As a way of describing a bit about the Crossroads b’nei mitzvah program, I wanted to post here the introduction to the book. So without further adieu…
Welcome to the Crossroads B’nei Mitzvah program! This program is designed to come alongside parents as they help their son or daughter transition from childhood to young adulthood. It is designed to culminate in a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony on the Shabbat following your child’s 13th birthday, or whatever point after that you see fit.
The term “bar/bat mitzvah” simply means “son/daughter of the commandment” and more than a ceremony, it means that the individual having the ceremony has chosen to take on the responsibility of the commandments of God. The student who desires to become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is choosing to publicly declare his faith in God and submission to His Word for the rest of his life. In keeping with Jewish heritage, we view this coming-of-age as a change of status for the student – no longer will he or she be viewed as a child, but as a young adult.
In the Crossroads program, the act of preparing for and becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah means:
- Affirming a desire to live a life of faith in and surrender to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and discipleship to our Master, Yeshua the Messiah
- Taking responsibility for one’s own spiritual health and growth
- Growing in stature, nurtured by a personal enrichment program that will help him to truly see himself as a young adult
- Entering into a settled sense of identity as a young man or woman of God with a clear sense of purpose in godly living
- Celebrating that choice and achievement surrounded by community
This program is intended to be a type of “threefold cord [which] is not easily broken” (Ecc. 4:12) and as such as 3 main components:
- Learning and direction at home with parents
- Class and curriculum at your local congregation with peers and teacher
- Mentorship with another godly adult
Because we believe in the importance of discipleship and raising up godly young people, this program isn’t a shallow, quick course to rush through. We recommend beginning preparation for your bar/bat mitzvah a year before your big day, and the Crossroads curriculum will take around 6 months of that time.
Stay tuned for a table of contents and lesson titles, and sign up for product updates if you want to be the first to know when it’s released!