www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization ByzanTEEN Lifeteen - Does it include Byantine Catholic Youth?

Dear Catholicos,

It is always so absolutely wonderful to see you here!

Your posts never fail to excite !

Our parish has its own officially consecrated Anchoress.

A truly spiritually beautiful woman indeed!

Now that you're here, please refer to "East N West" for a thread I would like you to comment on.

Alex

Just thought I would add some comments about the LifeTeen Program...

I have had many conversations with parents of my sons friends from our RC Church. I am Byzantine, however, my husband is Roman. My choice is to raise my children Byzantine, but my husband would not participate. Since I have been raised strictly that a family needs to practice together in the church, I have been left to do what I can to learn the Roman ways and influence as many people as I can about the Byzantine Rite, including my my own children.

In my efforts to learn and accept the "LifeTeen" Program have not been good. I attended one and only one LifeTeen Mass. Actually, I left at the singing of the Creed. At first I was quite surprised and delighted that they were singing the Creed, but within the first few lines of it...realized that they had changed the words of the Creed. They actually took out the part of the "Incarnation!" I guess it didn't fit the lyrics or something...You know not one of my RC Catholic friends cared or felt that this should be an issue. They have told me that their kids, which are younger...6-9 get so much more out of the mass. I beg to differ. I guess my biggest complaint with the Lifeteen Mass is that it promotes a "Social Celebration" not an individual one. Mass/Liturgy is supposed to be a personal celebration of the Eucharist...I felt like I was in a Baptist Church (lots of hand clapping I am in the South) at that one LifeTeen Mass. And that is why I left. I could not concentrate nor enjoy the mass and was so mad/disppointed that this is what we are teaching the future of the church as acceptable.

Anyone in the forum can correct me if I am wrong, but it is issues like this that seem minor that keep the East and West Churches from talking to each other. I have tried to talk with my RC friends and understand more about the RC Ways, but I just don't agree with what I know to be true about what we should all believe as Catholics, Roman or Byzantine. I can only assume they think the same of me.

My friends are tired of hearing about the Byzantine Rite... so I limit my conversation about it. They respect my beliefs, and I respect theirs. I just see that there are major obstacles to overcome before the two churches, E and W, can reunite. If you really think about it, I question how united we are with Rome. The Pope is at such a different level spirtually and sees things from a different aspect. I could see the Byzantine uniting with the Greek Orthodox' before you would see a union between the East and West Church. I jsut don't see the East Church accepting some of the moves that happen in the RC Church

As for your idea about joining the two together...unless the RC made some HUGE changes in the manner in which they celebrate mass, it would not be to the advantage of the Byzantines as I agree with someone that posted earlier. It goes against what we believe. The Roman church keeps wanting to change things to be more modern. How many of you knew that Ascension Thursday has been moved to be Ascension Sunday to accomomodate the Roman Catholics that don't think it is important to celebrate that Holy Day on Thursday?

Getting back to the LifeTeen topic...I do like the activities that they plan for the teens and think it is great club/organization, but I don't believe they should have their own seperate mass as like someone else mentioned...you are creating a church with in a church. I think this is damaging and watering down of the Roman Rite Faith...as the Lifeteens drift futher from the traditional Roman Rite Practicers it is only going to hurt their faith and not strengthen it. What will happen then? I talk with many older generation RC that can not stand the lack of reverance that occurs in the RC Masses...Specifically the LifeTeen Mass.

I am praying for changes and wanting to be apart of the changes necessary for all of us to be reunited. If anyone has any ideas for me, please let me know what I can do to make a difference. Otherwise, please pray for me as I struggle to attend and raise my children in the Roman Catholic Faith.

With love,
Monica

Ive had alot of experience with Lifeteen during and after my conversion to Catholicism. One thing that drew me to the program was the familiarity of the style. I left a southern Baptist youth group to join the Catholic Church and The lifeteen model is pretty much the same as was used by the church that I had just left. It made for a much more smooth transition. I left Lifeteen recently though because I felt that while it aided in the ease of my conversion, cushioning the blow, it was teaching a faith that was based on emotion and as many of the teens described it "Fluff". The Church has much more to offer than fluff. We dont need to put a shiney wrapper on the faith.If we present Christ and his Church as they are, people will come. You can sell anyone a rotten tomato with marketing schemes, but you shouldnt need them to sell the perfect fruit.

I have been to many LifeTeen masses throughout the years. And while it was an aid to my conversion and remaining Catholic (I was about ready to jump ship), I have noticed recently that their Masses are beginning to resemble a TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network) entertainment and talk show.

Most recently, after the Eucharist, 2 teens were in front of the altar imitating characters from these Austin Powers' movies with the LifeTeen band in the background playing the theme music. They then proceeded to tell what social functions were available to the Teens. The Church shouldn't be imitating the world, we are to be redeeming it. And I agree with earlier posts, the RC church is too concerned with being modern. If they wish to imitate anyone let them imitate the Early Church Fathers' style of Christianity: Be Christ, Show Christ, Proclaim Christ.

