Youth
CREW at St. Bart's
Welcome to St. Bart's Youth CREW!
CREW: Continuously Riding the Eternal Wave
Between juggling classes and extracurricular activities, navigating relationships with family and friends, and experiencing all kinds of firsts -- driving, dating, applying to college -- we know what a roller coaster the middle and high school years can be.
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St. Bart's strives to create a safe and engaging community where young people know they are safe, not alone, can voice their truths and doubts in an environment of acceptance and inclusion, and where they will be empowered to make a difference in the world through the power of God's love.
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Our youth come from multiple high school and middle schools in the communities around St. Bart's Church--Poway, Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, and Scripps Ranch. Our young people are active in diocesan youth programs where they connect with an even wider youth community across southern California.
We welcome young people from all walks of life to join us as we gather to learn, pray, play and work to build a more beloved community together.
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Register for Youth Ministries to receive regular youth updates and announcements.
SUNDAY MORNING YOUTH FORUM
9:00-9:45 a.m. in Youth Room
Young people in grades 6-12 continue with Youth Forum each week with Jacob Robling (Diocesan Field Intern for Youth). We ask hard questions about the Bible following the re:form curriculum from Sparkhouse Publishing.
CONFIRMATION
Open to all youth, confirmation provides participants with the opportunity of 6-12 months intensive exploration of the Christian faith. Each youth selects a sponsor who provides support and mentoring during the study calendar. At the end of the study, youth can choose to be confirmed by the bishop and make an affirmation of their faith.
Diocesan Youth Programs & Events
HIGH SCHOOL TRIPS
The Diocese provides an annual trip for students entering grades 10-12. We help fundraise for these trips, and offer scholarships as needed. Our hope is that every young person in our diocese has the opportunity to connect to these opportunities to become global citizens.
Entering grade 10-exiting grade 12: Operating in a three-year cycle, youth have the opportunity to participate in The Episcopal Youth Event, a local trip (Mexico most often), and a trip that is further abroad. The abroad trip has included Guatemala and the diocese of Western Mexico in recent years. Both the abroad trip and EYE are application-based trips, with a set delegation size.
CAMP STEVENS EPIPHANY RETREAT
An annual Epiphany retreat is held at Camp Stevens. This trip hosts grades 6-12. With an average attendance of between 40-50 youth, this retreat incorporates a broad swath of youth in our diocese. There is time for fun with friends, personal challenge on the ropes course, spiritual connection at the labyrinth, and singing around the campfire.
The retreat always includes a service project at the camp as part of our time there. This opportunity allows youth to leave a little bit of their heart and elbow grease, in a place that they love. The theme changes annually with past retreats including: Lumos! (a Harry Potter-themed retreat), Wild Adventure, Reality Check, and To The Ends of the Earth.
ANNUAL CONVENTION
All Youth from our diocese are invited to the annual convention for a full-day program that reflects on our theme for the year. In addition to participating in parts of the convention, and programming provided for the day, this is also a time that we roll out details on the year's retreat and mission trip opportunities.
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Contact Jacob Robling, St. Bart's Diocesan Field Intern and Youth Leader to be involved in the next convention.
NIGHTWATCH
This annual event is hosted at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Nightwatch includes games, food, an overnight in the cathedral and so much more. Designed as a program to invite youth into closer relationship with God and each other, each year’s program focuses on a theme. Prior themes have included: Sanctuary (a reflection on refugees), Transform (developing a prayer practice) and Human (as Jesus was fully human and fully divine, how do we live into that message).
Participants sleep on the floor of the cathedral, have a midnight Eucharist, and keep watch at the altar overnight. Nightwatch occurs annually at the beginning of March.
Click Here to access Diocesan resource documents for participation in these events (Youth waiver form, etc.):