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Mission and Outreach
At All Saints’ we believe all Christians
are called to volunteer, and we encourage and support our youth
to do so by providing regular opportunities for service. From
being an acolyte, to preparing dinner for the Birmingham Hospitality
Network, to spending a week working with the hurricane Katrina
relief effort, our youth make important contributions to our
church, community, and world.
Acolytes and Crucifers
This is an important ministry for
the youth of the parish, as they play an essential role during
church services. Acolytes are responsible for lighting and extinguishing
the candles, and carrying the torches for the processional and
recessional. Acolytes are also responsible for marking the pews
during communion. Crucifers are responsible for carrying the cross,
helping prepare the altar for the consecration of communion, and
assisting with the offering plates. Acolytes generally start in
5th grade and then graduate to Crucifers in the 9th grade.
Mission and Outreach
All Saints youth participate in different
mission and outreach efforts. This past summer, we took a mission
trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help with rebuilding efforts.
Youth participate in helping our
local community by serving at Community Kitchens and the Firehouse
Shelter this coming school year, with participating in All Saints’
weeks for Hospitality Network which provides housing to Birmingham
families in need, and in other ways that come up.
Other ways the All Saints’ youth
continue to serve God:
Rake and run
Tsunami relief fundraiser
Fixing dinner at the Firehouse Shelter
Doing various projects around the church
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We know it’s hard to pull sleepy teenagers out of bed on
Sunday mornings,
which is why we try hard to offer Sunday morning programs
for our youth that they will want to participate in. Our
youth take part in the biblically-based Rite 13 and Journey
to Adulthood programs, a complete youth ministry program
of spiritual formation for 7th
- 12th grades. From
Bible study
to playful activities, these classes are definitely worth
waking up for!
Where does my child go?
Sunday school classes for youth are divided into three groups:
Rite 13, Confirmation, and J2A.
Grades 7-8: Rite 13: Youth Room 2
This is
our Sunday School for 7th and 8th graders. In Rite 13, young
people learn
about what it means to become a Christian man or woman. They
read the Bible, pray, and discuss relevant life issues.
Rite 13 is
a safe environment to express opinions and encourage one
another, to share experiences, and to explore what the Christian
faith means. Every week, there are also very fun activities.
Confirmation : As part of our Journey to Adulthood
program,
Confirmation learning takes place throughout the year for
the Rite 13 age group. The rite of Confirmation takes place
yearly for 7th graders when the Bishop comes to All Saints’,
usually in early spring.
Grades 9-12 : Journey to Adulthood: Youth
Room 1
Journey
to Adulthood, or J2A, is Sunday school for 9th through
12th graders.
In J2A, teenagers learn about Christian adulthood and the
responsibilities to God and to the Christian community that
come with that adulthood. These students read the Bible,
pray, and discuss relevant life issues. In J2A there is a
safe environment
for people to trust each other with real opinions and experiences,
and also (of course) to have very fun activities.
You can read more About Rite 13 and J2A at www.leaderresources.com.
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Sunday Nights
Time: Sunday evening
Jr. EYC: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Sr. EYC: 5:00-6:30
p.m.
In our Sunday evening meetings, youth come together to learn,
to discuss life, to play, to serve others, and to pray. There
is time to just talk and find out what’s going on with each other,
and then there is prayer time. Then we have a program time for
about twenty minutes, followed by some sort of activity. This
is always a lot of fun! Sometimes all the grades meet together,
and sometimes it is divided into Jr. EYC (Episcopal Youth Community)
for 7th and 8th graders, and after that, Sr. EYC for 9th grade
and up.
We also take plenty of great trips: to the Beach, skiing
in North Carolina, whitewater rafting
on the Ocoee, to Visionland theme park, to people’s houses for
parties like at Christmas, and to Moss Rock Preserve to hike
and climb boulders. EYC is a time for deep learning, but also
great fun!
Where does my child go?
Grades 7-8 - Jr. EYC: We usually start in Youth
Room 1, then meet the 9-12 grade youth in the Great Hall for
snacks.
Grades 9-12 - Sr. EYC: We usually meet in the
Great Hall for snacks with the 6-8th grade
youth, then go upstairs to the
Youth Room for the rest of the time.
Weekday Programs
We hear a lot these days about how kids are stressed out by
their schedules; there are too
many activities in too few days. At All Saints’ we believe it
is important to provide opportunities for our kids to slow down,
and to encourage them take time to reflect on their lives and
on God’s purpose for them. Weekday gatherings for Bible study
and prayer, dodge ball and marshmallow roasts present youth with
a break in the week guaranteed to recharge them.
Wednesday Evening
In this recent addition to the lineup of ways for young people
to get connected at All Saints,
we have developed the Oasis program.
Wednesday Nights:
The Oasis Program - 6:00-7:45 p.m.
“Oasis” time for teenagers at All Saints’ provides a relaxing
break from homework and extracurricular
activities. Everyone is invited at 6:00 for dinner with the whole
church, and then at 6:30 the youth go upstairs to the youth room.
Someone from the group leads a short devotional and prayer time then everyone spends the rest of the time having fun.
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