About
Mission & Ministry:
Leading youth and their families closer to Christ
Who is LIFE TEEN?
LIFE TEEN is an international Catholic ministry who believes that Eucharist-based ministry has the power to transform teens, transform parishes, and transform culture.
What do we do?
Youth Mass
Our 5:00 pm Liturgy is geared toward youth and their families. The youth of our parish are encouraged to take ownership of this Liturgy by serving as greeters, ushers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and altar servers (training is offered for each of these ministries). Youth are ushered into the liturgy with contemporary music that is reflective of their culture and homilies are presented in a way that is relevant to the adolescent’s life. Although this Mass is geared towards the youth, all are welcomed to participate in this Mass.
EDGE: Middle School Ministry (6th, 7th, and 8th Grade)
“EDGE Night”: Every Monday night our middle school youth meet from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Our EDGE nights are designed to meet the catechetical, educational, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of young adolescents. EDGERS are encouraged to participate in group games, small group projects, individual work, teachings, and prayer experiences.
LIFE TEEN: High School Ministry (9th – 12th Grade)
“LIFE Nights”: Every Sunday Night our high school teens meet after the 5:00 pm Youth Mass. After Mass, we have dinner and time to hang out. At 7:00 pm, our “LIFE Night” begins. Each night begins with a skit, video, or game, followed by a catechetical teaching. After the teaching, the teens have an opportunity to break into small groups to dissect the teaching and apply it to their own lives. Then, the teens are invited to share in a prayer experience. The themes and topics of each of these nights vary from semester to semester.
Sacramental Preparation (6th – 12th Grade)
Preparation for 1st Reconciliation, 1st Eucharist, and Confirmation begins in the spring. Requirments include attending all scheduled classes, participating in the EDGE / LIFE TEEN program, attending the EDGE / LIFE TEEN weekend retreat, and 5 acts of community service.
Retreats
Retreats are offered in the fall and spring. These are opportunities for young people to leave the noise and distractions of every day life to spend a weekend focused on the Lord. Retreats offer the chance to form close and lasting friendships with other teens, to listen to exciting teachings that speak to the heart of teen issues, to celebrate the Sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist, and to pray, to sing, and to have fun!!!
Mexico Mission Trips
In February, the high school teens and their parents, as well as the young adults of our parish head to Puerto Penasco, Mexico to build a home for a family in need. We join Amor Ministries (www.amor.org), whose mission is to provide life changing, Christ-centered, mission opportunities, by serving the poorest of the poor in Mexico. The Amor program is simple: they provide each mission team with the tools and resources that are necessary to build a home for a needy family. Amor carefully selects the home site, provides standard building plans, and equips each group to complete a home within a few days. While on mission, we live in conditions similar to those of the families that we are serving. We have no electricity and no running water, sleep outside in tents, and each person receives 2 gallons of water for bucket showers each day. This is an amazing experience for all who come and serve on mission.
About the Youth Minister:
Audra Motiejunas has a great love for youth and has a deep concern for their spiritual life. She studied psychology and family studies at Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University as well as theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Her favorite Saint is Teresa of Avila. She loves folk music and is proud of her 3-point-shot.
