The Children/Youth Education Mission of Trinity is to guide Trinity’s children and youth through a reflective and active faith formation experience that provides a solid Christian foundation in the Episcopal tradition and fosters a spiritual reserve that supports them in making informed moral decisions throughout their lives. We do this by developing curriculum that promote our values of theology, Biblical study, spiritual practice, community and service.
May 1-3: Spring Youth Gathering (grades 7-12)
TBD: Middle School Pilgrimage (grades 6-8)
TBD: Mission Trip (grades 7-12)
For more information, contact Christopher Decatur at 216-774-0478 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
Our Junior (7th-8th grades) and Senior (9th-12th grades) High programs combine open, faith-based conversation about contemporary issues with Bible study, outreach projects, retreats and social events.
The Junior High youth spend Sunday mornings relating God’s message to their lives. The Making it Real and Relevant curriculum by Heidi K.E. Hawks, offers a way to view clips from recent movies and search for the underlying message of God’s grace within popular culture. After viewing the movie scene, a gospel story is read and the youth are encouraged to find connections between the two. Following the Revised Common Lectionary, topics include the body as a temple for God, facing up to our temptations, and finding our life purpose through Christ’s teachings.
Alongside the Making it Real and Relevant curriculum, the youth are also introduced to Rite 13, the first segment of The Leader Resources “Journey to Adulthood” Curriculum. The Rite 13 celebrates the individuality of each young teen and their creative potential, while exploring biblical stories of God and God’s people. The Rite-13 liturgy (Celebration of Manhood and Womanhood) is the community expression of this and serves as a rite of passage from childhood towards adulthood.
The Senior High youth spend Sunday mornings discussing what it means to say Christ is with us. Using J2A, the next segment of The Leader Resources “Journey to Adulthood” Curriculum, teens create and understand the importance of Christian community as they develop critical thinking and other skills they will need in adulthood. The end of J2A is marked with a spiritual pilgrimage that is often a life-changing experience for the group. Alongside the J2A segment, students will also have the opportunity to use Interfaith Youth Core Resources to provide interfaith discussions on how to live in an interfaith world and grasp a deeper understanding of not only ones personal faith but, the faith of others.
The adult leaders strive to provide examples of lives lived in faith and remind young people of the ever-present love and mercy of God. To learn more about our Youth Groups please contact Christopher Decatur.
Confirmation at Trinity isn’t about learning the answers, but about beginning to ask the questions. If you’re in 9th grade or above, we invite you to explore the process of confirmation in the Episcopal Church.
Here’s how it works: We pair you with an adult mentor who’s ready to talk with you about God, church, and faith. The only rule is that your mentor isn’t the one with the “right” answers. We expect–even hope–that you’ll sometimes disagree. What if you decide confirmation isn’t for you right now? That’s ok. The point is to ask the questions.
We use an Episcopal confirmation curriculum that combines traditional Book of Common Prayer-based Christian catechesis with a healthy openness to questions, doubt and searching that supports young people in claiming a faith that is deeply held and truly confirmed. If you’re interested in confirmation or want to find out more, please contact the Rev. Kay Rackley.