LIFE TEEN is an international Catholic ministry that serves the Church and leads teens closer to Christ by providing resources and training that encourage vibrant Eucharistic celebrations and opportunities for teens to grow in their faith.  For more on our programs, click here.  

The Life Teen Program originated at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona in 1985.  The Pastor (and founder of Life Teen), Msgr. Dale Fushek, asked one of his parish teens why he wasn't coming to Mass any more  The teen told him that he did not feel loved and accepted at church.  At that moment, Fr. Dale knew something had to change for Catholic teens.  His goal: to lead teens closer to Christ through vibrant liturgies, honest discussion on teen issues, and a commitment to teaching the solid truths of the Church to the teens.  Nineteen years later, Life Teen ministers to over 100,000 teens in over 900 parishes weekly!

Beyond making the Catholic church appear less 'boring' (how could church ever be boring, I mean, Jesus is there!) and more youth appealing, Fr. Dale also created Life Teen as a positive influence to win the war against the negative pressures of the world.  When it seems like everything - from music and film to parents and politics - is anti-Christian, Life Teen calls teens back to the Lord, back to the comfort of the Savior's unconditional love, and towards a life that could change the world.  We don't believe in the ways of this world, the culture of death, which tries to convince us that teens need to do wrong and 'get it out of their system;' we believe that the devout Christian life is hard, that the race is long and difficult, and that the time to train is now.  Life Teen does exactly what its name suggests: it gives life.  Life to those who have none, Light to the world whose time is done, and strength to those who are running the Christian race, so that one day they can be in their Father's house, and he will look at them and say: "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come inside."

Life Teen works for many reasons.  Mainly, it transforms something that may have seemed so foreign, boring, and antiquated to the eyes of an adolescent - the mass- into a joyful and rejoicing festival of thanksgiving, praise, and love.  Many teens, and in fact all of us, need to feel loved and comforted in group gatherings for growth to occur.  Life Teen is a way of unlocking the incredible power of God's Love so that the Eucharist is a life changing experience every week.  We accomplish this in a few ways: 1) alternative contemporary hymns during the mass; 2) The youth gathering around the altar during the celebration of the Eucharist; 3) Teen participation as ministers, be it extraordinary Eucharistic, lector, or offertory; 4) Dynamic and engaging teen programming throughout the week, and especially on Sundays after mass - Life Nights -; 5) Retreats.  Life Teen asks that each LT youth group take its teens on at least two retreats per year, and these trips often are the most real and formative experiences of the entire year; 6) Young adult volunteers.  Core Members, an elite group of usually college age adults willing to assist the youth minister, critically perform functions such as planning skits and life nights, leading small group discussions, and just being friends to the teens.  Their help is one of the main ways that we are able to show God's Love to teens.  Click here for more information on how to be a core member.  For more on our programming, please visit our programs page.  For more on our music, visit out music page.

St. Thomas More Life Teen has grown from a small group of 10 or 11 to a humble leader in the community.

The parish of St. Thomas More is now known to have one of the strongest youth groups in its area, so much so that it has recently been recognized as a Life Teen Area Hub, which is a great honor.  But it was not always that way.

St. Thomas More's first Life Teen mass, which was one of the first in Texas, was celebrated in September of 1994. Fr. Bill Young was (and still remains) the celebrant, and yes, his homilies were long then too.  During the Liturgy of the Eucharist about thirteen teens gathered around the altar for the Eucharistic prayers.  You can ask youth pastor Ennie Hickman about the old days, as he was one of these original teens.  He can tell you that St. Thomas More's progress came slowly.

This small group was exponentially strengthened when in 1995 a small group of Lifers made the first ever Houston pilgrimage to a Steubenville youth conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.  This group came back, spread the word, and by the next year the group had grown from 10 to 20, and so on, until soon STM was sending 100, 150, or 200+ youth every summer to the new conference in Alexandria, Louisiana, known as Steubenville South.

As much as these energetic retreats have added to Life Teen's ranks, one of STM's greatest strengths has always been its music ministry.  Through Gus Tamborello's rockin' band and then 7th grader Lisa Florez's angelic vocals, STM LT was able to retain a small core group of Life Teen faithful.  Throughout the years many changes have been made, as singers and bands came and went, songs were new and then became played out, but one thing stayed the same: the energy.  Well, and also Lisa Florez, who remains the key voice in the STM Life Teen choir after 9 years.  

Another reason for STM's success has been its staff.  Excellent ministry lead by Darla Hickman, our former youth minister and current regional coordinator, and supplemented by impeccable Core Members, energetic parents, and enthusiastic teens has made St. Thomas More Life Teen the success story it is.

Many youth, like Lisa, have been so impressed by their high school youth group experience at St. Thomas More that they have returned in some capacity either to help out their old parish or a new one.  Youth Minister Ennie Hickman was once a member of STM Life Teen, as was core member Klair Kopnicky.  Ask anyone who has worked with STM LT, and they will tell you that the teens, inspired and called by the Holy Spirit, who have really transformed St. Thomas More from a parish with little youth outreach into a vehicle for the Lord's love in His son Jesus Christ to touch the lives of thousands of teens.  Thanks be to God for all he has done and blessed us with!

Who can join Life Teen? ANYONE.  

