MIDDLE SCHOOL MINISTRY

WHAT IS ROOTED?

Rooted is a two-year program designed for 5th and 6th grade youth.  The format is a blend of elements from youth ministry and religious education which come together in an engaging way with the goal of rooting youth in Scripture, Salvation History, and the Church.

A typical Rooted night includes:

• Gather (~10-15 minutes): Youth come together and share a light meal. The theme of the night is introduced through game or activity. 

• Proclaim (~15 minutes ): Youth hear the main teaching in an engaging way through speakers, videos, skits, music, stories, and/or art. These teachings are no more than 15 minutes long.

• Break (~30 minutes): Following the Proclaim, youth break out into small groups to discuss the topic further and reinforce it through hands-on activities.  Our small groups are hand selected to ensure youth are appropriately matched based on their hobbies and interests.  Each group is then assigned one - two catechists who will guide them during this time.

• Send (~15 minutes): The youth come back together for final remarks, announcements, and closing prayer.

WHAT IS EDGE?
Edge is a Catholic youth ministry program for 7th and 8th grade teens that focuses on leading youth closer to Christ through Edge Nights, Edge Socials, Edge Retreat, and Edge Service Days.

Edge nights are themed each week with a specific catechetical teaching engaging the senses and mind in a thought-provoking way. This allows for different types of learners to be drawn into the discussion.

A typical Edge night includes:

• Gather: Youth come together and share a light meal. The theme of the night is introduced through a game or activity.

• Proclaim: One of our Mentors or a High School teen shares a witness of faith from their life and presents the Catholic teaching utilizing Scripture, stories, videos, skits, music, and/or art. These teachings are no more than 10 – 15 minutes and are designed for a middle school audience.

• Break: Following the Proclaim, teens break into small groups to continue the discussion and talk about how the teaching can be applied to their lives. Our small groups at Edge are hand selected to ensure teens are appropriately matched based on where they are in their faith journey and their hobbies and interests. Each group is then assigned approximately two - three adult mentors who will guide them during this time. This portion is the backbone of the Edge program.

• Send: At the end of the night teens come back together for final remarks, announcements, and closing prayer. They are then challenged to take the teaching and put it into action in their lives.