I had the opportunity this past year to be a missionary with Life Teen. It was amazing and the experience blessed my life in so many ways. The foundation for the entire year and the way we lived, daily, as missionaries was that we had to develop a rhythm of prayer. It was not “rigid” or “formulaic” but a natural rhythm for daily life. Scripture calls us to pray without ceasing, so our missionary lifestyle was modeled with that in mind.

Our days started with giving our first moments awake to the Lord with a personal daily hour of silent prayer, Mass (if available), and then the Angelus at noon. We also committed to praying morning, evening, and night prayer from Liturgy of the Hours and we fasted every Friday for a specific intention. It was probably about three hours of intentional praying a day but who was counting? Ironically, me . . . in the beginning of the year I definitely felt our rhythm was overkill. Everything I do should be a prayer and I didn’t think I needed all those written, formal ways to pray — but God wanted to prove His point.

Not long after thinking that, we missionaries had a private Mass and the Priest gave a gut-wrenching homily that changed my perspective completely. It ended with him telling us, “You’re giving a year to God – He gave you your entire lives. Do you really think He can be outdone in generosity? This year isn‘t about you doing God a favor.”

It was a very direct message to me from God that He didn’t desire my time. I was marking the minutes I was giving God and telling him it was enough but the rhythm wasn’t meant to focus on the minutes. It was all about giving our entire heart to Him.

God gave me my entire life and to think I could pay that back with a year of service or any other amount of time is foolish. I‘m not here to weigh what I‘ve given Him against what He‘s given me. God deserves everything from me. He wants my heart. He wants to hold it in his hands as a gift from me. The eternal God isn’t exactly in a time crunch and He’s not counting the seconds. Giving more time to Him helps but that’s not the focus. For the ministry I was involved in I needed at least those three daily hours to totally give Him my heart.

Where to Start

A rhythm of prayer is absolutely necessary to get closer to God but it’s not going to be some specific formula and it’s not going to look the same for everyone. If you can find a way to incorporate all those prayers into your life then that’s amazing, but that’s not expected of everyone. Going from being a missionary to an office setting I had to change my rhythm to make sense according to my new role. But, there’s no better tool for ministry than a heart inspired by God.

Practically speaking, it might be hard to follow through or start this rhythm of prayer but here are some points to keep in mind:

Seek Simplicity

It doesn’t need to be complicated. The most effective prayer for you might be 20 minutes of silence to listen to God or maybe you need to listen to some Christian music to end your day reverently. When in doubt, go back to the Sacraments — there is nothing more powerful than the Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Find Community

Find someone that can walk with you and help you follow through with your commitments. This doesn’t mean they shoulder all the responsibility for you, but they can definitely help. Don’t feel like you have to start this alone. The best part about the missionary rhythm is having a community that holds you accountable. Having a Spiritual Director is always valuable.

Make a Commitment

Start with only one non-negotiable. Choose one moment of prayer that you will follow through with everyday no matter what. Don’t set yourself up for failure by adding too much too quickly. Committing to one and then adding more as God asks you to is a lot easier than going from two commitments to ten.

Be Disciplined

It will be hard. There will be incredibly tough moments and you may forget all the great things God has done for you. The first instinct is to change or cut down your prayer. Be ready and don’t let your forgetfulness destroy your rhythm.

Remember the Purpose

The bottom line is that you want to give God your heart. Don’t lose sight of that.

Keep Perspective

Don’t listen to the enemy, the deceiver. It’s easy to fall into cutting back on your intentional prayers by saying that your ministry is your prayer, but that doesn’t cut it. That is a lie from the enemy. Your personal rhythm is separate from any ministry and in fact those ministries should flow out of your personal relationship with God. You need to be filled outside of your service.

Enjoy

Be joyful. God loves you and He likes you. He thinks you’re cool and wants to spend time with you. Don’t get stressed by prayer. This should be a fun time to love the God who loves you.

In our ministry, are we relying on our own competencies or do we rely on the signs and wonders of God? When is the last time you were awed by what God was doing with the teens at your parish?

This Curriculum Guide Includes:

• Picture Perfect: The Sacramental Nature of the Church
• Follow the Recipe: The Visible and Invisible Reality of the Sacraments
• Alpha Omega: The Sacraments of Initiation
• Rise & Walk: The Sacraments of Healing
• At Your Service: Sacraments at the Service of Communion
• More Than Meets the Eye: Sacramentals
• Wipeout!: Challenges to Worship and Sacraments
• Full-filled: Living Sacramental Grace

Download complete Curriculum Guide

The goal for this Life Night is to have teens understand the Sacraments of matrimony and Holy Orders as Sacraments at the Service of Communion and to encourage teens to begin living the self-giving love encouraged by these sacraments.