• Teens
• Adults (Core Members)
• Parishes

"I am a teen and I would love to learn what all the fuss is about"

To search for a Life Teen Parish near you, go to Lifeteen.com

Do you ever wish that you cared passionately about something?  Do you have trouble being happy or staying happy?  Are you struggling with doing the right thing at school and with your friends?  Do you have a hard time paying attention during mass, or do you just not care anymore?  Does it seem like you are always fighting with your parents?  Are you searching for some positive role models and some uplifting peers?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Life Teen has something to offer you.  Don't get us wrong; we don't think church is some kind of secret potion that magically fixes all your problems, but, as one of my high school teachers always told me: "praying may not always make you feel better, but it never makes you feel worse."  We at Life Teen believe in God's love poured out through His Son Jesus Christ not because our parents told us to, or because we are scared of punishment, or because of any other silly reason. We believe, plainly and simply, because God works.  The Christian lifestyle is so good for us that we cannot think of anything else that would make us more happy, and we want to share it with you.  Yes, that's right, with you.  We don't care where you came from or what you do or did; we are going to accept and love you with all of God's love.  Give us a chance, give Life Teen a chance.

The first thing you should do is grab a friend, or go visit a friend who is already in a Life Teen program, and just go to a mass.  We encourage you to make the first step, because once you open yourself up to God's love then he will work wonders.  We also ask that you reserve all judgment until after you leave.  Lifers are hyper for the Lord, the mass is rockin, and the priests are evangelists: do not be afraid.  Have you ever gotten excited about a video on MTV or about seeing a famous person on the street?  Well, imagine the excitement that 200 teens, supported by the entire parish, feel when they encounter their savior, who has risen from the dead and conquered the world.  Be open minded, because your new friends will be open minded and accepting towards you, for God's sake.

Finally, we say this: just go to a Life Teen mass.  To find one close to you, go to Lifeteen.com.  You will see the Spirit moving, because he is real and he does do wonderful things.  If your parish does not have Life Teen, read the parish section below and start finding out how to bring Life Teen to your home.

"I have completed one year of college (or have been out of Life Teen for one year ) and would love to volunteer to be a core member"

Good core members are, well, the core of good youth ministry.  Our parish, and others like us, are always on the lookout for devout, positive, and youth oriented Catholic volunteers to stimulate growth in our parish community.  Here are a few charactaristics we always look for: 1) You must be a practicing Catholic.  Personal devotion and morality are integral parts of youth ministry.  Unless you practice, you will not be able to preach.  Example is the greatest, and often the only, way to lead.  Teens can spot insincerity instantly.  The mission of Life Teen is to inspire true faith; not just talking the talk but walking the walk.  2) You have to LOVE youth.  You have to be willing to be totally patient and accepting of every teen, and to treat each one as if he or she were the Lord Jesus himself.  This is a challenge, but it is one that is absolutely critical to our success and to bettering the lives of our teens

If you feel you would be a good fit, and you have a hunger to serve the Lord through this kind of ministry, then talk to a local Life Teen youth minister.  You can find the location of your nearest LT parish at Lifeteen.com.  Then you can begin your training, which includes some seminars, a conference, lots of prayer and lots of instruction.  Soon you will begin serving the youth who need your influence so much in this world.  If you want to serve St. Thomas More Life Teen as a core member, contact Ennie Hickman.

"My parish has heard a lot about this Life Teen thing, and I think we should consider doing it"

The following is a step by step guide provided by the national Life Teen office:

1. Pray (repeat during and between all other steps)
2. Visit a Life Teen Hub Parish (like St. Thomas More) in your region, and see all the great things that Life Teen can do for your parish.
3. Order the Training Video Package.  Call the office in Mesa, Az at (480) 820-7001 to order it.
4. Present Life Teen to your parishioners and priests to gain support.
5. Secure a youth minister for your program (very important!), or find someone to coordinate the Life Teen Program for your parish.
6. Attend a Life Teen training conference once you have committed to starting Life Teen
7. Become part of the Life Support system
8. Begin gathering and training a core team and some musicians (the quality of your volunteers is critical!)
9. Plan the first semester schedule
10. Begin to plan the liturgies.
11. Meet the teens of your parish - Evangelize and begin to spread the word about your new Life Teen program!
12. Plan a kick-off night, utilizing the Life Teen start-up kit.
13. Publicize first Life Night
14. Kick-Off!!

•  What is Life Support? (answer courtesy Life Teen, Inc.)

  The Life Support System is a complete package of on-going, quarterly assistance provided to parishes and youth ministers.  It is a vital part of making your Life Teen Program a success.  The valuable resources provided are:  Liturgical Planning guides - these guides offer musical suggestions, main points for the liturgy, and a section on how teens themselves relate to the readings for that Sunday. Life Night Book- Comes with resources and a complete planning schedule for six Life Nights, including 'educational,' 'issues,' and 'social' nights.  Life Teen Retreat - A complete weekend retreat with your teens.  The retreat includes complete session workbook, them song and free sample T-Shirt design.  Video Resources- Each quarter you will receive several videos: a youth ministry training video with current youth ministry topics and a collection of videos recommended in that quarter's Life Night Book.  You can use videos to train core members or to enhance your Life Nights.  Life Teen Mass - You will receive sample homilies from Life Teen Masses, complete with text transcripts of each homily and additional music and video resources to enhance your Life Teen Mass.