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LIFE TEEN: Leading Teens To Christ
This video was made for the National Life Teen Website and does an excellent job of
outlining what Life Teen is all about and the power it has on teens and parishes.
Life Teen Mission Statement
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 opportunities for teens to grow in their faith.
History of Life Teen
Life Teen began in 1985 as a single-parish program in Mesa, Arizona. As it grew in popularity with the teens, people around the country began to take notice. The simple model of a Mass focused on teens and their families, followed by a catechetical session called a “Life Night,” remains effective to this day. As more parishes inquired about the ministry, Life Teen began offering national training conferences on this new and comprehensive youth ministry model within a few years.
In the past two decades, Life Teen has grown into one of the most prolific Catholic youth ministry programs in the world. Our ministry offers:
Life Teen has been offering the Church and its parishes more than just great resources for 23 years.
Life Teen Spirituality
Because of our deep Eucharistic devotion, Life Teen has developed a spirituality that is:
100% Catholic
Obedient to the Magisterium
Centered on the Eucharist
Scriptural
Liturgical
Catechetical
Sacramental
Focused on social justice
Comprehensive
Our spirituality guides us in everything we do, both personally and professionally. As a staff, Life Teen models seven Core Values, prompted by the Holy Spirit, that illustrate our spirituality, ministry model and movement:
Eucharistic spirituality
Love
Joy
Affirmation
Authenticity
Evangelization
Primary vocation
Life Teen is a Movement of the Holy Spirit
At the core of Life Teen, you find a spirituality to lead teens closer to Christ that is driven by the Holy Spirit. It is through Christ, with Christ and in Christ that we do all things and give all glory to God. As a movement in the Church, we are guided by the teachings of Christ, His holy Word and His precious Body and Blood. Our entire ministry is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary so that we may be led to the feet of her son with the obedience she exemplified.
On May 26, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI addressed representatives of ecclesial movements with this salutation:
The movements you belong to are many. You are nourished by different schools of spirituality recognized by the Church. Draw upon the wisdom of the saints, have recourse to the heritage they have left us. Form your minds and your hearts on the works of the great masters and witnesses of the faith, knowing that the schools of spirituality must not be a treasure locked up in monastic libraries. The Gospel wisdom, contained in the writings of the great saints and attested to in their lives, must be brought in a mature way, not childishly or aggressively, to the world of culture and work, to the world of the media and politics, to the world of family and social life.
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 opportunities for teens to grow in their faith.