Rise is the Middle School Youth Program at Christ the Redeemer that seeks to empower students to live out their Catholic faith through community, prayer, and discipleship.
All youth in 7th and 8th grade attending faith formation at CtR will be attending Rise, which meets from 7-8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. 6th-graders may attend Rise in addition to their Religious Education class.
Rise consists of Large Group (students all together for socializing, games, teaching and prayer) and Small Group (students split into smaller groups with adult and teen leaders to discuss, ask questions and journey together).
There is also a Home-based RISE option for our 7th and 8th students.
Community
A relationship with Jesus is meant to be lived out in the context of a community. We desire our students to form positive and lasting friendships with other Catholic students at their schools and on their sports teams.
So, every Rise night starts with some hang-out time for students to find their friends and meet new ones! Each child is also placed in a small group led by an adult Core Team member and a high school Teen Leader. Groups are sorted by grade, gender, and school.
Small groups help to foster community and allow each student to be challenged and encouraged in their relationship with Christ.
Prayer
Prayer is central to everything that happens at Rise because prayer is not just a part of our relationship with Christ - it is our relationship with Christ.
At each Rise night, students will get to experience different forms of prayer such as praise and worship, Scripture, and Eucharistic adoration. In small groups, they will be able to ask questions about prayer and be empowered to develop their own personal prayer life.
In a world of uncertainty and change, we seek to provide a place where students can encounter our never-changing God who desires to pour out His abundant love in their lives.
Discipleship
Middle school is all about beginnings, especially when it comes to following Jesus. We desire to journey with students as they wrestle with the question, “Is Jesus someone worth following?” and model for them what a committed follower of Jesus looks like.
Each week in the large group session students will hear a talk based on teachings of the Catholic Church and Sacred Scripture.
In small groups, Core Team members help connect these teachings to the everyday life of middle school student. Rise seeks to equip students with the knowledge and practices necessary to be life-long disciples.
Open Youth Suite:
Every Tuesday, we have Open Youth Suite from 3:30-5:30pm where we open up the youth space for middle school and high schoolers to join us for snacks and games as we build lasting friendships. Youth can come for 5 mins or for the full 2 hours.
Rise Bible Study:
On Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30pm we have our middle school bible study where we learn about how to navigate scripture, understand the layers of meaning within. All middle schoolers are welcome!