Life Teen

Life Teen is a Catholic youth ministry organization and movement originating in the United States. Life Teen believes that "Eucharist-based ministry has the power to transform teens, transform parishes, and transform culture." "Inspired by pope John Paul II's call for a New Evangelization, Life Teen believes that youth are the key to this new springtime in the Church."
Life Teen is known primarily for their parish-based Life Teen program for high school teenagers and is used by over 1,800 Catholic parishes in 31 countries around the world. In 2003, "seeing the need for dynamic middle school ministry," they launched the Edge program for middle school youth which is now used by almost 1,000 parishes in 10 countries. As of 2005, over 100,000 high-school-age Catholics across the country attend Life Teen each week.
History.
Life Teen was established in 1985 at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona to "lead teens closer to Christ." Founder and then-priest Dale Fushek believed that a new approach was needed to evangelize the Catholic youth in the area. The goal was to revolutionize youth ministry and bring the message of Jesus Christ to teenagers in a way they could understand. Fushek was later excommunicated when he opened a non-denominational Protestant oriented worship center in the Phoenix area; he was then embroiled in allegations that he sexually abused teenage boys and young adult males; he was ultimately laicized by the Church.
Though Life Teen is in less than 10% of American parishes, more than 40% of American seminarians had some connection to the program during their teen years.
Ministry model.
Life Teen has developed a dynamic model to help Youth Ministers and adult program leaders, known as Core members, execute comprehensive Catholic youth ministry in a parish setting. In the program, youth typically attend a Sunday Mass specifically intended for them, which is also often attended by teens' families and other interested parishioners. Music and homilies are focused on teens and teens are invited to be trained in approved liturgical ministries such as lectors, ushers, altar servers, greeters, and Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Following Mass, a "Life Night" is held, which incorporates teaching in Catholic beliefs, interactive activities, and socialization.
Most Life Teen Programs utilize multiple events during the week, such as Bible Studies, social events, and the like to provide teenagers with healthy and holy activities to take part in during the week that will not only strengthen their bonds with each other, but will strengthen their relationship with God as well.
Every Life Teen and Edge program is encouraged to host two weekend-long retreats for their teens. Life Teen programs are typically established in individual parishes.
Mass.
Life Teen maintains a focus on helping teens fall deeper in love with Jesus in the Eucharist. Primarily this is done through celebration of a youth-focused Mass, "the most important part" of every Life Teen and Edge program. Particular efforts are made to create a welcoming atmosphere, reverent and relevant music, and an engaging homily that speaks to the issues in teens' lives. While these liturgies often referred to by parishes as a "Life Teen" Mass, they are not a teen-only Mass, but a regular/communal Mass that is normally celebrated on Sunday evening.
Each week thousands of people attend one of these liturgies. The focus of the youth Mass is on helping teens and their families to fully participate, understand, and foster transformation through their prayer at Mass. Portions of homilies are often geared toward teenagers, their culture, and the relevance of their faith today.
The music ranges from traditional Catholic hymns, sometimes with a modern arrangement, to the latest Catholic worship songs. Instrumentation, quality sound and an emphasis on song as prayer help give an energy and reverence to these Masses. Life Teen has a transcription of a video talk by Fr. Robert Schreiner explaining the role of music within Liturgy.
Life Nights.
Following the Mass are gatherings that are aimed to be both fun and to challenge teens to go deeper in their relationship with God and to know more about their Catholic faith. Known as Life Nights, they are systematic catechetical gatherings with four distinct segments: Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. These segments are derived from the flow of the Mass.
Life Nights come in three varieties: catechetical, issue, and social. Catechetical nights are designed to teach teens about some aspect of the Catholic faith. Issue nights deal with real life issues that teens deal with on a daily basis such as gossip, chastity, or drinking. Social nights are designed to help teens build friendships and develop stronger social bonds.
Core values.
Life Teen is guided by seven core values.
Additional programs.
In addition to high school youth ministry, Life Teen has branched out to many different other areas of ministry. It offers training events, summer camps, youth rallies, and conferences.
Summer camps.
Life Teen operates three summer camps: Camp Hidden Lake in Dahlonega, Georgia and Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia. The camps as designed to build friendships, including those with youths from their own parishes and those from other parts of the country, to allow the youths to have fun, and to deepen their faith through prayer and experiencing the sacraments.
Depending on the camp attended, they may mountain bike, play paintball, go hiking, white water rafting, zip lining, play with farm animals, play team sports, climb a rope course, go fishing, or play messy field games.
The camps also encourage and assist teens to develop a deeper relationship with Christ. In addition to the Mass, teens can partake in the sacrament of Reconciliation, listen to dynamic speakers and praise and worship music, and attend Eucharistic adoration.
Edge.
Edge is Life Teen's middle school ministry for early adolescents in grades six, seven and eight. It is designed to meet the educational, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of young adolescents. Edge combines the best of Life Teen with the necessary adaptations to provide middle school youth with the ministry they need.
Edge Nights occur once every week during the school year, and also has social and recreational activities designed to create a greater sense of community among middle school youth. In addition, several national Edge Summer Camps are held in Georgia, Arizona, and Missouri.
Parent Life.
Life Teen recognizes the importance of ministry not only to teens but also to their families, especially parents. Parent Life was created to have a lasting effect on Life Teen parishes, as a program to, for, and with parents that allow them to draw closer to Christ. The program solidifies and strengthens the family structure, and builds community within the parish.
Parents Life is facilitated by the parents themselves. One person or a couple coordinates the overall parent ministry to insure consistency. The leader/leaders are under the direction of the pastor or the youth minister.
Missionaries.
Among all the programs Life Teen provides to the public, it also provides opportunities for people to become missionaries. People can apply to be full-time missionaries or summer missionaries. These missionaries can then be placed at any of the bases, which are located in Tiger, Georgia; St. Louis, Missouri; Mesa, Arizona; Haiti, and Houston, Texas. The mission for these missionaries is devoting to the rule of life in glorifying God in various ways when one is on mission duty and when one is not. Missionaries demonstrate their rule of life through building communities where anyone and everyone is welcome to join the worship lifestyle. The lifestyle of a missionary changes in sharing God's love to the world and become more respectful, disciplined, humble, and trustworthy among each other, the people, and God's rule of life.
St. John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization.
In 2012, Bishop Pierre-André Dumas requested Life Teen build a base on diocesan land in Madian. He tasked Life Teen with the mission of bringing Catholic youth ministry to the Diocese of Anse-à-Veau et Miragoâne. The base currently serves teens in the area through Bible studies, Life Nights, XLT's, and one-on-one discipleship. The base brings together both Haitian and American missionaries. 
Organization.
Life Teen is headed by a five-member administrative team including President and CEO Randy Raus, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Mark Hart, Vice President of Ministry Advancement Steve Allgeyer, Vice President of Parish Services Joel Stepanek, and Vice President of Missions and Operations Jason Ball. Its 23-member board of directors includes Bishop Everard De Jong, Bishop James Wall, four priests, and a number of laity from around the country.