Seeking LifeTeen Pro/Con opinions

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YinYangMom

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Greetings,

Our parish has an mass slated specifically for our youth group demographics (high school/early college). Father noted while there are several things about LifeTeen he is not on board with, he acknowledges they do have some positive results from certain practices. He would like the Liturgy Committee to explore the pros/cons of LifeTeen to see how we can bring some of that energy to our teen mass (which is why I placed this thread in Liturgy, but if it belongs elsewhere, please feel free to move it, Moderators. Thanks.)

Our priest is a traditionalist, in line with Rome, so we aren’t concerned about him taking the youth mass into a loopy direction. He has a lot of respect for JPII and how he energized the youth movement within the Church around the world and wants to bring a taste of that to our parish, so I understand the request he has made.

Now I have no clue about LifeTeen or anything like it, so I’m asking for your help once again. Your opinions, as always, matter, as do the references you tend to provide so that I could research the matter further on my own. Are there parts of LifeTeen you’d like to see in your parish, which parts would you like to keep out - and why?

Thank you for your help.
 
I was a teen in LifeTeen years ago (omgosh… over 10 years ago!.. time flies!)…

I think it’s great that your priest is discerning this properly! He’s open to new ideas without destroying the tradition of the liturgy… that’s exactly the perfect way to approach it!

IMO… I got the most out of the “LifeTeen Program” in the “Life Night” (youth group meetings) aspect AFTER the Mass. The Mass can and should be left to traditional liturgical rules… but the “LifeTeen Program” is more than just the Mass… it can be a wonderful tool in advancing a vibrant youth program at your parish!

I haven’t looked into the details of the program in years… so maybe look online… but I’m sure it’s possible to mostly pursue the “life night” aspects of the program…
I found them very inspiring! 🙂
 
In my experience, LifeTeen is more than just a youth Mass, it is an entire youth/young adult group. They have lesson plans for each Life Night, the idea is that you have this gathering either before or after Mass. The Life Night has a theme, has skits, lessons, prayer exercises, small group discussions, projects, music, etc. You need a group of very dedicated volunteers to make it work well.
 
My parish has had a Life Teen program for over 15 years. All three of my children went through it. I can tell you that, when done right, the results are amazing. The people in my parish that have gone through it have grown up to be very strong Catholics, and many have started, or are active in, other parish ministries now.

The Life Teen Mass must be done according to the GIRM, but when it is, it’s a powerful way to teach the kids about their faith. It is followed by the Life Night, in which the delve deeper into their faith. It often includes Adoration and Confession. We also have retreats for the kids, and every other Tuesday night we have XLT (pronounced “Exalt”), which means Extreme Life Teen, during which there is lively praise and worship, a teaching, and Adoration.

It’s an awesome program, but only when done right.
 
If done correctly, LIFE TEEN is a wonderful, solid, Orthodox Catholic program. There is not anything unorthodox about it. The Liturgy is supposed to abide by the guidelines outlined in the GIRM. The only thing that I can think of that some “traditionalist” might be opposed to is the music and charismatic style of worship; however that will really depend on the spirituality of the community…whether it is more reserved or charismatic. If a community is uncomfortable with a more charismatic style of liturgy there is nothing that says you can’t use the organ and chant in Latin. The point is to give solid Catholic Catechists to teens in a way that makes them most receptive. Also, as was stated above, the program only begins with the mass but there is a lot that LIFE TEEN has to offer in addition to the liturgy.
 
Life Teen is like any other catechetical or evangelization program. The content is fine, the presentation is as orthodox as the person(s) presenting it. The Mass is as good as the celebrant makes it.
 
Lifenite = :yup: :clapping: http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon14.gif, Life Teen Mass = :eek: :nope: :crying: :banghead: http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon13.gif

Sorry, we should not be endorsing a Mass for teens. We join on Sunday as a community for worship, the Lifeteen Mass at times seems to have subculture surrounding it. Many of the teens I have engaged with at our parish will not go to another Mass at our church, that defeats the purpose of this form of youth ministry.
 
