The Junior High Youth Ministry program of Saint Margaret Mary is based on meeting the spiritual, social, and faith development of junior high teens. The program has been named the "Journey Program" in that junior high teens begin a journey of getting to know themselves in and outside of their homes, their talents and gifts, the meaning of friendship, and their role in our church community. The goal of the Journey Program is to help young adolescents develop a positive self identity as unique individuals created and loved by God. The program is designed to help teens engage in healthy relationships with others by participating and contributing to our Catholic Christian community. The Journey Program incorporates four different components in an attempt to meet the developmental needs of early adolescence. These components are Word, Community, Service and Prayer.

All Junior High teens, whether attending parochial or public school, are encouraged to attend the Journey Program as a means of living our Christianity and becoming active participants in the Saint Margaret Mary community. The program is a great way for teens to meet other junior high teens and to develop friendships based on their faith and Catholic beliefs. We believe that faith development begins in the home and extends into the Journey Program. Parental involvement is highly encouraged, and parents are required to participate in some of the scheduled events with their teen.

A three-year track is offered for Junior High teens, with mini-courses related to the faith themes of: Church, Jesus or the Gospel message, morality and moral decision-making, personal growth, relationships, social justice, and abstinence. Interwoven with these are retreats, service and social events which provide a holistic and balanced youth ministry program. The Journey Program schedule is designed to follow District 203 school calendar and vacations. At each grade level, the teens will cover four different topics, each lasting five to six weeks. The topics for each grade level are as follows:

The 6TH GRADE JOURNEY PROGRAM has scheduled the following mini-courses for the

• Becoming Friends: Centers on starting and maintaining friendships, as well as differentiating between healthful and unhealthy relationships. Relates human friendship to friendship to God.
• The Bible: Introductory to what the Bible is, where it came from, how to use it, and how it can relate to their own life.
• Meeting Jesus: Assists in clarifying the students' understanding of Jesus and His message, while encouraging them to have a relationship with Jesus through prayer.
• Celebrating the Eucharist: Helps students better appreciate the Mass by acquainting them with its historical roots and its celebration in the church today.

The 7TH GRADE JOURNEY PROGRAM has scheduled the following mini-courses:

• Making Decisions: Teaches decision making skills that adolescents need to make choices, including moral dilemmas; helps students identify influences on their decision-making and consider the consequences of their decisions.
• Exploring the Story of Israel: Acquaints students with the story of the people of Israel as recorded in the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) and the major themes that permeate these Scriptures.
• Seeking Justice: Focuses on human dignity, respect, compassion, and responsibility for Creation while connecting these themes to the lives of students. Grounded in the Scriptures and Catholic social teaching, this course helps young people face justice and peace issues in ways appropriate for their age.
• Growing Up Sexually: Helps students understand and discuss changes associated with puberty. Helps them understand and apply the Roman Catholic approach to issues of sexual morality.

The 8TH GRADE JOURNEY PROGRAM has scheduled the following mini-courses:

• Praying Invites young people to identify and reflect on various images of God and provides them with opportunities to practice a variety of prayer forms.
• Being Catholic Identifies specific aspects of Catholicism, enables adolescents to consider what it means to be a Catholic Christian, and helps young people integrate a sense of Catholic identity with their identity as persons.
• Gathering to Celebrate Helps young people understand and appreciate the church's seven sacraments as rites that celebrate Christ's living presence and activity within the community of faith.
• Dealing With Tough Times Provides the understanding and skills required to deal with this age group. Centers on loneliness, rejection, stress, and loss and suggests specific approaches to help young people learn to cope.

The success of the Journey Program depends on the leadership and support of parents, leaders, and parishioners. Oftentimes this age level is not given the time and attention that they deserve: We need to foster teaching faith development at this stage when teens are questioning their roles and the role of God in their lives. The volunteers who work with the teens are parents and adults who dedicate their time and efforts in sharing their faith with the junior high teens. They act as small group leaders and foster a positive environment to discuss the Catholic teachings and questions that arise with the teens. Effective teaching requires that leaders are open to what teens have to say without being judgmental. The leader's sharing of personal experiences related to the topic can be very profitable. Leaders are trained and given the necessary materials and supplements to lead the classroom discussions.

