Ascend meets biweekly on Thursdays from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM in the Youth Center at St. John Neumann Catholic Church. The Youth Center is located near the back of the church on the chapel side. We are easily accessed form the handicap parking lot.

At this time we only offer the time slot for Middle School Ministry on Thursdays from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM. When registering for the program, your child is welcome to come to as many or as few classes as you like, there is no threat of being dropped or losing your place. All Middle schoolers are also invited to come to our larger Diocesan events (Knott’s Berry Farm, Summer Ascend, etc.) regardless of their enrollment in our faith formation program.

Registrations for the 2025 - 2026 school year are available beginning June 7th online at www.sjnyouthministry.org/ascend

Registrations are open year-round and there is no cut-off for this program.

The cost of registration for a singular student in Ascend is $115, $200 for two sibleings, and $290 for three siblings. If your family is facing financial burden, please contact our office. There are payment plans and scholarships available for qualifying families. Do not let money be the reason your child does not participate in our program.

For budgeting reasons, we are not able to collect payments for all programs until July 1st. Payments can be made via cash or check made out to SJN Ascend with your Child’s Name in the memo.

Online payments are also available upon request. Email evie@sjnirvine.org

All children that are Baptized but have not completed their First Communion are welcome to participate in our sacramental prep program for Middle School and High School. Our team will reach out once you have registered for the program. Unbaptized middle schoolers are still welcome to join Ascend, but should receive the sacrament through OCIA.

Anyone in 7th or 8th grade is welcome to attend our Ascend Sessions, Catholic or not.

The first three sessions are free, but after that, we require all middle schoolers to officially register for our program in order to continue attending.

Ascend bases its faith formation around the YouCat, which is the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Young People, reccommended by Pope Benedict XVI. The Q&A format allows for engaging faith-filled discussions that encourage critical thinking in our Middle Schoolers. Each week addresses a topic with a series of questions where students are challenged to ask the question, find the answer, and be able to explain the church teaching to their peers.

A typical Ascend Session will look as follows:

• 15 Minutes of structured free time, designed for students to make Catholic friends rooted in common values. Middle schoolers are invited to play Air Hockey, Board Games, Ping Pong, Foosball, Jenga, and more.

• A large group game tied to the theme of the day (scavenger hunt, trivia, craft, physical game, etc.)

• YouCat Disection

  • Middle Schoolers are asked a question like, “Why is going to church important?” and are challenged to answer on their own. Then, they find and read the church teaching to that question in the YouCat. Finally, they close their books, and discuss what they find interesting, what questions they still have, and how they would describe it to others.

• Proclaim: Lastly, a 5-10 minute talk from a team member about the topic for the day (Faith, Fellowship, Prayer, etc.) and how it applies to their day to day lives. Students write a 2 minute reflection, and are done!