“We are going to revitalize
the Catholic Church, and we are going to do it with teenagers!”
A bold statement from a
bishop, desperately searching for a way to bring life back to his flock. Our church is at a major crossroads. 80% of Catholics leave the faith before they
are 23. Only 7% of millennials raised
Catholic still practice today (Mass weekly, pray a few times a week, say faith
is “extremely” important).
It’s hard to envision,
since our church seems so vibrant. Imagine
what it would be like if they announced that they finally buried the last parishioner
of Holy Infant. They say that the single
largest religious group in America is non practicing Catholics.
There is one organization
that I have come across that is uniquely equipped to battle back against this
trend. Life Teen. Life Teen launched in 1985 as a parish based
youth ministry program in Mesa, AZ and is now in 31 countries and over 1,800
parishes. (There are over 200,000
parishes in the world). The results are astounding
and I’ve seen it first-hand. If you look
just at the crisis of religious vocations, almost half of all current
seminarians in the U.S. were involved with Life Teen in some way. Here in St. Louis I know of a parish that had
never had a member enter the religious life since its inception. Life Teen was launched there and in the last
20 years, there have been over 30 that have entered the religious life.
If we want to bring
families back into a deeper relationship with Christ and His church, this is a
way we can do it. Anyone who has raised
a teenager, knows what a powerful force they are. I have witnessed teens fall in love with
their faith and bring their entire family back to church. I’ve heard grown men in tears speak about how
they realize now that they were leading their family in the wrong direction,
and point to their teen and youth group as the catalyst that put him on the
path.
Youth group used to be just
another class for teenagers. Life Teen
does share the teachings of the church, but the main focus is on relational
ministry. Teens need an adult, other
than their parents, who hear them and cares about them. You don’t have to be a bible scholar, you
need to show up to their soccer games.
It’s not about telling them that they are sinful, it’s about loving them
where they are at, and just sharing the journey with them.
I’ve been blessed to visit
some amazing religious sites around the world.
I’ve had the opportunity to serve the poorest communities, and help them
have access to basic necessities. Even
though these things have been incredibly fulfilling, when I see a 14 year old
kid, who is lost in darkness and depression, step into the light, and find true
joy. There is nothing like it. That joy only comes from one source. I remember when someone asked Mother Teresa
if she thought she would be able to end the poverty some day in Calcutta she
answered, “We are not trying to end poverty.
We do this because it is our way of being able to see Christ.”
There is great hope for the
future, regardless of what the news and the statistics might say. Support Life Teen, either financially, or
volunteer. No you don’t have to be a 25
year old comedian who plays the guitar.
You just need to know Jesus, and love teens.
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