Grades 7 & 8
Important Faith Formation Kick-off Information: Please Read!
Welcome to St. Robert Faith Formation 2026–27! We are so excited to begin another year together.
Our first night of Faith Formation is Tuesday, September 15. To kick things off, we invite all families registered for Tuesday classes—including our Tuesday middle school families—to join us for 5:30 p.m. Mass as we celebrate the beginning of a new faith formation year.
Mass will be followed by dinner and an ice cream social in Newminster Hall. We’ll be serving hamburgers and hot dogs, along with individual bags of potato chips, lemonade, water, and a tossed salad. The salad will include romaine lettuce, sweet peppers, carrots, and cucumber, with grape tomatoes, croutons, bacon bits, ranch dressing, and Italian dressing available on the side.
There will be no middle school evening session this week. Instead, we invite all of our middle and high school students to join us for Mass and dinner.
We will follow the same schedule on Wednesday, September 16. Families registered for Wednesday classes are invited to attend 5:30 p.m. Mass, followed by the hamburger and hot dog dinner and ice cream social in Newminster Hall.
Whether it’s just your registered children and a parent or your whole family, everyone is invited to this family-friendly celebration of the year ahead!
To Recap: Faith Formation Schedule
Tuesday, September 15 & Wednesday, September 16
5:30 p.m. — Mass
6:15 p.m. — Dinner and ice cream social in Newminster Hall
No evening middle school program
Beginning the Week of September 22 & 23
Our normal Faith Formation schedule will begin the following week:
5:15 p.m. — Faith Formation classes for K–6th grade*
6:30 p.m. — Dismissal and pick-up for K–6th grade
6:30 p.m. — Drop-off and open gym in the Parish Life Center (PLC) for 7th–8th grade
6:45 p.m. — Edge Night begins for 7th–8th grade**
8:15 p.m. — Edge Night dismissal and pick-up
*Beginning Tuesday, September 29, Mass will be offered every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Adoration will follow Mass and continue until 7:00 p.m. Parents (and middle schoolers!), consider staying for Mass after dropping off your child for class and/or spending some time praying with them during Adoration after picking them up.
*Beginning Wednesday, September 30, Adoration and Confession will be offered every Wednesday while the K–6th grade students are in class. Parents, please take advantage of this opportunity for prayer and the Sacrament of Reconciliation!
**Edge Night is a weekly youth ministry experience for 7th and 8th graders focused on building relationships, having fun, and learning about the Catholic faith. Our goal is to help prepare students to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at the end of their 8th grade year.
A Note on Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures
Edge Nights — 7th & 8th Grade
Students should enter through DOOR E and proceed to the PLC. Each week, students will sign themselves in at the welcome table set up outside the PLC.
6:30 p.m. — Sign-in and open gym
6:45 p.m. — Edge Night begins
8:15 p.m. — Dismissal and pick-up
Save the Date!
Our Fall 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat is scheduled for:
Saturday, October 24
9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Additional General Information:
Class for Middle School students is offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6:45 – 8:15 p.m. starting Sept. 15 and 16.
Wednesday Community Dinner: There will be a community dinner offered on most Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. beginning Oct. 7, 2026 in Newminster Hall. Come enjoy dinner as a family before the start of the Wednesday classes.
We will be using the Edge program from Life Teen. Edge equips parishes for a vibrant middle school curriculum with resources for both large and small group settings. The Edge curriculum is based on the pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
8th Grade Confirmation Prep
This year will be using Life Teen’s Edge program for our Confirmation preparation. Edge has been used by thousands of parishes to present the Catholic faith to teens in a way that keeps their attention as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
For information about confirmation retreat dates, please see our parish calendar and check only the box for “Middle School Ministry” from under the “select calendar” view.
If you have additional questions, please contact Hans Whitmer, director of faith formation, HWhitmer@strobertchurch.org, or (616) 676-9111, ext. 117.
Middle School Youth Ministry Calendar
Never miss a date again! Click the blue “+” symbol in the bottom right corner of the calendar to add it to your personal calendar!