St. John Bosco Parish
Life Teen Youth Ministry 2015
Fall Semester Theme: Apologetics
Life Night "The Jesus Question"
St. John Bosco Life Teen kicked off the new year for with a bonfire in the SJB Retreat Space! In
Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus is also asking us this
question today and each of us must answer this question in our lives through our actions. We asked
the teens, "Who do you say that Jesus is?" Was Jesus a prophet, a religious guru, a "nice guy"? Or is
He the Son of God, the Way, the Bread of Life, the Prince of Peace, the Vine, the Savior or any of the
other 200 titles Jesus used to describe Himself? If Jesus is God, then our lives must change. Life
Teen on Sunday nights is one way to strengthen our relationship with Jesus through fellowship with
other Catholic teens and discussion of Catholic topics that teens care about.
Life Night “Mass Fitness”
One of the funniest videos Life Teen has produced in the past year is "Mass Fitness" featuring the
character Idol Chatter; a spoof on Billy Idol. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS5CiU2ciD0)
Sometimes Mass can feel like aerobic exercise; sit, kneel, stand, repeat. Does what we do on Sunday
really matter? Although Sunday is supposed to be a day of worship, rest, and reflection, there are
many other things vying for our attention and distracting us from making Sunday a true day of
worship. The teaching of this Life Night challenged the students to understand the importance of
worship and why the worship of God in the Mass is the highest form of prayer with which we can
engage. It also challenged us to identify things, people, or ideas that we "worship" instead of God and
how to remove them from the altar of our hearts.
Life Night “The Protestant Reformation”
Playing Jenga was a competitive gather game. The game begins with a solid, strong, and stable
tower. So also is the teaching of the Catholic Church. The goal of the game was to see how high the
students could build the tower, by pulling out wooden blocks at its base, without collapsing the tower.
The message? When we pick and choose the teachings of the Church that we will and will not follow,
we weaken our faith until it can crumble. The Protestant Reformers, like Martin Luther, wrongly
responded to misconduct of that time within the Church, by removing foundational teachings of the
Church, removing books from the Bible, and separating themselves. Because of this, Protestant faiths
no longer contain the fullness of the Faith. This Night was a great opportunity to talk about the history
of the Catholic Church and some of the common misconceptions our Protestant friends may have
about our faith. We also prayed for unity in the Body of Christ.
High School Students Facilitated as Small Group Leaders
at the Fall Middle School Retreat “In Reverse”
Sometimes we need to do things differently to change, not only our perspective on things, but also our
habitual approach. How many of us recite instead of pray the Our Father? Using reverse mirror
images as our theme, we examined the lines of The Lord's Prayer from the bottom-up, in reverse
order. We explored the meaning of five key themes: Rescue, Reliance, Renouncement, Reverence,
and Relationship. When our Lord taught His apostles to pray, he was giving us far more than a
formula, he was giving us the keys to a real relationship with our loving Father. This retreat, based on
the book The “R” Father by Mark Hart, included thematic and purposeful games, along with
Reconciliation and Adoration.
Life Night “The Family Bible”
For this Life Night we had one final bonfire in the Retreat Space before the weather turned cold. We
played the gather game, “Is it in the Bible?” After listening to passage, the students decided whether it
was a verse from the Bible or a famous quote in history. The focus of this Life Night was on how our
Catholic prayers, Catholic Tradition, and the Mass are all rooted in Sacred Scripture. Sacred Tradition
allows the church to accurately interpret Sacred Scripture. Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are
two halves of the one deposit of faith called "Divine Revelation."
Life Night “The Mysterious Signs”
You know something fun is coming when you show up to a Life Night and the core team is wearing tshirts with traffic signs painted on them. During the gather game of this Life Night, the students had to
navigate a traffic jam. Finding their way through a crowd of their peers, while following the verbal
directions, was a fun challenge. Jesus gave us signs of God’s grace through the seven sacraments.
He entrusted these sacraments to His apostles and the Church. They remain just as effective and lifegiving today as they were when the apostles celebrated them. The students were able to see the
Scriptural foundation and outward signs of each of the seven sacraments.
Life Night “Help my Unbelief”
“Object –O-Man” showed up to this Life Night to remind us that, even though we may object to
something because we do not like it or do not think it’s something we want, we need to trust in the
wisdom of those who care for and protect us. We all have doubts, from time to time, about our
Catholic faith and this Life Night helped answer many of our questions. To doubt is not a sin. It is o.k.
to have doubts and questions but the Church leadership, together with the pope, does what the
Church was commissioned to do; guard and protect the Truth. We can trust the Church. By
researching questions, discovering the truths, and discussing doubts with those we respect in the
faith, we all grow in our own understanding of our ancient and timeless Catholic faith.
