Life Teen/Edge Experience

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Rahn

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Hi all,

I’m not sure this is in the right place, but I wanted to get some perspective on your experiences with either Life Teen or Edge. I’ve been on the Edge Cor team at my church for two years now. I have two children in Edge, and my eldest moved on to Life Teen this past fall.

I, for the most part, have enjoyed Edge. I’ve done about 6 Edge night outlines and have contributed on Proclaims, Witnesses and Sends. We’re given pretty free rein on topics, and mine tend to be more Bible-based. We have others that do more traditional Catholic nights, so it balances out quite nicely.

I have two specific observations that I’d like some feed back on:

First, I’ve found that the Biblical knowledge of the teens to be quite shocking. Not only do they not know anything about the Bible, they don’t seem to care about it, either.

Second, I’m a bit frustrated by the lack of continuity between Edge nights. Ours seem to be fragmented and lack references to past key points made in earlier nights.

Lastly, do you do snacks as part of the Life Teen/Edge night? We do, and I’d wish we’d stop. Most kids just had their dinner before they arrive for Edge, so they’re not hungry. But, especially for the boys, the snack becomes the big event: rushing to get it, asking for seconds, etc. I think it’s intended to provide a time for informal discussion, but for us, it degenerates into “flip the bottle” competitions.

I’m at a point where I’m wondering if I’m going to do this for another year. I do feel that I’m being used of the Holy Spirit in this ministry, but I’m frustrated by the execution as well. It’s a labour of love, but it does take up time that I don’t always have.

I’d really appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut, thanks! God Bless!
 
Rahn said:
First, I’ve found that the Biblical knowledge of the teens to be quite shocking. Not only do they not know anything about the Bible, they don’t seem to care about it, either.
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I have found this to be generally true with children whether in religious education classes or Life Teen setting. Whether in a large, urban parish or a small, rural parish. Whether young children or teens. I’ve also found it to be true of the volunteer catechists and the parents of the children.

I also found it true of my own peer group of young adults (25-35) when I came into the Catholic Church 25 years ago. I started a young adult bible study and ran it for 10 years, and had about 10-20 people involved in it. But that was 10% of the 200 or so people who belonged to the young adult group.
 
Rahn said:
I’ve found that the Biblical knowledge of the teens to be quite shocking. Not only do they not know anything about the Bible, they don’t seem to care about it, either.
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Not sure about other places but when I was in CCD, back when I was part of the Catholic church, emphasis was put strictly on: learning the Catechism and what it says and the church says, learning the motions of being a good Catholic, why the Catholic Mass is the way it is, learning the Catholic prayers and about some of the saints, the story of Jesus, Christmas and Easter. There was little to no emphasis made on learning the Bible, only the stories from it and I was taught by all nuns. Too be honest, the first time I ever recall seeing or reading a Bible was after I was Confirmed and my parents bought me one. I was also always taught in CCD that the Bible is Ok to read as a reference but isn’t a big priority as it is not nearly as important as learning what the Catechism and Catholic Church teaches and says. There was no mandated Bible readings or memorizing passages from the Bible all throughout CCD. As for the place my sibling went too, after our Church was closed, the focus was on community service and friendships. There was no stories from the Bible or learning about the Catholic faith, our mom pulled my sibling out and out them in one that was more like the CCD at our other church but still, that other church was big, and had a large attendance of kids whose parents like that CCD teaching style.
 
1ke said:
I have found this to be generally true with children whether in religious education classes or Life Teen setting. Whether in a large, urban parish or a small, rural parish. Whether young children or teens. I’ve also found it to be true of the volunteer catechists and the parents of the children.

I also found it true of my own peer group of young adults (25-35) when I came into the Catholic Church 25 years ago. I started a young adult bible study and ran it for 10 years, and had about 10-20 people involved in it. But that was 10% of the 200 or so people who belonged to the young adult group.
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I agree. Our LifeTeen/Edge is a joke. We have 70 kids in a gathering and NO ONE is paying attention. I loved it when the CCD was taught in small groups in houses or classrooms. You could really gear the lesson to the kids and I taught “life long” catholics. Unfortunately, many of the Catechists were simply showing movies (not even catholic ones) and not teaching at all. A few of them simply lied about meeting with the kids, only taught their children and friends and later bragged how the fooled Father and got the kids Confirmed.

I really think we should Confirm earlier. Like 8th grade at the latest.

If you are interested in Biblical teaching, check out the book “the Bible Blueprint”. It even has lesson plans for Catholic programs. I do it with the 6th graders and they really like it. I give them Bibles and highlighters and we look up scripture together. They actually like the classes and often times they go home and teach their parents…Isn’t that the goal?

I know it is hard but stick it out if you can. The church has very few Catechists who actually know what they are teaching.

Come to think of it, our 'leader" is most of our problem. She is very immature and unable to relate to the children. The kids really need a parental figure at that point in their lives.

Of course, this is just my opinion. I am sure some churches are able to make it work. I just think the whole “teen” Masses and such set the kids up for failure. Our “regular” Masses are beautiful. I am not sure why one would want to change it.
 
I have heard of Life Teen/Edge but haven’t experienced them, so I can’t comment on that.