About this Life Night:

Two weeks before the Life Night, invite all the married parents of teens as well as any priests or deacons at your parish to come for the end of the Life Night. Send out wedding-style invitations requesting the honor of their presence at a vow renewal ceremony and prayer service in honor of their chosen vocation.

This Life Night will explore the Sacraments at the Service of Communion – Holy Orders and marriage. The night begins with the teens participating in a game that demonstrates how willingness to sacrifice is ultimately more beneficial than being competitive or trying to win it all. After the game, the teens will review the Sacraments of Initiation and Healing and hear a teaching outlining the role of the Sacraments at the Service of Communion. The teaching explains how the communal nature of the Trinity serves as an example for us of self-giving love and sacrifice, and that these sacraments are unique in the grace they offer us to live out the divine love of the Trinity in relationship with others. After the teaching, the teens will have the opportunity to discuss the grace of self-giving love provided by these sacraments and how they can better live out selflessness in their lives. The night will end with a prayer that challenges teens to begin living out that selflessness by praying for others rather than themselves as they lift up the married couples and ordained ministers who have been invited to the night. The teens will witness the sacrament lived out in the renewal of marriage vows and ordination promises of these invitees, and the teens will have the opportunity to pray in thanksgiving for their example of faith.

The goal of this night is to explain that the seven sacraments are not only spiritual but also very physical. These physical elements are called matter and form. The teens will have the opportunity to explore the matter and form of each sacrament and what the significance is for each sacrament.

About this Life Night:

This Life Night will start out by gathering the teens and showing them how certain forms of prayer are appropriate or not appropriate depending on the situation. The Core Team will then present a skit, which demonstrates that God had a very specific “recipe” in mind when he established the sacraments in Scripture. After the skit is further explained the teens will break into groups to learn the specific visible signs that are necessary for each sacrament to be official in the eyes of God and His Church. The Life Night will close with a reflection on the “Our father” and its relationship to the matter and form of the sacraments.

The goal of this night is to understand the power of the Sacraments of Healing both spiritually and physically. God is not only our loving father but He is also the divine Physician that desires to heal our brokenness and make us whole.

About this Life Night:

This night will be broken into two segments each with the same parts; part one will focus on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and part two will cover the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. The whole night will be centered on the story of the paralyzed man found in mark 2:1-12.
The night will begin with the skit acting out mark 2:1-9 (the first part of the story of the Paralyzed man). The skit will transition into the part one of the teaching and small groups. After about ten minutes of small groups everyone will gather back together to see the second part of the skit: mark 2:10-12. When the second part of the skit ends the youth minister will finish the teaching and the same small groups from earlier will meet again. After the discussion questions the teens will stay in their small groups— the Core members will pray with each teen. The night will end with a time of praise and worship.

The goal of this night is to introduce the new semester on the Sacraments to the teens. The night will help teens understand why the Sacraments were given to the Church.

About this Life Night:

This Life Night kicks off the semester on the Sacraments. It is a fun way to get the teens involved in learning more about the Sacraments. The night will begin with the teens and Core members getting to know each other better while participat- ing in a photo scavenger hunt. The teaching will focus on the definition of a sacrament and the role sacraments play in the lives of Christians. during the Break, the teens will have an opportunity to discuss the role of sacraments in their lives and the life of the Church. The night will close by thanking God for the sacraments and calling on the Holy Spirit to help the teens open their hearts to what God wants to show them throughout the rest of the semester.

The goal of this Life Night is to help the teens understand some common questions about the sacraments and how we worship as Catholics. The teens will be given an open forum to ask questions and seek answers. The teens will leave this Life Night with the confidence to seek the answers to their faith that they do not always understand.

About this Life Night:

This Life Night will be a great opportunity for the teens to express confusions or frustrations they have experienced in liturgical and other worship settings. The night will begin with focusing the teens to open their hearts and will then have a video made by the Core Team and/or youth minister that highlights common obstacles and questions about the sacraments. The night will continue with an panel discussion about the questions being asked. more questions may arise as the night continues. The night will end by praying evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.

Beginning with the March 2010 resources, we are presenting a six-semester Edge curriculum. This systematic approach to middle school catechesis is designed to create a foundation for the United States Council of Catholic Bishops’ Framework for High School Catechesis. The six semesters are as follows:

• Scripture
• Creed
• Church
• Sacraments
• Prayer
• Social Justice

In addition to these semester topics, we will also provide 1-2 nights on Catholic Morality to be used within each semester. With each new book our goal is to provide you with nights that are Catholic, educational, relevant and on the middle school level.