Lifeteen’s focus on the Mass and Adoration is awsome. I don’t know any other ministry that holds such a basis.
 
As a seminarian who spent four years in Life Teen when I was in high school (not to mention a few more helping after I graduated high school), I can agree with the general tone of the discussion thus far.

One unfortunate problem in Life Teen Masses is that the priests/youth ministers/musicians have often either not read the liturgical documents or have, but have woeful reading comprehension skills. A LT Mass need not be filled with abuses or seem more like a quasi-Catholic rock concert. In fact, one excellent young priest at my parish was able to find the happy medium quite well.

Adoration, Rosary, and Confession are also integral parts of Life Teen.

Also, I can understand that objection raised earlier that having an LT Mass can divide the community. I can vouch for the fact that many families (and even some people whose children have grown up) attend our LT Mass. It is important, however, that the youth minister not put the LT Mass on a pedestal as somehow “better” than the other Masses with more traditional music (as if one Mass can really be better ontologically than another anyways).

If any more questions arise, I would be happy to contribute in whatever way I can.

May God bless all of you!
 
Hello All,

We have been holding a “Teen Youth Mass” under the direction of our Parish priest. But something that was said makes me wonder if we are conducting any liturgical abuses. At the beggining of mass we start with the Apostles Creed, each Teen standing up and stateing a line then moving up to the alter one by one. The alter linens are on a pew at the front and as the teens walk up to the alter they dress the alter then move to the choir area. Durning the Mass father and the Alter servers sit in the front row pew and he only approaches the alter during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The entire mass is very nice and the music is a more contemporary but still in keeping with the mass. But should our Priest be sitting in the Pews, and does it really matter when the Apostles Creed is said?
 
Tortilla said:
Hello All,

We have been holding a “Teen Youth Mass” under the direction of our Parish priest. But something that was said makes me wonder if we are conducting any liturgical abuses. At the beggining of mass we start with the Apostles Creed, each Teen standing up and stateing a line then moving up to the alter one by one. The alter linens are on a pew at the front and as the teens walk up to the alter they dress the alter then move to the choir area. Durning the Mass father and the Alter servers sit in the front row pew and he only approaches the alter during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The entire mass is very nice and the music is a more contemporary but still in keeping with the mass. But should our Priest be sitting in the Pews, and does it really matter when the Apostles Creed is said?
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Hi Tortilla. Welcome to the Forums!

With regards to the Mass practices that you are describing, I’ve never seen anyting like it. When do the teens say the Apostles’ Creed again? At the very beginning of Mass? Unless this is a Mass for children and not for teens, the Nicene Creed should be said instead of the Apostles’ Creed (at least in the USA). The practice you describe sounds incorrect.

As for the place of the priest and serves, the GIRM does call for the introductory rites to be conducted from the presider’s chair which is in the sanctuary (GIRM 50). This practice of the priest and servers not entering the sanctuary until in Liturgy of the Eucharist is incorrect.

These two practices should be able to be corrected without much pastoral difficulty.
 
Thank you all for your responses.
It’s interesting that the Life Night seems to have the greater impact on the youth.
That, in our parish, would be a matter or our youth director delving more into the format and such.
It seems what I’m reading is that the best thing to do is keep the mass as GIRM legit as possible which is a good thing.

I also notice the caveat ‘done properly’…which is obvious, of course, but could you please caution me with examples of aspects of the program ‘not’ being done properly? What signs would we be looking for that the program is going off course or something?

As for Tortilla, that does not sound legitimate at all. The entrance is clearly defined in the GIRM. The altar and candles should already be set before mass begins…the idea of having the youth carry the cloth in procession to the altar and then lay it on as part of the mass itself is not in the GIRM.

The entrance procession’s focus is on the Word being brought to the congregation and to the altar. The crucifix proceeds the candles, which proceed the Book of the Gospels (the Word), followed by the priest. Basically it is designed as a procession of Jesus coming into our midst (though he’s already present in the tabernacle). So to have the altar as the main focus seems totally out of line. Why the priest or leaders would want to give this impression to the youth eludes me. I hope your parish corrects this practice.
 
