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Category Archives: Events & Conferences Updates

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Mass Music from the 2011 Life Teen Training Convention

By | July 5, 2011

The 2011 Life Teen Training Convention was four amazing days of prayer, praise, fellowship and community. Nearly 500 attendees, including Priests, Youth Ministers, Music Ministers and Core Team Members filled the convention hall at the Doubletree Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona last week. This year’s theme, Veni Sancte Spiritus, was truly prayed as we celebrated the feast of Pentecost to begin the conference. Fr. Leo Patalinghug was our celebrant and he was truly inspiring as he allowed the Spirit

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Contemplatives in Action: Day 3 from the Life Teen and Edge Training Convention

By | June 21, 2011

From Oprah to Life Teen? The third day of the Life Teen and Edge Training Convention started with a keynote talk by Mother Assumpta Long, who’s order was featured a couple months ago on Oprah during a series on “The hidden life.” The elderly but vibrant Dominican had the whole room captivated by her charm and wisdom. One of the things she said that struck me was “Life in Christ is always costly and always worth the cost.” She knew exactly how to say what we all needed to hear. If that’s

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Filled with Joy: Day 2 from the 2011 Life Teen and Edge Training Convention

By | June 15, 2011

Some people, when they go to light a big bonfire, pile the logs perfectly in a square. However, some are a fan of the triangular log configuration. Then there’s always the person who just throws all the logs in the pit and has to rearrange them every 10 minutes. Any way you do it, there’s a general practice of stuffing some kindling or paper in the logs in order to get them to start burning. Everyone knows paper, though it lights quickly, also burns and is gone very quickly. The logs however,

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The Spirit is Moving: Day 1 from the 2011 Life Teen and Edge Training Convention

By | June 13, 2011

The staff at Life Teen is so excited for the 600 participants who were able to make it to the Life Teen and Edge Training Convention, but we realize that some of you couldn’t be here. But you’re in luck, because I’m going to be keeping you up to date on what’s going on here in the sun and heat … and air conditioning.

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Doing a Lot with a Little

By | May 18, 2011

Five loaves and two fish… A rib… A shadow… God has always been the Master of doing a lot with very little. He still is.

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Ready or Not, It’s Summer Trip Season!

By | April 26, 2011

It’s 5:00am on a quiet June morning. I am driving a fifteen-passenger van to a church with a bunch of butterflies in my stomach. This could only mean one thing: a teen summer trip is about to happen. For me, it wasn’t just any summer trip. It was my first one. We were going to summer camp at Covecrest with my Edge teens. I thought to myself, “Can I do this?” Well, I was about to find out as I pulled into the parking lot to greet the parents and teens that had already arrived.

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Why We Do Events: For the “God is Real!” Moments

By | March 9, 2011

It was a Saturday night at a Steubenville Youth Conference. The crowds of teenagers had entered the convention center and Adoration had just started. And then I hear it. It was audible. Not loud, but definitely noticeable. A teen was saying, while Eucharistic Adoration was going on, “I don’t believe in you.” Even while all of his friends around him were experiencing Jesus in a profound way, this teen could not take that leap of faith yet. And he wanted everyone to know it. But that quickly changed.

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Calling All Youth Ministry Veterans – It’s Time for Spring Training

By | March 2, 2011

March has always been one of my favorite months of the year. Not only is the weather beautiful, but, living in Phoenix, I have always been able to enjoy the Cactus League. Every year, 15 Major League Baseball teams spend a month preparing for the upcoming season. While I love watching the rookies try with all their might in hopes of making it to the Big Leagues, for me, it has always been special to watch the veterans fine tune their skills. Being a great baseball player is not just something that you’re born with. You have to work on it.

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Video: Randy Raus “The New Mission Field,” Life Teen Beyond 25 Years

By | December 13, 2010

Can you believe that 2010 is already coming toa close? I am excited to finish this year with a bang by sharing the most-requested session from the 2010 Life Teen Training Convention. In this video, President Randy Raus shares a vision for Life Teen beyond 25 years within the context of Pope Benedict’s writings about Movements of the Holy Spirit.

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Video: Mark Hart “Behold the Man” from the 2010 Life Teen Training Convention

By | November 30, 2010

Are you in youth ministry because of a promise you made to God, or are you doing this because of God’s promise to you? Mark Hart challenges how we see the Son of Man. Excerpt from the 2010 Life Teen Training Convention. Behold the Man [Life Teen] from Life Teen on Vimeo.