Welcome!

Welcome to our LifeTeen Youth Ministry page for 9th - 12th graders and their families! 

You're invited to LifeTeen Mass!

The liturgy of the Church is rich. A youth-focused LifeTeen Mass is a vibrant liturgy that speaks to young people and challenges them to live as disciples of Christ. LifeTeen Mass is not limited just to teenagers; people of all ages can attend a youth Mass. The music and environment are set for youth and their families. The energy, reverence, and prayerfulness that teens bring to the celebration are contagious. Our goal is to help the teens enter fully into the receiving Jesus in both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist to transform their lives.

LifeTeen Mass
Sunday evenings, June 13 and 27, July 11 and 25, August 8 and 22
5pm
Stay for pizza and fun in the parish hall after Mass!

Questions? For more information or to help with music and liturgy for LifeTeen Masses, contact Megan Schraeger at mschraeger@stbonifacechurch.org or Bridget Johnston, Director of Music Ministry, at bjohnston@stbonifacechurch.org

What is LifeTeen?
Life Teen is a movement within the Roman Catholic Church that leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus. LifeTeen strengthens our teens' Catholic identity, while rooting them firmly in Christ and in His Church.

LifeTeen Core Team Members
We are actively looking for core team members to work with our faith formation team to provide this LifeTeen offering to our teens beginning Fall 2021. Please prayerfully consider if you may be called to be a part of this ministry here at St. Boniface!

Questions? Scroll down this page for more information, or contact Amy Slick or Faye Akers in the Faith Formation Office at 515-850-1883. 

Description

Teenagers need a community, mentors that can help them grow as disciples, and safe places to grow in their understanding of the faith and love of Christ. 
LifeTeen helps teenagers encounter the person of Jesus Christ in both large and small group formats. LifeTeen sessions are thoughtfully planned to help core team members accompanying teenagers on the road to discipleship.

LifeTeen Format and Content

LifeTeen includes catechetical topics, issues sessions, and social time. Each session is composed of four main parts: Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. 
 
Gather
LifeTeen leaders welcome teens and introduce the session. Games or activities help teens transition from home or school and create a welcoming and comfortable space to release some energy, and start thinking about the session topic. 
 
Proclaim
This teaching portion of the session may include a 10-15 minute talk from the Youth Minister or Core Team, or perhaps a panel discussion, a young adult witness, audio and video clips, or rotating sessions. The goal is to hear the session message from a variety of people, including core team members, priests, deacons, or other members of your parish community. Proclaims are short, simple, and relevant to teens' lives. 
 
Break
Teens have heard about a truth of our faith or how to deal with an issue in our world. Now, they have the opportunity to break it open on their level. This takes many forms over the course of a year: small group discussion, reflections, personal prayer time, discussion with a partner, and many more activities. Small group leaders facilitate the Break so teens have a chance to hear from each other and express their own feelings and understandings. 
 
Send
This is an opportunity for teens to be led into a time of prayer, a time for the Holy Spirit to move in each person's heart. The Send is designed to help teens experience the depth of prayer our Church has to offer. After prayer, leaders challenge teens to do something daily to remember what they experienced.  
 

The Need for Catholic Youth Ministry: A LifeTeen Overview

For more information about LifeTeen, click here to review an article that includes segments from "Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry," by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Featured in the article are the 8 Components of Comprehensive Catholic Youth Ministry: 

• Advocacy 
• Community life 
• Evangelization 
• Justice and Service 
• Leadership Development 
• Pastoral Care 
• Prayer and Worship

Sessions & Schedule

Beginning in Fall 2021, we plan to offer regularly scheduled LifeTeen sessions for 9th - 12th graders. Stay tuned for a detailed schedule and prayerfully consider if you may be called to be a part of our LifeTeen youth ministry!