Life Teen recommends that a 3-year (or 6 semester) catechetical plan be implemented in each parish to ensure that complete and quality catechesis is offered to every middle school youth involved in an Edge program. While you do not have to use the semesters in the order that we present them, each book will topically build on each other and work together to create a systematic curriculum. As always, refer to your diocesan requirements for middle school catechesis to help plan your parish’s curriculum.

This current book covers The Sacraments. In this semester, we are breaking open the seven Sacraments. The Edge Nights are grouped together as the Sacraments of Initiation, the Sacraments of Healing, and the Sacraments of Vocation. The nights will help the youth to understand each one of the sacraments, the deeper meanings behind the symbols, and how grace is imparted through the sacraments. This semester also gives the opportunity for the youth to see the sacraments celebrated.

As always, Edge Nights should be adapted to meet your parish needs. As you plan, be sure to keep in consideration the needs of your youth, Core Team and parish. For example, the teaching outline for each night is filled with more information than a typical middle school youth can absorb during a 7-10 minute talk. By giving the presenter more than enough information, he or she can create an engaging and informative presentation. Encourage the presenter to look through the Scriptural and Catechism of the Catholic Church references to gain better understanding of the topic. Media, of course is important. Feel free to use the media suggestions listed, along with the videos on the Edge Video Support 4 (included in the Edge Support shipment).

Thank you for your dedication to the young people of your parish. We at Life Teen are here to serve you in your mission of leading youth closer to Christ. We pray that this Edge Semester Planning Guide will allow you to more effectively reach and form your middle school youth as vibrant, active and holy Disciples of Christ.

This Semester Planning Guide includes:

• Welcome to the Party!: Introduction to the Sacraments
• Marked by God: The Sacrament of Baptism
• Not By Bread Alone: The Sacrament of the Eucharist
• Wait, Didn’t I Graduate?: The Sacrament of Confirmation
• The Return: The Sacrament of Reconciliation
• Comfort and Joy: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
• Called by God: The Sacrament of Holy Orders
• Two Become One: The Sacrament of Marriage
• Sober and Alert: An Edge Issue Night on Drugs and Alcohol
• Actions = Words: An Edge Issue Night on Integrity
• Idol Chef: An Edge Social Night

1. Community Investment-

In the TV show – Extreme Home Makeover, when they move the bus, the house has changed and  the friends and people of the local community have been transformed.  It’s not so much the free materials or appliances, but the community that cared enough to come and build a new house. The same needs to be true for ministry at your parish. If you and a select few are the only ones trying to build a strong youth ministry at your parish, you are missing a key ingredient. The entire parish needs to help build youth ministry. As soon as people understand the needs and gifts of young people in your community, they will be glad to help. Often times we try to build the house and try to “impress” people by making it look like we have it all together to get them involved. I have found the more transparent we are and share the struggles, challenges and dreams we have, the more people want to help.

How transparent are you with your parish community?

2. Focus on Relationships with Young People-

In the TV edition of the show, the team doesn’t just come in and plug a cookie cutter design in and hope the family likes it. They spend time getting to know the family first and then build a house that fits that specific family. The same is true for Catholic youth ministry in a parish. Most parishes have a distinct personality. The only way you are going to learn how to build the house you need to build is to be in direct relationship with the young people and families you are serving. Find out about what they are like, what they do for fun and what their relationship is with their Church. Let them tell you what they think ministry could look like at the parish. Keep asking them even after you start building. It’s important that you and your core team really know the teens. Yes, of course, you need to make sure you are following your diocesan guidelines for safe environment at all times. It is worth all the extra effort.

How well is your parish being relational in it’s ministry to teens?

3. Constant Sacramental Passion-

The TV show Extreme Home Makeover is not only passionate about building – they are the most passionate about providing hope for a family. If you look down the road 15 years and ask the question, “What would I like our teens to be like in 15 years?” I believe for most of us we would answer something like this – ” They would be active Catholics, attending Mass and Reconciliation regularly either as a preist, religious, single or married with their family. They would be true disciples, who would be bringing others along on the journey and bringing about Glory to God in how they live” -in other words, still growing in their holiness. If youth ministry at our parish is not passionate about the Sacraments, how do we expect the teens and families at our parishes to become passionate about the Sacraments? A key feature of the house we are to build in Catholic Youth Ministry is to lead teens to the Sacraments. Making Mass a priority. Encouraging Reconciliation monthly and giving the teens the opportunity to go to reconciliation on retreats as well. To build a Confirmation program that has impact, not just leads teens through the motions. The parishes that are seeing teens discern religious vocations are all parishes that maintain constant Sacramental passion.

How passionate for the Sacraments is youth ministry at your parish?

Does youth ministry at your parish need an “extreme makeover?”