Privacy Policy	Webmaster

© 2008 St. Jude Catholic Church All Rights Reserved