I can say, though, that lack of Bible knowledge is not uncommon among young Catholics – or even among adult Catholics. I grew up in a Protestant sect that stressed Bible knowledge. Everyone whether adult or child went to Sunday School, and starting from an early age we knew the books of the Bible and memorized verses. (To this day it grates on my ear when the readings at Mass are from a passage I have memorized, but the translation doesn’t sound as “nice” as the translation I memorized years ago.) That’s not to say that church was always successful at getting its youth and young adults to stay in the church, but they certainly stressed knowing and loving the Bible.

And then I became Catholic, because I found in Catholicism the spiritual and intellectual depth I had been seeking for so long. I found many of the things that I’d been taught as a Protestant child about Catholicism were untrue… But not knowing the Bible? That part was very sadly true of many Catholics. I’m not sure how you change that. Adult Bible studies are a good start, although as a prior poster said not a whole lot of people will participate. Changing CCD classes I guess is what’s really needed, but that’s tricky too because many parish’s CCD classes are run by volunteers using prepackaged curriculum.
 
As a former youth minister, I do not look he lifeteen if the lifeteen culture that many youth groups seem to have. Heavy on games and snacks seems to be the norm for youth groups. I agree that biblical study is lacking but honestly that is a Catholic problem that is larger than youth groups. I found lifeteen condescending to teens. Also, it does matter to me the scandal involving the founder. You can seperate that all you want it still taints it for me.
You know fruit, tree and all that jazz.
I also lay some blame for vocations lacking at the foot of lifeteen as well.
 
LifeTeen is a Franciscan ministry, and very orthodox.

All EDGE and Life Teen provide is a curriculum and snacks. No where in their materials do they advocate food.
nowhere.
Often, people will incorporate this element because pastors think all children do is eat pizza and drink soda, and many times the people they get to lead Youth Groups are at a loss for what to do.
LifeTeen and EDGE have strong Eucharistic content and give all the Biblical references you need for the lesson plus catechism references. It’s up to the facilitators to use them. Their whole premise is that students of that age group will seldom sit through a traditional sit in a chair at a desk and read from the book model that is so prevalent with Sunday school for younger kids. They have about a 10-12 minute attention span, so this group gives you more activity, small group discussion, videos, yes, ice breakers ( mostly because no parents can seem to get their students there on time and its tiresome to start a lesson over and over for late comers.

If you expect students to be able to pick up a Bible and quickly find any particular reference, you will surely be disappointed, Most adults can’t do that
You’ll have to spend a whole lesson or Life Night on this, and also do the same with the catechism, but poll the kids: I’ll wager Only 5% of their homes even have a catechism on the shelf. And the Bible is a really pretty one that their parents received as a wedding present and the are not allowed to use it.

Are the Catholic High Schoolers and Home Schoolers bored? Yes, but they come to interact with other kids, and when they show up we make them TEEN CORE, and they get to do all the fun stuff…like the skits, run the sound system, show the videos, etc. Nothing worse than an eye-rolling kid that thinks they have learned everything they need to know ALREADY. Well. Their parents are sending them for a reason. 🤷

ur pastor came to a Life Night and attempted Lectio Di vino with the kids and was upset that they didn’t get what he meant, or and he received blank stares. It never occurred to them that many of them had not been in affirmation since their First Holy Communion.

Whatever they don’t know or didn’t learn form the catechists before you…you have to do. I send my students home with a takeaway every single Life Night.
They get a prayer that pertains to the lesson, the scripture passage that pertains to the Life Night (or EDGE lesson) and a home made holy card for a Saint of the week.

It’s a lot lot of work, but they have all the materials you need on the website or in your packet.
Good luck.

PS: Sometimes we DO do a craft activity with them…because you know, they’re STILL kids and they love it. This Sunday night we are some parishes give out on Good Friday.
. The crafts have to have a message too. 😉
 
Thank you all so much for your (name removed by moderator)ut!

Are there other youth-based Catholic ministries similar to Life Teen/Edge out there? Preferably more Bible-based?
 
Not that I know of. My son joined the youth group at our local Shrine because they were more devout. The kids were constantly cutting up in our Life Teen group.
 
I have no experience with Life Teen or Edge so cannot comment on this. What I can comment on, as a 63 year old, is that the Bible was something that was read during Mass but had no place in our everyday life as I was growing up. The Catechism, yes, we studied that every day at school. The Bible? No.

There was a small book of Bible stories at home, not a child’s book, but an adult volume that told, among others, the story of Absalom, the only story I remember from it because of the illustration of him with his hair tangled in the branches.

My first encounter with a complete Bible was when I was 14 (1967 or 1968) and found myself alone in adoration during 40 Hours Devotion. Fearing I was doing something wrong, but drawn to the Book, I went to get the big Bible that was enthroned near the Ambo and sat to read. Started with Leviticus - not a great choice for a 14 year old girl who at that point knew nothing about the Jewish religion as opposed to the Catholic religion. I went home very confused and feeling in need of a serious bath.

Safe to say that my contemporaries were pretty much in the same boat. We knew the basic stories: Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham & Isaac, Moses & the 10 Commandments, and Jesus. Not much beyond that.

I don’t see much difference in the parents I prepare for their children’s Baptism. Try to link the Ephpheta Rite to the story of Jesus and the deaf & mute man and you’re met with glazed looks.
 
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