YinYangMom said:
I also notice the caveat ‘done properly’…which is obvious, of course, but could you please caution me with examples of aspects of the program ‘not’ being done properly? What signs would we be looking for that the program is going off course or something?
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Well, the Mass, of course, should follow the GIRM. As for the Life Nights, what I meant by “done properly” involves several things. First of all, keep in mind that Life Teen has been refined over many, many years, and experiences. The the publications that they put out for each Life Night is based on substantial experience of what works, and what doesn’t. Try to follow that as close as possible. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

Also, keep in mind that, if you are going to follow the published Life Night guides, you will need a good size core team, and a budget. It takes a lot of commitment from the Pastor, and the parish. Parishes that do Life Teen without full support from the Pastor, usually fail. Parishes that do Life Teen with their own modifications, usually fail. Parishes that do Life Teen without following the GIRM, usually fail. The goal is to get teens excited about the Catholic faith, not to make the Catholic faith exciting to them. I trust you know the difference.
 
It seems when I hear concerns about “LifeTeen” they are usually about the Mass - not the orthodoxy of the catechesis. I’m not familiar with LifeTeen, but must you have a ‘LifeTeen’ Mass to have LifeTeen in your parish? Could you just use the LifeNite program/catechetics without specifically having a LifeTeen Mass?
 
We volunteer where there is Life Nite and no Life Teen Mass. As was stated above, for the Life Nite to work, you need the right space, and a good number of dedicated volunteers - people who have MORE than 2 hours per week to dedicate to each Life Nite. The average Life Nite consists of some sort of skit (you’ll need people to do props/staging, costumes sometimes, and people who can learn lines, rehearse and do a skit - teens will be turned off by half-prepared skits).

Musicians would be nice, there are songs suggested with most of the teachings, and again, “canned” music - just playing a CD - can be less effective than having real musicians.

Each night has a teaching topic - so, the volunteers need to be able to research and prepare the teaching. We have found rotating teachers is good, as different people bring different perspectives.

You’ll need small group facilitators, people to lead prayer/meditation.

And since you have teens, someone needs to feed them. They are like puppies, feed them and they will come back again…

In my experience, Life Nite is not about apologetics or much deep theology, it is more relational teachings.

Just get a good team of folks - and a preist!
 
You can take opinions here sure, but PLEASE send someone to a LIFETEEN training conference to hear about what they do and why from them. It is an incredible experience. And yes, the very main point of Lifeteen is that it is centered on the Eucharist. The Mass is the focal point.

I put this in another post, but I’m reposting it here because it relates.

I am a 32 year old music director of a parish. Before this job, I was a youth minister for 5 years. I became an orthodox devout practicing Catholic through LifeTeen AS AN ADULT YOUTH MINISTER.

Fruits from LifeTeen I have seen first hand:
I have seen this program keep teens from not only leaving the church, but the same teen enter the seminary and become a priest. I have seen MANY sisters in different (conservative) orders take vows who were once in LT programs, and discerned their vocation in a LT program.Teens bring their parents back to church. The Lifeteen Mass at our parish has all ages…. Not just teens and their parents, but our biggest fan, a 90 year old man.

At the lifenights, we teach chastity, catechesis, OBJECTIVE morality, modesty, a healthy prayer life (sub prayer groups study saints, in depth bible studies, ministerial life, evangelization in schools, and doctors of the church).

Cardinal Arinze met with LifeTeen leaders before the new GIRM, and told LT they actually could apply for an indult for the practices in the Mass. He asked them not to because of misunderstandings more than anything.

LT stresses IMMEDIATE obedience. The training brings in professors and has a working releationship with FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY OF STEUBENVILLE

There are abuses everywhere, NOT just LT Masses. Please do not judge lifeteen on a poor quality “LT” mass somewhere. Just as you wouldn’t judge the church on the sinful members. JPII the great said that the youth were their own separate culture. It’s not about “dumbing” down the liturgy. Opposite that, it requires HIGH QUALITY in everyting.

