Lima Life Teen celebrates 10 years of faith first, then fun |
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Written by MICHAEL DRIEHORST, Special to the Chronicle
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Friday, 06 February 2009 01:00 |
LIMA—It used to be that church youth groups tended to focus on social activities as much as they focused on God. But many are getting "back to basics."
Life Teen is an international program, based in Mesa, Ariz., that focuses as much on faith as it does on fun. Lima Life Teen — the first Life Teen program in the diocese — marks its 10th anniversary Feb. 14.
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| A group from Lima Life Teen attended the 2008 March for Life in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Lima Life Teen) |
"We liked the Life Teen program because it was comprehensive. It not only provides a catechumenic component, but a social component as well. A lot of youth programs are merely social but we wanted one that included a catechumenic component," explains Father David Ross, pastor of Lima St. Rose and St. John the Evangelist parishes, who was assigned to Lima St. Charles Borromeo when the Lima Life Teen program started.
Within six months after its start, Angie Soules was brought on to direct it. She serves as youth minister at St. Charles but also is involved in youth activities at St. Gerard, St. Rose and St. John.
Ms. Soules was a member of the core team that developed Lima Life Teen, which is open to students at all four Lima parishes in their freshman through senior years in high school. In all, more than 1,000 students have been involved in the program since its inception, including about 75 to 100 this year.
Ms. Soules says students do not have to be Catholic to join, and about 10 percent of students are not.
"Youth ministries that started Life Teen programs are having successful youth programs," she says.
Ms. Soules adds it’s important for all parishes to devote enough time and energy to youth programs.
"When we, as Catholics, do not devote full-time and consistent energy and resources to youth ministry, we usually have only five to 10 kids coming. If we only have five to 10 kids, that means that more are attending youth groups at other religions," Ms. Soules says.
Alex Dieringer, a senior at Lima Central Catholic High School and a member of St. Charles, has been involved in Lima Life Teen since he was a freshman.
"It’s taught me to not only be a better Catholic, but a better person, too," he says. "I wasn’t a bad person, but I’m now more socially aware."
Alex says he’s met a number of good friends through Lima Life Teen who are from other parishes and whom he wouldn’t have been able to get to know without the program.
During the school year, Lima Life Teen focuses on a weekly, 6 p.m. Sunday Mass, dinner and Life Night at St. Charles, with priests from each of the four parishes taking turns as the celebrant. Ms. Soules says the Masses include more upbeat music than at other Masses and are open to more than just the teens. Each Life Night has a theme, which is rotated among five themes such as social activities, social justice and spirituality.
Terri Danik, a member of St. Charles, became involved in Lima Life Teen when her daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth, were among the first to join the group 10 years ago.
At first, Mrs. Danik was involved helping with the dinners after the Sunday Masses. After her daughters graduated from high school, she became one of the core team members who plans the Life Nights on Sundays.
"I saw a significant transformation in my daughters’ faith," Mrs. Danik says. "I saw them grow in faith and felt the Holy Spirit touched them, and then I started to grow in my own faith."
By being active in Lima Life Teen, Alex says he gets more out of his Sunday nights.
"If I wasn’t in church every week from 6 to 9, I’d be home watching TV," he says. "By learning about God, reading the Bible and going to Mass, I’m much more productive than spending time watching TV."
Lima Life Teen has other activities during the week. In the summer, Ms. Soules says the Sunday Mass and Life Night are discontinued, but there are more activities. In addition, Ms. Soules says the group attends annual youth conferences, organizes community service projects and has attended events such as the Right to Life March in Washington, D.C., World Youth Day and Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York in 2008.
Ms. Soules says the success of the Lima program has spurred several other Toledo Diocese parishes to start Life Teen programs.
Lima Life Teen celebrates its 10 years during its annual variety show, March 21 at St. Gerard parish hall. A dinner starts at 6 p.m. with the show following at 7 p.m.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:15 |
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