Life Teen - Ministry Model

Ministry Model

Life Teen has developed a dynamic model to help Youth Ministers and Core members execute comprehensive Catholic youth ministry in a parish setting. Life Teen's systematic catechetical gatherings, called Life Nights, have four distinct segments. These segments are Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. These segments are derived from the flow of the Mass.

• Gather: This section of the Life Night involves an invitation to the teenagers that welcomes them to a Life Night. This can be anything from an interactive game, a chance to win a prize, a skit or a funny video clip. Depending upon the specific night, some nights might utilize several of these aids. Also considered a part of the Gather is any promotion done at the youth Mass (which normally directly precedes a life night). This promotion can take several forms such as the Youth Minister making an announcement or the Core members passing out an object related to the theme of the night to try to pique the interest of the teens. The Gather is always directly related to the main message of the night.

• Proclaim: This section of the Life Night is devoted to the main teaching for the night. The Proclaim is advised to be 10–15 minutes long, depending on the topic. Typically, the talk is usually given by the Youth Minister or another Core member. Some Life Nights change the rhythm of this by suggesting a clergy member, a panel of people, or a team of 2-3 people lead the talk. Life Teen also has a prepared DVD component for certain Life Nights which can be shown in place of a live teaching.

• Break: In this section of the Life Night, teenagers are given the chance to "break open" the message of the night. Typically this takes the form of small groups. Life Teen recommends one adult for every 6-8 teens in a group. Certain Life Nights recommend a large group wrap session or doing a group activity (like a prayer walk) to provide the teens a chance to digest the message of the night.

• Send: The send portion of a Life Night is to wrap up the Life Night by giving the teens a way to take the message they learned and apply it to their lives at home. Generally the send involves some personal prayer time. Depending on the night, teens might be given the chance to make a personal commitment to do something or not do something. The teens may also be presented with a small gift (such as holy water, a nail or a cross) to help them remember the message of the night. Life Teen also recommends the closing of each Life Night with a reminder of what the next Life Night will be and having the teens say as a group the Hail Mary and sing Ave Maria.