Have you ever been with someone who kept talking using confusing acronyms?  The reality is that the language of Catholic youth ministry in the United States is filled with acronyms. Here are 11 acronyms that anyone working in Catholic Youth Ministry needs to know:

1. USCCB - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States. Your Bishop is part of this conference. Life Teen is currently working with the USCCB office of Vocations on a new website with video and digital resources.

2. NFCYM – National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry - participates in the mission of the Catholic Church by advocating for and supporting Catholic youth ministry on the national, diocesan, and local level. Your Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry is more than likely involved in the federation! Life Teen is a Collaborative Member of the NFCYM!

3. DRE - Director of Religious Education - is the person who plans, integrates, implements, oversees, and evaluates the religious education of the total parish community. This may be the person you directly report to. Tip – develop a solid ministry relationship with your DRE. For some of you – you are the DRE and are more than likely a master at multi- tasking!

4. NCYC – National Catholic Youth Conference - is the largest single gathering of Catholic young people in the United States. Imagine over 20,000 teens crammed into a large arena singing, laughing and praying like only Catholic teens can! You sign up to bring teens to this through your diocese. Life Teen has participated by sponsorships and providing presenters, coffee houses and prayer experiences.

5. NET - National Evangelization Teams - The work of the NET Teams is the primary activity of NET Ministries. Each year approximately 100 young adults age 18-28 volunteer nine months of their lives to serve on the NET teams. These young adults are placed on nine different teams of 8-12 people. Two types of ministry teams are currently being trained and sent out, retreat teams and parish teams. A good number of youth ministers implementing Life Teen have started after a year at NET!

6. WLP - World Library Publications - World Library Publications publishes Catholic music in English and Spanish for Roman Catholic worship and prayer.WLP Artists Ed Bolduc, Paul Tate, John Angotti, Danielle Rose, Michael John Porier and David Yackley all have connections with Life Teen. WLP also donates to Life Teen by printing free Life Teen materials annually!

7. MCYM - Military Community Youth Ministries - Is the outreach to teens on military bases and serves at locations with nearly 70,000 military teens.  Over 90 full-time staff along with hundreds of volunteer leaders are working in over 40 military communities around the world. Life Teen is currently staffing a base in Heidelberg, Germany for outreach to Catholic teens through a partnership with MCYM.

8. XLT - (Exalt) is a night where teens from different parishes come together for an intense night of prayer and worship. The night is divided into three parts: 1. Praise and Worship  2. Catechetical Talk  3. Eucharistic Adoration. Life Teen  and the Archdiocese of Atlanta developed XLT’s in 2000.

9. NCCYM - National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry – The NCCYM is the largest adult conference for Catholic Youth Ministers in the country. It is sponsored biennially on even numbered years by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry in order to help form and transform adults ministering to youth in the Catholic Church. Life Teen attends and has a booth at this event.

10. OCP - Oregon Catholic Press – is a self-supporting, not-for-profit, Catholic publishing company. Under the OCP division – Spirit and Song, Artists Jesse Manibusan, Josh Blakesley, Tom Booth, Jackie Fancois, Matt Maher, Ike Ndolo, Steve Angrisano, Chris Padgett, Curtis Stephen, Kelly Pease and Jenny Pixler all have participated in Life Teen events.

11. CRS - Catholic Relief Services - is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS provides relief in emergency situations and helps people in the developing world break the cycle of poverty through community-based, sustainable development initiatives. Assistance is based solely on need, not race, creed or nationality.