• Adults
• The Servant Leadership School
• Youth
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• Holy Trinity Day School

Youth
Every young person in grades 5-12 who attends Holy Trinity is welcome to join our youth community. Tweens include 5th and 6th-graders. Jr. EYC includes 7th and 8th-graders, and Sr. EYC includes 9th–12th-graders.

The goal of the youth program is to incorporate teens into a sacred community of radical acceptance, allowing them the space to figure out who they are and what gifts they have to offer, and giving them a deeper connection to the presence of God so that they may become co-creators with God in our world.

We offer a variety of programs for young people, including special liturgies, circle time, fellowship, food and reflection. We offer rituals to mark the rites of passage in the lives of our teens, such as the Liturgy of Welcome, Rite 13 Liturgy, and the “blessing forth” of our seniors. Circle time with our teens is a safe, sacred space in which they can share their lives on a weekly basis. We seek to honor the life experiences of our young people in the context of the youth community–bringing the holy to their everyday lives and providing a place in which they can reflect on these events. We also eat together and have lots of fun! For more information on youth activities and upcoming special events, please go to www.holytrinityyouth.com or contact:

Eden Lewis, Interim Youth Ministry Coordinator
272-6149 ext. 237 or eden@holy-trinity.com

The Rev. Joshua Varner, Clergy Liaison for Youth
 272-6149 ext. 232 or joshua@holy-trinity.com

Sunday School Classes and Youth Groups

Sunday School classes are held at 10:15 a.m. The Fall 2008 term is September 14–December 14. Please see below for classroom assignments.

Children in pre-K through 4th grade use the Godly Play curriculum, a method of Christian education and spiritual direction designed to help children become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives through the use of parables, sacred stories, silence and liturgical action.

Fifth through 12th-graders use a curriculum entitled Language of Faith, which introduces many of the concepts taught by The Servant Leadership School. This age group also meet on Sunday evenings from 5–7 p.m. for fellowship and fun in the Youth Ministry Center. All ages are invited for small groups, worship and supper on Wednesday nights.

Wednesday Nights For Families

Programs for all ages are offered on Wendesday nights during the program year. Worship with contemporary, youthful music begins in All Saints Chapel at 6 p.m. Supper is served in the Haywood Duke Room from 5:30–7 p.m. for $7 per person with a $25 family cap. Children under 5 eat free. The fall 2008 term of Wednesday nights is September 10–December 10. Please note that small groups for children and teens and covenant groups for adults are offered September 17–October 29.

See a complete listing of Wednesday night activities, including covenant group opportunities for adults.

Nursery Care
Childcare for infants and toddlers under age 5 is provided from 4:30–7 p.m. (5:30–7 p.m., November 5–December 10) in Room 104.

Children and Youth Fellowship Time
From 4:30–5 p.m., September 17–October 29, children and teens are invited to spend time in fellowship with one another. The outdoor playground area will be open for children in 4th grade and younger (parents are asked to supervise play). Tweens and teens in 5th grade and up are welcome in the Youth Ministry Center, where supervision will be provided, to play games or "hang out."

Small Groups for Children and Youth
Small groups for children and youth will follow the covenant group model, encouraging community building and individual reflection. A light snack will be served. Kindergarten through 4th grades meet in the Children's Chapel, 5th–12th grades in the Youth Ministry Center from 5–6 p.m., September 17–October 29.

Fall Youth Group Retreat

Each youth group will take a break from their hectic schedules to get away to the outdoors. This is a weekend of team and trust building, as well as personal challenges and fun. All three youth groups will go the same weekend – Saturday, October 18–Sunday, October 19 – but will have separate activities, including hiking, caving, the zip line and so much more. For more information, visit the Holy Trinity youth Web site.

Worship Opportunities

All youth are welcome to participate in the leadership of worship at Holy Trinity. They can serve as acolytes, choir members, chalicists, lay readers, and/or music leaders. Contact Joshua Varner at 272-6149 ext. 232 for more information.

Youth Pilgrimage

Every other year, rising high school juniors and seniors begin a two-year process call the Youth Pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is a powerful way for teenagers to honor their passage into adulthood and to gain clarity about their purpose and identity at the end of their high school career. The young people visit holy places in order to connect with those who have gone before us and experience the "thin places" where the line between heaven and earth is almost non-existent. Past pilgrimages have been to New Mexico; Durham, Scotland; and Italy. The fall 2008 pilgrimage took teens to England to learn more about their Anglican heritage.

Glory Ridge

Glory Ridge is the name of the camp in Madison County, North Carolina, where Holy Trinity sends a group of youth and adults each summer to rehabilitate the homes of the poor and elderly. Rising 9th-graders through graduating high school seniors are eligible to attend. We welcome adults who have construction skills (or a willingness to learn) and are interested in working with teens to serve as leaders for the trip.

Confirmation

Confirmation is one of the sacramental rites of the church. In this liturgy, the participant makes a public affirmation of his or her faith and presents himself before the bishop for the laying on of hands. The bishop prays for a strengthening and empowering of the person by action of the Holy Spirit. In the Episcopal Church, the diocese, rather than the congregation, is the institutional unit, and all members come under the care of the diocesan bishop. Therefore, in order to become a member of the Episcopal Church, one must be presented to the bishop in this manner. The liturgy also makes provision for “reception” for those already confirmed in another church, and for re-affirmation of baptismal vows for those already confirmed in the Episcopal Church but desiring to make a public statement of faith.

Special Events for Families

Mark your calendars for these special events for families. Contact Anne-Barton Carter at 272-6149 ext. 221 for more information.

Circles of Light: The Family Advent Wreath – Sunday, November 30 , 2008
Family Retreat to Valle Crucis Conference Center – February 6–8, 2009 (sign-ups begin this fall)