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LIVIN' ON THE EDGE
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Registration for Sixth and Seventh Grade Edge for the 2022 to 2023 school year is available now.
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Religious Education Email Updates
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2 days agoHello First Grade Parents, The Religious Education calendar was updated a few weeks ago, and we wanted to make sure you knew the correct date for the next First Grade in person meeting at the Parish...
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5 days agoDear Second Grade Parents, The year is flying along, and we wanted to send a few updates: 1. At this time we continue to focus on Reconciliation and the power of forgiveness. We will send home the...
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a month agoMerry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful, healthy and safe Christmas Vacation. We wanted to remind you of three things. 1. There is no class this week; we will resume classes...
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Edge/Middle School EventsIn addition to Life Teen Mass, Edge students are invited to any of the Middle School Life Teen events run throughout the year. This includes Middle School Homework Days and Middle School Pizza and Prayer. Check out the Middle School page or the Life Teen calendar for other "Middle School" or "MS" specific events!
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Upcoming Middle School Events
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What is Edge?
Edge is Life Teen’s response to a growing need for middle school youth ministry. As adolescents, middle school youth are going through a time of immense change in their lives. They are starting to make decisions for themselves, beginning to act largely based on feedback from their peers, and becoming more independent from their parents. They are also in the midst of great uncertainty. Middle school teens are trying to figure out who they are and often struggle in their faith and beliefs. This makes middle school a vital time for youth to learn about and understand their faith.
The Edge program was developed to minister to the needs of today’s middle school youth. Students in middle school have lots of questions about the world they live in, and this includes many questions about religion. But in middle school, teens are usually no longer captivated by a traditional religious education program. They are too old to be treated the same way as a first, second, or third grader, but not quite mature enough to be treated like a high school teen or adult. In short, middle school teens are on the edge. They are trying to find where they belong in the world. And Edge is the perfect place for them to start looking. -
Mass Above Class
Mass is the most important expression of our Catholic faith, and it is for this reason that Edge students are strongly encouraged to attend Life Teen Mass at St. Mary's on Sundays at 6 p.m. Going to Edge class is NOT a substitute for going to Mass each week. In fact, Edge is a supplement to Mass (especially the Life Teen Mass). The Edge program will have a significantly lesser impact on your child if he or she is not coming to Mass. Please encourage your children to come to Mass each week regardless of whether they attend Edge. Mass is a thousand times more important than Edge class.
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A Typical Edge SessionThe Edge program is less structured than a traditional religious education class. Emphasis is placed on discussing and applying Church teachings, rather than simply learning about Catholicism from a textbook. At Edge, a key component to the program's success relies on meeting new people and making friends.
Edge meetings usually begin with a large icebreaker, followed by a group catechetical session with the day’s teaching. After the group teaching, the students are sent off in their small discussion groups. Discussion groups are moderated by adult and teen volunteers. During the discussion group, the teaching for the day is broken open and students consider how they can apply the teaching to their everyday lives. The discussion time also usually includes an activity to be completed, such as creating a group skit or some sort of other project. Religious education should not be boring and monotonous, and the Edge program is proof that it does not have to be.
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