life nights

Registration is open!  Read about the program, then scroll down for the Form.

At Life Teen, 9th-12th Grade teens gather with their peers following the Sunday evening Mass.  They will meet in small groups and have opportunities to participate in activities that are both at the church and offsite:

• social activities and service opportunities, including Catholid Heart Workcamp/Youth Mission Week
• unique study opportunities, for example: apologetics classes, small group short-series, bible studies
• youth-focused prayer opportunities, including adoration and retreats
• Living Stations
• offisite activities with other groups, such as Deanery and Archdiocese events, Steubenville Youth Conference.

The Life Teen Mass is a high-energy Catholic Mass aimed to engage teens and all parishioners in full, active participation in the Mass.  Teens are invited to serve in many of the ministries at the Life Teen Mass.  (Lectors, Ushers, Hospitality Ministers/Greeters, Altar Servers).  Confirmed youth age 16 and older may also be eligible to serve as a Eucharistic Minister.  

When does Life Teen meet? We will meet on Sunday Evenings following the 5:00pm Mass. (6:30pm-8:00pm). Once a month, there will be a Parent Night led by Fr. Ed.. On those nights, parents will have a program just for them  Teens will join the parents for a time of Adoration and prayer the last 30 minutes of each parent night.  
We'll give a full calendar as programs get going.
     First Life Night-  Sunday, October 30th If we get adult volunteers to help.

Additional Adult Volunteers needed in order to begin the Life Teen Program.  Please contact Debbie Blomquist at sstm.youth@gmail.com or call 253-480-7110 to see how you can help with the youth ministry programs at St. Stephen's Parish.

    
It will be great to see each other again! 

For those starting Confirmation preparation (year two) this fall, there will be a Parent/Teen retreat on Saturday, October 22nd  8:30am - noon. For more information about Confirmation, click HERE.

Regarding Covid-19: Much of what we offer is defined (and often limited) by archdiocesan safety policies and state/health department laws and guidelines.  We'll do everything we can to provide a safe environment for our teens and volunteers. 

High school teens should all register for LIFE TEEN, regardless of their Confirmation status.  If you need Confirmation or other sacraments, Debbie Blomquist will contact you after you complete the registration for Life Teen. Please watch for her email (from sstm.youth@gmail.com).  In the meantime, If you have any questions, you can always send her a quick email.

When you register, it will include releases for online/Zoom presentations, in-person activities, and photo/video use.

If you have a heart for teens and a passion for sharing the gospel, then God may be calling YOU to walk with the youth at St. Stephen's on their Faith Journey.  

We need Adult Volunteers to serve as Core Team Members, engaging the youth in community and helping them make the connection between faith and their everyday life. If you are a parent, please know you can also be a volunteer. It's a great opportunity to grow in your own faith as you journey with your teen and their friends. 

Core Team Members must be at least four years older than the youth they work with. (Youth are in 6th through 12th grade.) If you have youth ministry experience, you may also become a Core Team Leader, assisting in leading large and small group activites.

There are many opportunities to serve. In addition to joining/leading small groups, there are so many areas to contribute. Consider:

• Do you like to study the Bible or learn the "Why" behind the "What" we believe as Catholics? 
• Do you like to serve the poor and those in need? 
• Do you like to play games/sports and have fun with the youth?     
• Do you like to pray?  (Core Team will model how to pray and help to provide opportunities where the youth can have a personal encounter with Christ.)   

You may be thinking, "I do not have enough training or I am not formed well enough in my own Catholic Faith to lead teens."  We know that  God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called!  

We provide training to help small group leaders learn to lead a small group of teens.  All small groups will have two adult leaders, so you would not be in it alone.  

For more information about how you can be involved or if you would like to sign up to join the team, contact Debbie Blomquist at sstm.youth@gmail.com.  

To ask questions, share concerns, or just say, "Hi!", contact our Youth Minister, Debbie Blomquist!   The best way to reach her is by email:  sstm.youth@gmail.com.
You can also call (253) 480-7110.