Life Night “All who are Thirsty”
The word "water" is used in a variety of metaphorical ways in Scripture, but it is especially used for
salvation and eternal life, which God offers humankind through faith in his Son. Our gather game for
this Life Night was a competition between teams to drink all the water from their cups using several
straws linked together. The message? When we partake of the Living Water, we are created anew!
Jesus is inviting us to have eternal life through him and to be His disciples. This Night centered on
the Samaritan woman at the well and her response of faith (John 7:7-26). We pondered the question,
"How am I responding to God’s call?" and discussed what that response might look like in our modern
world.
Matt Maher and TobyMac Concert "Worship Stories & Songs Tour"
We traveled to DeVoss Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI with 15 students and 7 adults to see
this exciting concert! Of course, Catholic singer/song writer Matt Maher and hip hop recording
artist/music producer/writer TobyMac, were phenomenal in concert; but special guest Ryan
Stevenson was an extra surprise. Ryan even mingled in the crowd after the concert and took pictures
with our students!
Spring Semester Theme: Sacraments
Life Night "Grace Infusion"
The Sacramental Scavenger Hunt was a creative and competitive gather game. The teaching for this
Life Night centered around Grace; what is it, what does it do, how do we receive it, and why do we
need it. The divine gift of grace is most plentiful in the Sacraments. Sacraments allow us to encounter
Sanctifying Grace. They don't simply communicate and idea or thought, Sacraments actually
communicate Grace. This free and undeserved favor, given to us by God, is the way we participate in
the divine life of God. Grace is God's very life, and it is given to us in a real way through the
sacraments. Each student was surprised and delighted to receive a gift card for the Kalamazoo 10
Theater; a metaphor for God's undeserved gift of Grace.
Life Night "Take the Plunge"
This water-themed Life Night had water sounds, inner tubes, and swimming toys to enhance the
environment. The gather game used water to create something totally new. Small groups submerged
grow capsules in hot water and a sponge animal emerged! When we are baptized, we too are created
totally new; we became adopted sons and daughters of God. Just like in Mark 1:9-11, God the Father
looks at us and says, "You are my beloved daughter... you are my beloved son." Each of us is loved
absolutely and unconditionally by God. In order to live in this love, we must reject anything contrary to
that love. The skit "Baptism 101" was a fun way to review the teaching of the Night. Finally, Deacon
Louis, our special guest, led us in a renewal our baptismal promises.
Life Night "Mission Confirmed"
No one can forget Mrs. DeFant, as Master of Ceremonies, and Mr. Poage, as Special Keynote, in the
"Graduation Day Skit." Who knew they had such comedic talent?! Students, Ian and Seb, also gave
convincing performances. The Sacrament of Confirmation is not a Graduation from religious
education. It is a missionary mandate, an initiation, a call to evangelize. This Life Night challenged
misconceptions that Catholic education is "done" once we are confirmed. Learning about our faith is
never over. We must continue to seek out answers to questions we have about Church teachings and
challenge others, with love and respect, to see the lies our culture promises. At the end of the Night,
each of the classes (freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors) prayed over the others so that the Holy
Spirit would empower them in their mission as confirmed Catholics in our church.
"The Presence" Retreat for High School Students
This year's diocesan retreat hosted over 300 high school students. The live band, Full Armor, played
great music! We heard encouraging talks, personal testimonies, and spent lots of time with our
friends! Father David Meconi, writer and professor at St. Louis University, and Tommy Shultz,
Theology of the Body presenter and a senior at Franciscan University, were funny, knowledgeable,
and inspiring speakers. Our special guest, of course, was Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and
Reconciliation. Ten of our SJB Life Teens performed a dramatic skit to music depicting a teen's
struggle with sin and Jesus' constant love and presence in her life. Jesus takes her sins, puts them on
Himself, endures the cross and, in a flash of powerful light, He vanishes from the cross; He is
resurrected! This retreat is always a great way to supercharge our motivation to finish the school year
strong!
Life Night "Come Walk" Stations of the Cross
As we follow Jesus on the Way of the Cross, the fourteen stations arranged around the walls of the
church give us a glimpse into the tragic drama of the struggle between good and evil. This is not just a
sentimental story and we are not mere bystanders. At each stop along the journey, we are invited to
enter into the action and to respond in prayer. Encountering Christ in the Stations can help us to
overcome the temptation to selfishly turn in upon ourselves, or to isolate ourselves out of fear, and
inspire us to generously give ourselves to the Lord and to others. These meditations on the sufferings
of Christ and their applications are specifically written to touch a teen's experience.
Kalamazoo Diocesan Youth Rally "Faith Explosion: I Am Catholic!"
Speaker, musician, and teacher, Colin Maciver traveled from Covington, Louisiana to spend the day
with 300 middle school and high school students from around the Diocese of Kalamazoo. He was
engaging and funny but also had a very important message for us about God's plan for our lives,
listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and owning our Catholic faith. The break out sessions
included, "Latin is not DEAD," "Cracking the Code of Sacred Art," "Mass Fitness," etc. Adoration and
Reconciliation were offered throughout the day. Plus, you can't go wrong with homemade lasagna and
bread sticks for dinner, music with the S.O.S. Band, and Mass with Bishop Bradley!
