ADAMS: Middle schoolers living the faith

As a former middle school teacher, one of the favorite sayings I would hear from my students was, “How am I ever going to use this in real life?”

From algebraic equations to the use of onomatopoeia (a word that sounds like the noise it describes like “cuckoo” or “sizzle”) in language arts, today’s youth sometimes need help in coordinating how these items fit into their lives. Faith formation is no exception. It doesn’t end at the doors of the church but is integral to our daily lives if we want to grow as Disciples of Christ.

Today’s Gen Alpha teens are constantly exposed to social media. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat have become the most popular platforms for influencers to tell our teens what they think they should know to enhance their lives.

Today’s 12- to 14-year-olds are well-versed in social media but may not be in their faith. If we want our young people to know the importance of their faith, we must become the influencers and show them what it means to live a life in Christ. We must provide them with the tools, programs and accompany them on this journey.

With the support of parents, pastors and youth leaders, the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization (OACE) is dedicated to assisting parish communities in achieving this goal. We offer programs that encourage youth to interact within their community and the larger church community. The largest of these programs is the Archdiocesan Junior High Youth Rally.

The Archdiocesan Junior High Youth Rally is an annual day for younger adolescents in grades sixth to eighth to gather in community to pray, share, learn and celebrate with the larger Archdiocesan family their Catholic faith.

This is a high-energy one-day event that provides younger adolescents from throughout the Archdiocese exposure to top keynote presenters, workshops, hands-on activities and Liturgy, which builds their own sense of Catholic community, evangelization and deeper relationship with Christ. The day also features the Grand Midway, which includes games, crafts and service opportunities. Each year, a new theme is selected, which focuses on issues that affect junior high youth.

The 2024 Archdiocesan Junior High Rally will be held on Feb. 24 from 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. at St. Helen Catholic Church in Pearland.

This year’s theme is “Through God’s Eyes,” which is based on Isaiah 43:4: “Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you…” All youth need to know that they are loved by God, who gave them life, who created them in His image, and who is always loving and forgiving.

We will break open our theme through keynotes, service experiences, workshops, challenging community building, prayer experiences and the celebration of the Mass. A keynote will be given by national speaker Maggie Craig. Craig’s enthusiastic style and thought-provoking stories assist youth in applying the Gospel to their daily lives.

OACE also offers additional programs to help younger adolescents grow personally and as young leaders. These include:

The Quest – A one-day leadership program designed for youth in grades sixth to eighth. The program introduces youth to the servant-leadership model by providing them with the building blocks needed for peer ministry. Through skits, community-building games, activities, workshops, and prayer, youth will discover their gifts and learn how to plan and implement junior high activities and programs for their parish.

It will be held March 23 at St. Dominic Archdiocesan Center (2403 Holcombe, Houston).

Peacemakers – A one-day workshop for youth in grades sixth to eighth to explore issues that impact junior high youth and understanding Catholic response to all these issues as Children of God. It will be held on June 15 at St. Dominic Archdiocesan Center (2403 Holcombe, Houston).

For more information about programs, contact your parish youth leaders or Randy Adams at OACE, [email protected]. 

Randy Adams is executive director at Camp Kappe Youth Retreat Facility and associate director in the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.

(File photo by Michelle Eisterhold/For the Herald)