My participation in LifeTeen as an adult has helped me to love the Mass for itself. I love a quiet daily Mass. I am not afraid of silence and go to holy hours in our quiet adoration chapel because of experiences like the Steubenville youth conference and LifeTeen retreats with adoration and music. Before, adoration used to be something I dreaded cause you just knelt a really long time and got bored. (in grade school). Now it’s an amazing experience of the Lord.

We had adoration and praise and worship music at our parish one night… three 6th graders came up to me after that one night and asked to sign up for a slot of our perpetual adoration chapel.
PRAISE GOD!!!

I hope that you will take this under consideration,.
 
We have it, and I know many teens love it.

My concern is that it divides families. For example, we have a younger son who sings in a children’s choir. That choir always sings for the Sunday morning masses. Lifeteen is at night. If my teens were to go to Life Teen, they are not going with us as a family when the children’s choir sings. If my younger son were to go to Life Teen with us and his brothers, he would skip singing with the choir (or go to 2 masses each Sunday - a bit much for an 11 year old).

The music is to “rock concerty” for me.
 
Catholic90 said:
We have it, and I know many teens love it.

My concern is that it divides families. For example, we have a younger son who sings in a children’s choir. That choir always sings for the Sunday morning masses. Lifeteen is at night. If my teens were to go to Life Teen, they are not going with us as a family when the children’s choir sings. If my younger son were to go to Life Teen with us and his brothers, he would skip singing with the choir (or go to 2 masses each Sunday - a bit much for an 11 year old).

The music is to “rock concerty” for me.
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Divides familes? By your reasoning, ANYTHING that would conflict with the 11 year old singing in the choir would “divide the family”. What if you sang in the adult choir at another mass? Does that divide the family? That reasoning doesn’t make sense.

I have seen teens BRING THEIR PARENTS BACK TO CHURCH because of the LT mass. After a LT Mass when teens sit together (or sit with their families if they wish), and they sing and participate and talk excitedly about their church to their parents, I have had parents with tears in their eyes thanking me for having such a ministry that brought their teens and families back.

Unfortunately, there will be musicians that think it’s a performance. The Musicians at my parish pray hard, and all they want is to get the people to sing louder. The drums are done tastefully (by the way, the only instrument we have today mentioned in the bible is the drums), and the utilization of them creates tension in the music that pulls the people’s voices to be louder. I plan music from ALL time periods. Please remember at one time, chant was new. Harmony was scandalous. Before that, the singing that took place at the wedding at canaa was more guttural and dissonant. Tradition is important, however, we shouldn’t exclude that musicians today have very valuable additions to Catholic repertoire. You may not prefer that style of music….thats ok. But that doesn’t discredit it.
 
YinYangMom said:
Greetings,

Our parish has an mass slated specifically for our youth group demographics (high school/early college). Father noted while there are several things about LifeTeen he is not on board with, he acknowledges they do have some positive results from certain practices. He would like the Liturgy Committee to explore the pros/cons of LifeTeen to see how we can bring some of that energy to our teen mass (which is why I placed this thread in Liturgy, but if it belongs elsewhere, please feel free to move it, Moderators. Thanks.)

Our priest is a traditionalist, in line with Rome, so we aren’t concerned about him taking the youth mass into a loopy direction. He has a lot of respect for JPII and how he energized the youth movement within the Church around the world and wants to bring a taste of that to our parish, so I understand the request he has made.

Now I have no clue about LifeTeen or anything like it, so I’m asking for your help once again. Your opinions, as always, matter, as do the references you tend to provide so that I could research the matter further on my own. Are there parts of LifeTeen you’d like to see in your parish, which parts would you like to keep out - and why?

Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...
Keep it entirely out.

LifeTeen is harmful to the faith. There is almost no sense of sacrifice in most LifeTeen masses. And just the word “LifeTeen” followed by Mass seems to me sacreligious.

The Mass is the continiuation of Christ’s suffering on the Cross.

There should be nothing happy clappy about it.

Im with our most holy lord and father Benedict XVI on this one…

Contemporary music and guitars have no place in the Mass.
 
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