RITE 13
6TH & 7TH GRADE

SUNDAY'S at 9:30-10:15 AM - During School Year
(St. Clare on the lower floor of Lowndes Hall)

WHAT IS RITE 13?

Rite 13 constitutes the first two years of The Journey to Adulthood program which celebrates the individuality and gifts of each young person.  It is a two year exploration of the gift of manhood or womanhood and the gift of creative energy.

The Goals of the Rite 13 program are primarily to establish and maintain Cross-Gender Friendships, to establish the Church as a Safety Zone in the midst of a crazy time in life, and to build a group which shares Experience and Memory.

How do we do it?

• By telling the truth to our young people.
• By teaching the young people what we know.
• By listening for the “Teachable Moment.”
• Through the acquisition and implementation of the six skills.

THE SIX SKILLS

Active Listening—The ability to listen creatively and constructively to others, to the self, and to God.

Assertion—The ability to express one’s opinions and feelings without aggression or violence.

Negotiation—The ability to recognize difference and conflict and to manage compromise while showing respect to all parties.

Research and Information Management—The ability to see what questions need to be asked, to track the path to find the answers and to make the newfound information useful to the self and to others.

Partnership—The ability to establish relationships built in mutual responsibility and accountability.

Leadership—The ability to think “proactively”, to share the ownership of ideas, inspiration and effort, and to recognize skills and interests in others.

The teens will celebrate a special Rite-13 Liturgy around their 13th birthdays, which is loosely based on the Jewish bar/bat mitzvah tradition.  This is a way for the entire congregation to come together during a service and honor our young people, as well as to offer support to their families during these challenging years.