+ Peace,
W

Amen!

Hey Justin! I know you from B'net right? (I'm OMAchristianSGD).

ChristTeen287

my, there are an awful lot of Georgians here.

Timothy,

To my knowledge, you and I are the only ones. Justin is from Tennessee apparently and his member name is Gregorian, not Georgian, just in case you misread it. What church do you attend in Atlanta?

ChristTeen287

ChristTeen,

Yes it is me, the same Justin from b'net. Yes I am from Tennessee, that is correct.

Nice to see you around.

In Iesu et Maria,
Justin

LifeTeen...*shudder*... there's talk of scrapping the old tracker organ (I'm an organist! That blasted thing is not only my source of income, but the way I can most perfectly offer my worship to God) in favor of a platform for the LifeTeen band and choir at my home parish... The priests are perfectly okay with this. These are, of course, the same priests who decided to empty the Holy Water pond (yes, pond) and put dead trees and rocks over nearly every square inch of open space during Lent. Liturgical abuses *twitch*... Not releshing the end of the academic year and having to go back there, let me tell you.

I am a latin rite Catholic and I would never join life teen. I believe that it is a very liberal organization, no one but the priest is to be at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer. I believe that it is one of these groups that is out to make the lay people clergymen and the clergy laymen. If you ask I believe that the mass should have more latin I mean Vatican II didn't get rid of latin but said to use the mother tongue at some places.

I appreciate all of this discussion on the Life Teen program. I have been actively involved in youth ministry in either a volunteer or FT professional form (large parish with approximately 300-500 youth in various programs) over the years, and had an opportunity to participate in a LT program in the Twin Cities a number of years ago as a member of the "music ministry". (I also attended the training seminar down in Mesa, but spent Sunday at St. Thomas the Apostle (BC), which was a real blessing!)

Since I have been a member of a BC parish for a number of years, and a formal member of the BC for several months, I have developed a more sober view on the LT program (although I never bought in to some of the liturgical eccentricities...). Part of the issue is its "target market" approach to Catholic teens, effectively isolating a particular group within the parish. One of the books that helped me to rethink many of the Protestant youth ministry models that Catholic churches have adopted over the years, is the text called "Family Based Youth Ministry" by Mark Devries, a Presbyterian youth pastor from TN.

His whole premise is that target market approaches may generate numbers short term, but they fail by and large to demontrate any lasting retention of members in a church. A better approach (and one that moves out of a "program" mentality to a "relational" ministry) is that teens learn how to be mature Christian adults from - well, mature Christian adults and by integrating themselves into the very life of the parish, with their family at the center.

With that said, I think there are some things that still should be done to help accomodate the delivery of the Gospel message to their own understanding and maturity level. My understanding of the ByzanTeen program is a good example of this. Also, I think fun social events for teens to promote and develop relationships with their peers in a Christian context is a must. With that said, any program that drives too deep a wedge between parish, family and teens may help gain "market share", but ultimately fail to retain kids long term.

My two cents...

Gordo

I also have a background in "youth ministry" both as a volunteer for years and also as a paid staff member and director of various programs in the R.C.C. My impression of LifeTeen is that it is an effort on the part of some well- intentioned adults in cooperation with youth to provide an atmosphere which will appeal to today's youth. In a sense it is a competitive ministry because so many youth are turning to evangelical, charismatic, and other non-Catholic churches. Understandable, but...I think it is a bending over backwards to accomodate to contemporary times, music wise, worship wise, and other wise. I agree that social activities are a must. However, there needs to be an anchor to hang on to, a solid basis of truth, otherwise, it doesn't seem to last. One does ask whether the teeanagers in Lifeteen will go on to become responsible, christian parents and church members themselves-only time will tell.

We attended LifeTeen masses several times in the past few years when we were still attending the R.C.C. It was lively, entertaining, and fun, but I do think the beauty of Divine Liturgy far outweighs the contemporary approach. Why do we need to compromise anyway? I think we can win the youth with what is better and give em what lasts!! Bottom line is that Christianity is counter cultural, not something that just goes with the flow....or the times.




Nana Jo>also a mom and grandma

No offense, because I do not know much about LifeTeen. But I hear a lot of negative things about it on EWTN radio. They say it does not adhere to the GIRM (General Instructions for the Roman Missal) in many of its practices. Many Roman Rite priests and bishops do not accept it for this reason.

I would think that Byzantine parishes, trying so hard to return to their traditions, would be taking a step backward to incorporate such an approach.

Tammy,

I agree with you as I think I pointed out in my post. I am not in favor of LifeTeen in Byzantine parishes either. Just in case it wasn't clear. If you were referring to me when you said, "No Offense" >>I am not offended in the least.

Blessings,


Mary Jo