If you are a parent of a junior high teen and are interested in working with our parish's young teens, please call Patti Guare at 369-0833. We are always in need of young adults and adults willing to be mentors and role models and, more importantly, who are open to the ideas and needs of this age group.

Journey meets throughout the school year on a weekly basis. The class is one hour long. Teens are asked to be on time as an hour goes by very quickly. Teens participate in large group prayer at the beginning of the hour in the church and are then dismissed to their classrooms. The program begins on September 10 and ends on May 1. The Grade schedule is as follows: 

• 6th Grade Thursdays at 4:30
• 7th Grade Mondays at 4:30 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.
• 8th Grade Mondays at 4:30 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.

**There is a 6th Grade class offered on Mondays at 4:30 P.M. scheduled only for sixth graders who have older siblings in the Journey Program in 7th or 8th Grade

 

Journey Calendar for 2007-08

At every grade level, the Journey Program will offer several large group events designed to supplement the topic being covered in the class room. The events are facilitated by outside speakers, our parish priests and staff. These events will be publicized in the bulletin. In addition, flyers are hand delivered to each teen in the classroom the week before the event. Please communicate with your child after each class and inquire about the handouts so that you can be aware of the happenings within the program and to be an active parent in the program.

All junior high teens are required to participate in a service project at each grade level. The service project is coordinated by the class and facilitated by the leader and parents. We encourage the leaders to communicate with the parents and teens regarding the agency and type of service project available. Once the class decides on a service project, a flyer and a permission form will be sent home with your teen regarding the time, place and special needs, i.e., drivers, food, etc. There is a possibility that the class may choose to do a service project outside of class time. The leaders need your help and involvement in order for the experience to be a meaningful and successful one. Please communicate with your teen and leader regarding any needs, suggestions and ways you can get involved. By the end of the program, all teens should have experienced the difference between charity versus justice, and how they can make a difference in our community.

Every month of the year, we provide a social event either on or off site. The events are offered so that junior high teens can have the opportunity to spend time with friends doing fun things and relating them to the church. Teens are allowed to bring a friend who does not attend St. Margaret Mary as long as the fee and permission form are turned in. The events are optional, but highly encouraged as junior high teens need a positive and safe environment to foster their friendships and social skills. Parents are encouraged to participate by chaperoning and in helping to plan an event.

Leaders are strongly encouraged to develop their own classroom rules in order to facilitate the learning process. These rules are discussed and agreed upon by each teen at the beginning of the year. Once the classroom rules are established, teens are asked to sign a Contract of Conduct & Participation that must be signed by the teen, parent and leader. We encourage parents to verbally review the classroom rules with the teen and to agree to abide by these rules by signing the contract. The first time that classroom rules are violated, the teen will be sent to see Patti. If the disruptive behavior is continued, the teen will be sent down to see Patti and a phone call will be made to the parents. If there is a third incident of disruption, the teen will be asked to come in with his/her parents for a conference with Patti and the leader and the option of home study will be seriously considered.

If a junior high teen is unable to attend the regularly scheduled time, we encourage the parents and teens to purchase the student handbooks and materials being covered in the class and to proceed with the home study option. In this case, the parent and teen need to make a commitment to getting together for an hour each week to review each topic and worksheets. Parents are also encouraged to utilize the Junior High book and video library as a supplement to the topic and discussion. Please inquire about the materials available and the check-out system. A teen that is on home study is able to join us in all of our large group events by registering with the Religious Education office the week of the event. All of the large group events are publicized in the weekly bulletin for your benefit. Please be advised that the home study option is not the best way to encourage and develop friendships and community among the teens of our parish.