Youth Formation

 

Our Youth Formation program is currently on hiatus. Please contact MaryEllen for more information!

This program is designed and open to any youth in grades 6-12.  Director MaryEllen and Rev. Charlotte will lead the group in discussions and activities regarding the challenges, struggles and joys that our teens face and help to develop healthy ways to deal with them through their faith.

The program is from the Yale Youth Ministry Institute and is evidenced-based.  Their mission is to promote adolescent faith and flourishing in a diverse and changing world by conducting scholarship, equipping leaders, and resourcing collaborative communities in and beyond Christian churches.

Our goal is to form a Youth Support Network to go on mission trips and serve the wider community as we learn about our faith.

Youth Outreach

  • Help with our church mission, ACT’s Annual Mum Sale
  • Ingathering of food for the pantry at Bay Path University students and for the Longmeadow Food Pantry
  • Gathering gifts for the Adopt-A-Child annual Christmas family program

Confirmation

Confirmation Defined

Confirmation is a sacramental rite of The Episcopal Church when an older youth or adult adopts the promises and the Christian way of life as outlined in the Baptismal Covenant on pg. 304 of The Book of Common Prayer. Because Christianity is best expressed in the context of community, those who wish to be confirmed prepare with others and form a community of support through conversation, prayer, common experience and study. The preparation culminates at the Confirmation celebration, a public service in the context of the Holy Communion. The Bishop lays her/his hands on each candidate and prays over her/him as part of the ceremony.

Confirmation = Experience of Christian Faith and Life NOT Conformity

The overarching aim for the preparation process is to expose participants to an array of practices, ideas, general beliefs and topics that help them make an adult affirmation of faith. The process affirms individual beliefs, ideas, doubts and creativity in an experiential and engaging way.

Our goal is not to indoctrinate or encourage a belief system that has everything “figured out”– we are confirming the Holy Spirit’s movement in each person as we journey together in life, not making participants conform to a set understanding of faith. We invite participants to experience the mystery of God through Jesus Christ, explore how God is at work in them, nurture a meaningful relationship with God in the context of community and share in working for the common good.

General Preparation Process

For older youth seeking Confirmation, the preparation begins in 6th grade and we integrate the Bishop’s requirements for Confirmation as part of regular youth gatherings (see below for the Bishop’s requirements). Most churches have a dual track approach where youth are expected to attend both confirmation class and youth gatherings each week for at least two years.

Although we have a four-year formation experience given that confirmands are to be at least in the 10th grade, we meet twice a month September – June and have a realistic pace to ensure everyone is meeting worship attendance expectations and has ample opportunity to determine if they wish to be confirmed.

Each participant ultimately makes the decision if she/he wishes to be confirmed after meeting the general requirements. To experience parish life and work for the common good of the community, each youth participants in a ministry such as acolyting, assisting in Church School, or helping with Church Without Walls. During the first three years of formation, participants rotate through various ministries and selects one to participate in the final year.

Throughout the formation experience, participants are expected to participate in 75 percent of the regularly scheduled activities.

If a participant is unable to meet the participation expectation, the Rector will offer alternative activities/work.

General Expectations

Formation/Youth Group – participate in 75 percent of the official gatherings/activities
Worship – participate in one of four weekend worship experiences offered at St. Andrew’s at least three times a month during the program year
Ministry – participate in a ministry at least monthly

Our general expectations meet the guidelines determined by the Bishop:

GUIDELINES FOR CONFIRMATION PREPARATION DIOCESE OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Preparation needs to include at least the following:

  1. Minimum of 16 hours of Catechumenal preparation
  2. Move toward young people not being confirmed until at least 10th grade
  3. Daily prayer and weekly Sunday Eucharist
  4. Regular reflection on Scripture
  5. Small group faith sharing and prayer
  6. Content should include: introduction to the Bible and history of the Church, BCP, Catechism, Baptismal Covenant, and Stewardship (gifts, time & money)
  7. Practice “proclaiming by word and deed the Good News of God in Christ” (i.e. training, action and reflection in witness (evangelism) and service (justice & peace)