Life Teen: Leading Teens Closer to Christ

By Bonnie Gurzenda… with thanks to Ginny Guarnaccia

Since the introduction of LIFE TEEN Youth Ministry at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Lansing two years ago, the teenagers have grown in understanding of what it means to be a young Catholic in the 21st century. Some 40-60 teens each week are educated, affirmed and challenged to live the Gospel while experiencing the genuine concept of a viable faith community that will affect their maturing faith for years to come.

"It was Fr. Byers vision," says Emily Crockett, CYM. He had experienced LIFE TEEN as a parish priest in Ann Arbor and looked for the opportunity to introduce it at IHM.

Looking to add vibrancy to an already successful youth ministry, he sent Emily and music director Dave Wiseman to a LIFE TEEN Liturgy and Music Conference in Mesa, Arizona, to learn first hand about LIFE TEEN, which began there in 1985. LIFE TEEN has grown into the most prolific youth ministry in the Catholic Church, stretching around the globe to 20 countries including Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan and South Africa.

Emily and Dave came back from the conference spiritually energized. Having experienced the Mass, in the LIFE TEEN setting, they recognized the awesome potential for LIFE TEEN at IHM. Soon afterward, they formed a core team to help them implement "LIFE TEEN" in the parish.

Fr. Byers recalls: "My vision has been to use the program to capture the teens' attention and bring them closer to Christ. This works because LIFE TEEN is centered in the celebration of the Eucharist. Everything flows to and from the Eucharist."

LIFE TEEN's mission statement is:

LIFE TEEN is an international Catholic movement that serves the Church by providing resources and faith experiences that help lead teens closer to Christ. This is accomplished through a vibrant Eucharistic spirituality and by creating widespread opportunities for teens to grow in their faith.

LIFE TEEN has brought new life to the IHM parish youth Ministry which includes teens from St. Casimir parish and Catholic teens from surrounding schools. It includes these basic structures:

LIFE TEEN Mass:
The LIFE TEEN Mass, a celebration of Word and Eucharist, is held on Sunday evenings at the regularly scheduled 6:00pm parish liturgy. The homily is directed to the teens using language, props, culture and occasionally skits performed by the young people that will resonate with them and stay with them throughout the week. Under the direction of Dave Wiseman, the hymns and music for the Propers of the Mass add a dimension of spirit-filled energy for the assembly. With the support of the the parish priests; Fr. Byers and Fr. Michael O’Brien, along with the enthusiastic response of the youth, supportive parents and dedicated adult volunteer, it appears that the LIFE TEEN program has found the winning combination for an effective youth ministry.

"An added benefit of the "LIFE TEEN" Mass, notes Fr. Byers, "is the participation and support of the parents who often attend the Mass with their teens on Sunday nights. Although they usually sit apart from their teens, they are energized by the upbeat music and the interactive homilies."

LIFE Night Experience:
The teens adjourn to the Youth Room following the Mass where they are welcomed by the pastor, then divide up into smaller mixed groups by school, gender and location/town. (Thanks to the vision and hard work of parents, one of the school’s classrooms has been transformed into a comfortable environment to accommodate the catechetical and social activities.) Leading teens deeper into their Catholic faith is the object of the LIFE Night experience. Coordinated by Emily Crockett, this aspect offers a continuum of educational topics, social activities and prayer--all part of the LIFE TEEN packet included with the program. Twelve adult volunteers each serve on one of four CORE planning teams as group leader or "point person." The teams are creatively identified as "S3" (S-cubed), "Incredibles", "Dave’s Angels", and "Sparty On." The group leaders rotate their participation.

Topics for LIFE Night are chosen to pique the interest of the teens and encourage lively discussion. Titles include, "Whistle While You Work" (Beatitudes), "Watch Your Step" (girl/guy issues), "It’s A Jungle Out There" (social issues), and "Road Less Traveled" (moral decisions). A syllabus is used by the point person with goals and objectives for the evenings clearly stated and recommendations for room set-up offered. While there is some flexibility, a typical time-line includes 10 minutes for gathering and welcoming, 30 minutes to present the evening’s theme with a skit, lecture, or video (provided by LIFE TEEN), 15 minutes for a small group break and 10 minutes for large group sharing. The final 15 minutes are devoted to more quiet and prayerful time, for wrap-up and a summary of the message received by the teens from the topic.

Twelve adult volunteers forming four groups are the CORE team members and meet once each month for planning. Four times a year a packet is received from LIFE TEEN which includes all resources necessary such as liturgy planning guides, a variety of CD’s, videos/DVD’s, retreat information and ideas for skits and visual presentations. "There is a yearly fee," says Emily Crockett, adding that "LIFE TEEN has wonderful resources, is very accessible and helpful, plus there is a website." From the seed of interest in the LIFE TEEN Youth Ministry program, to the training, attracting volunteers and finally implementing it all into the parish took about 18 months. Emily says that all involved are "up to the challenge of bringing more teens to Christ." Her enthusiasm says it all.

In the world of youth ministry, CYM’s look for an effective combination of key factors in developing an appealing and successful youth program. Most important are good leadership, dedicated adult participation, interested young people and an exciting, credible program that addresses the spiritual, academic and social aspects of youth ministry. At Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Lansing, the excellence of their youth ministry is due to the integration of these vital components. They can relish the enthusiastic response to LIFE TEEN.

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Person to Contact: Emily Crockett
Coordinator of Youth Ministry
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
3815 South Cedar St.,
Lansing, MI 48912
Phone: 517-393-3030
E-mail: Crockett@gmail.com

Or visit the LIFE TEEN website at lifeteen.com