Life Night "But... Why?"
The "WHY" gather game was simple but not easy; and sometimes frustrating. At the beginning of the
tournament, each student wrote their favorite hobby, food, etc. on an index card. Partner #1 shared
their favorite with Partner #2. Partner #2 responded, "Why?" Partner #1 had to answer as many times
as they could without starting with the word, "because," "um," pausing, or repeating answers. Then
Partner #2 had a turn. The number of questions each partner successfully answered was their score.
Do we play the "Why" game with our parents when it comes to attending Mass each week? The goal
of the Life Night was to provide teens a deeper understanding of the gift that Jesus Christ gave to us
in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not simply a symbol or tradition, but is the Body, Blood, Soul, and
Divinity of the risen Jesus Christ. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Christ himself and we
often take this reality for granted. We ended the Night with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Life Night "Be Made Well"
The two gather games were a light way to tackle a tough subject. In "Find a Physician," the teens
were told they had a sickness that was represented by water in their plastic cup. There was a "healer"
somewhere in the room that wanted to heal them of their sickness. Each partner had to share a
portion of the water in their cup with the other; then move to a new partner. The students knew they
had found the physician when the water in their cup changed color. In the "Nursery Rhyme
Completion" game, all rhymes were about some kind of suffering. i.e. Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill,
Itsy bitsy spider, etc. We live in a broken world; we see suffering all around us. The need for healing is
great; physical, emotional, and spiritual. We also live in a fallen world, so even after we come to know
Christ, we still must bear suffering, sickness, sin, and even death. Jesus is the Divine Physician and
has provided us with two sacraments to help restore us and bring us healing; the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Sick. By examining the story in John 5:2-9, we see that
Jesus asks, "Do you want to be well?" We have to answer this question too because it requires a
response from us. We ended the Night by praying for the sick of our parish.
Life Night "Totally Given"
What would be funnier than seeing ridiculous and outdated photos from your Life Teen core members'
wedding albums? What about pictures of Father Mathew as a young student in India? This Life Night
examined two Sacraments of Service and how these sacraments build up the church; Holy Matrimony
and Holy Orders. We played scooter kickball for our gather game. One additional player from each
team was designated the "body guard." In the outfield, his job was to distract, block, or intercept the
runner using only his body. He supported, protected the team, and guarded against runs that the
other team tried to make; much like a priest does for his congregation or a bishop does for his
diocese. Married spouses do the same for each other and for their children; support, protect, and
guard. Sacramental Grace is given to a couple in the Sacrament of Matrimony to perfect their love
and strengthen their bond with each other. A man, at his ordination in the Sacrament of Holy Orders,
receives the grace to consecrate himself totally to Christ and the service of His Church. We ended the
Night with prayers for Father Mathew, Deacon Louis, the diocesan seminarians, and the two couples
currently preparing for marriage at St. John Bosco Parish.
Life Night "Oversized"
Ever wonder what it would be like if board games were life-sized? We invited our new, incoming
freshman to this Life Teen social where we took a few simple games and brought them to life. We
played "Human Hungry, Hungry, Hippos," "Oversized Jenga Blocks," and "Giant Pick-Up Sticks." We
added team-building, carnival games like "One Ball" and "The Beam Walk." Then we competed in
bridge-building with marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. We ate pizza, played "Would You Rather,"
and listed to Scott speak German, Kris speak Polish, Duane speak French, and Song Yin speak
Chinese. We each bring our unique gifts and talents to Life Teen but we also have much in common.
Life Teen "Graduation Mass"
We celebrated seven of our seniors at the Graduation Mass this year. Six out of seven students are
the oldest child in their family, more than half of them will attend Western Michigan University in the
fall, and six will begin a college career while one will enter the military. We were reminded of three
things:
 "Faith is the answer to fear. Faith casts out fear as light casts out darkness," Kreeft. One way we
can be fearless in this world is by receiving the supernatural grace from Christ in the Eucharist.
 Freedom is a good thing. It allows us to choose to accept the love God wishes to share with us.
Freedom is often misunderstood and thought of as a free ticket to do anything we want. With your
freedom comes the ability to make destructive choices that affect, not only ourselves, but others
around us.
 As Catholics, we are not meant to simply be receivers of the Word and Sacraments and idle in the
world. Like the first apostles, we are sent into the world as witnesses to the Truth. We must get
involved (serve) in our parish, our community, and our world.
The Annual "Life Teen Bonfire" Games and friends, grilled hot dogs and burnt smores. Isn't that
what summertime is all about? We now look forward to the Steubenville Youth Conference at
Franciscan University in June and Home Town Mission at St. Margaret Church in July.