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Journey to Adulthood

The Journey to Adulthood Program is a formation process, not a Sunday school curriculum. It is not simply a transferring of information to a young person. Rather, it is designed to recognize and use the development process of the youth as a whole and their natural quest towards faith, wisdom and knowledge. Their process is a journey of discovery of God, of their gifts and skills, what they know and what they would like to know, equipping them for adulthood and spiritual maturity.

The program is also designed to be community-based. We begin by supporting and celebrating with the youth through their significant rites of passage. They develop their own community of peers as they make the journey together. As they mature, they become more involved with the whole community and are eventually incorporated back into it. The entire program is called the Journey to Adulthood, but it is designed with three separate sections. The breakdown of each section is as follows:

The program has two guiding principles:

•  Manhood and Womanhood are free gifts from God

•  Adulthood must be earned

The community comes together liturgically to say to youth, in effect, (from the manual) "we know what is happening to you, the changes you are going through and we want to celebrate with you. In addition, we want to teach you how to become spiritually mature and responsible adults. Adulthood is more than being a man or woman; it is the status given to you by the community when we are certain that you have the basic skills and commitments necessary to take responsibility for yourself and those whom God sets in your path."

There are four areas being taught: Self, Society, Sexuality, and Spirituality. Each area is a significant aspect of our lives. The areas are covered in the light of the Scriptures with the idea that "no province of the human experience is exempt from the love and instruction of God."