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Author Archives: Lisa Garcia

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‘And With Your Spirit’: Preparing for the New Roman Missal

By | September 9, 2011

Change can be difficult, especially change to the celebration of Mass. Changes to the Mass we are accustomed to can be unsettling, but it is also an amazing opportunity to pray Mass with new eyes and ears. instead of just automatically responding without thinking, these changes to the Roman Missal challenge us to really listen and think about the words we say in Mass. The question is, will we take this opportunity to dive into the beauty and mystery of the holy Mass, or just see the changes to the Roman Missal as an inconvenience, or worse, a detriment to prayer?

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2011 Life Support and Edge Support Renewals are Here

By | July 12, 2011

Greetings from Life Teen! We pray that your summer is being blessed with fruitful and joyful ministry. We are writing because as of July 12, 2011 we have not yet received about half of the renewals for Life Support and/or Edge Support for the 2011/2012 subscription year. You should have received a renewal invoice from [...]

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Out of the Box: Making the Most of Life Support May 2011

By | June 2, 2011

Summer is almost here! Which means fall will be here before you know it. In the life of a youth minister, there are so many things to think about and plan for. As you begin to think about your fall planning, there are two dates that should be highlighted on your calendar. The first is [...]

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Audrey Assad on Songwriting

By | May 2, 2011

“How do you write songs?” In my travels and my meetings with people along the way, it’s one of the questions I am asked the most. Songwriting is hard to explain. I’ve shaped songs like clay pots, molding them on the wheel of my mind slowly and deliberately; other times they’ve shot like bullets out of my pen in a frenzy of inspiration; and some I’ve spent more than two years on, and still haven’t finished. Like children, every song is different, and they are birthed with varying degrees of struggle and joy. So it’s a tough thing for me to write about, because I am still figuring it out myself. How do you answer a question you are still asking?

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Bringing Lent to Life: Resources for Lent

By | March 4, 2011

Each Lent, we have another great opportunity to immerse our teens into the heart of the Church. We have such a gift in the 40 days of Lent. We need to walk with our teens through the desert of Lent and help them meet our Lord there. Our ministry should be a reflection of the changes happening in the Liturgy and be an invitation to fully participate in the mystery of Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection. There are a lot of resources that Life Teen has for you to being Lent to Life in your program.

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Change Is Coming! Preparing for the New Roman Missal

By | January 20, 2011

Change can be difficult, especially change to the celebration of Mass. Changes to the Mass we are accustomed to can be unsettling, but it is also an amazing opportunity to pray Mass with new eyes and ears. Instead of just automatically responding without thinking, these changes to the Roman Missal challenge us to really listen and think about the words we say in Mass. The question is, will we take this opportunity to dive into the beauty and mystery of the Holy Mass or just see the changes to the Roman Missal as an inconvenience, or worse, a detriment to prayer.

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Praying for Peace in Sudan

By | December 9, 2010

On January 9, 2011, the people of southern Sudan will vote on a referendum that will determine if the country of Sudan should be divided into two separate countries…north Sudan and south Sudan. It is possible that a resolution could be as good for Sudan as the election of Nelson Mandela was for the people of South Africa, or the resolution could trigger violence and be as horrendous as the genocide in Rwanda.

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Out of the Box: Making the Most of Life Support

By | October 7, 2010

Somehow there is only three months left of 2010!  How did that happen?  School is in full swing, summer is a distant memory and Christmas will be here before you know it.  Think back… what were your ministry goals at the beginning of 2010?  How about your personal spirituality; what commitments to prayer did you [...]

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Grading on a Curve: Critical Questions to Ask When Evaluating Your Ministry

By | July 4, 2010

Right at this moment, stop and rate your youth ministry program on a scale of 1-10. What rating did you give? Better yet, why did you give the ministry that ranking? When we evaluate our ministries, there are several factors that we use to judge its “successfulness.” Often the number of teens, or the amount of compliments (or complaints), or the supportiveness of the pastor and parish are keys factors – but should they be? “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). Maybe it is time to take a different approach in evaluating youth ministry at your parish. Maybe it is time to ask how God sees our efforts in leading teens closer to Christ and how effective we are in His eyes. In the end, it is not about numbers or compliments or complaints – it is about faithfulness to the call God has placed on our hearts.

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Out of the Box: Making the Most of Life Support

By | May 24, 2010

Summer already??? Believe it or not – summer 2010 is upon us complete with a flurry of proms, graduations, summer trips and of course planning for next semester! As we say goodbye to the seniors and hello to a brand new group of rising freshman, take time to remember why you started youth ministry in the first place. Simply put – teens! This summer should be filled with opportunities to connect, laugh and pray with teens. Be surprised by their joy, wisdom and desire to know God. Seek out one new teen to reach out to each week this summer. We pray that the contents of this Life Support box helps you spend less time in your office and more time hanging out with young people this summer. Take some time to unpack the box and get familiar with the contents. As always, know that you are in our prayers.