HFK Life Teen Overview
Mission Statement:
The purpose of the LIFE TEEN Program is to create an environment that leads high school teenagers into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and His Church.
The mission is accomplished in three ways:
- 1. Through the celebration of the Eucharist
- 2. Through the teachings of Christ and the Church
- 3. Through an experience of being loved and accepted
Teen Culture
While it is certainly exciting to be alive during this day and age, it is not always easy being a teen. Today's teens are under many difficult and complex issues and influences. Many teens are numb about life and their future, yet all of them are searching for identity. We don't need psychology to prove this: MTV, Hollywood, Web, and the mass media all want the teen to be the consumer of their products. Pope John Paul II called the pervading culture of our day the 'Culture of Death'. LIFE TEEN at Holy Family Kirkland is helping to provide young people with an alternative youth culture, a culture based on Jesus Christ, His Church, and the Gospel of Life.
Life Teen Background
The LIFE TEEN program is a Catholic youth ministry program founded in 1985 at St. Timothy's Catholic Community in Mesa, Arizona. The program grew to such popularity that it was marketed and is now duplicated in over 950 parishes across the country. Holy Family Kirkland adopted the LIFE TEEN model and has seen tremendous stability and growth in recent years in the program. The LIFE TEEN program centers around the Sunday evening 5:30PM Mass, geared to teens, young adults and their families. Following the Mass, teens meet in the Parish Center for a LIFE Night, a youth group night with fellow high school students that helps them grow in their Catholic faith.
Life Teen Staffing
The LIFE TEEN program is overseen by our Sr. High Youth Minister, Katie Krueger, under the supervision of our Pastor, Father Kurt Nagel. Assisting the youth minister is the Core Team, a group of adults who help bring teens into the program and plan the Life Nights. Each Core member, acting in a volunteer capacity, has been interviewed, trained and evaluated by the youth minister to be a worthy representative of the Church to our teens. They spend many hours of service to help young people know the value of Jesus and His Church.
What Happens at Life Teen
The LIFE TEEN program at Holy Family Kirkland is divided up into 4-month 'semesters', each based on a different catechetical theme. Every month roughly consists of two educational meetings, a specific issue and a social event, such as retreat or a game night. The Sunday night Life Nights are evangelistic, helping every teen, no matter where they are at in their faith, to deepen their love for Christ. Meetings are open to both Catholic and non-Catholic teens. The meetings are creative, fast-flowing and are designed to engage the teens in a fun and exciting way so that they will be talking to their friends about the fun they had at LIFE TEEN. All the meetings are based on the teachings of the Catholic Church, in unity with our Holy Father, Benedict, our Bishop, Alex, and our Pastor.
Description of Events and Event Times
The primary events of our program are:
- - The Sunday, 5:30PM Mass (5:30PM-6:45PM)
- - The Sunday Night LIFE Nights (7:00PM-8:30PM, unless otherwise noted)
- - The Fall Retreat and Spring EXCEL Retreats
- - Confirmation Preparation
For more information on our program, explore the website, or contact us.
For more information on the National LIFE TEEN program, please check out www.lifeteen.com