Expert: J.M.J. West - 10/3/2008

Question
Dear West,

                 I am goin through a youth group training program for the first time, it is a 6 mons program. Our Youth group will be starting in early spring. It is called Life Teen. We want to bring as much teens into this ministry as we can. It is Catholic and we are very family oriented in our parish. The church that I go to now is 107 years old. It was founded by Italian and Dutch priests. They call the church Mount Virgin.

We say Latin, Italina, and English mass. We do the Blessed sacraments too. I am great friends with the church. The priest asked me to start a youth group with him and to be a core team member. I was honored. How do you set a good role model for these teens. How do you get them hyped up for Christ? We are even going to do a Jesus Play on the Holy week too. It will be so cool and we also are going to do camping and retreats for Christ. My mom is going to help out as well. How can we influence teens to get involved in Youth group. I also talked about being Pro-life. And my pastor loved the ideas I had. He said you are going to be great for the core team with a smile.

Oh and how do I get on the EWTN the Life on the Rock show. And tell them about our Life Teen program?

Answer
Jacqueline, thank you for your questions.

The best way to be a good role model is by imitating Christ in all of your thoughts, words and actions.  I am familiar with the life teen program (I know one of it's founders, as he works where I work) and I've seen it bear good fruit, but also some less than stellar fruit too.  It is very important that in the excitement for getting these teenagers "hyped up for Christ" that we don't dilute the message of Christ to one of "feeling empowered" or "good", or else the first time a trial comes along in their lives they won't have the faith to weather the storm.

As for EWTN, they are aware of the program, and have featured it on Life on the Rock before, I'm pretty sure.  If you really want to appear on that channel, you'd probably have to coordinate with them.

Hope that helps.

Pax Christi,

-J.M.J. West