Greetings from beautiful Camp Covecrest! Camp starts next week, and you should see it here! We cannot wait for campers to arrive.

In addition to camp, the Catholic Youth Ministry Training Convention is only a few weeks away.  An important update: the event is now at capacity. Over 560 of you are registered for the largest convention we will ever have.

We apologize for those that have tried to register and were asked to go to the waiting list. At this point, we do not have the space to accommodate any more. If you would like to register, but are unable to, here is what we are working on for the future:

(1) We encourage you to attend the Life Teen Fall Training Conference in October. This event in San Antonio features many of the same elements as our convention, and it is located at an incredible parish in San Antonio. Registration is now open!

(2) We are actively looking to increase venue space for the 2014 convention and beyond. While we love having a full house, we hate turning people away!

In the meantime, sign up for this year’s waiting list and we will let you know of any cancellations.

Praying for a great summer!

- Chris

The Life Teen Leadership Conference is a little over a month away!

We are eagerly praying and preparing for the best conference ever. Below is the link to the most up to date and detailed schedule. You’ll find all of the times and session titles so you can plan your week.

Download Schedule Here

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

- Chris and the Events Team

Convention is just over a month away! We received word that our block of rooms at the Doubletree Resort has just filled. Rest assured, we have additional rooms available for you at a neighboring hotel. Here are all the details:

Chaparral Suites
5001 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Phone Number: 1-800-528-1456

• Refer to the Life Teen Training Convention when making reservations
• The room rate is $85 per night, which includes breakfast
• Chaparral Suites is about 0.5 mile from the Doubletree Resort
• A morning and evening shuttle will be available between the two properties

If you have not registered yet for convention, now is the time! We just passed 400 registrations and are well on our way to a full house of 550. Looking forward to seeing you there!

-Chris

If you are anything like me, you like to plan ahead. In just a little over a month, we will have our annual Catholic Youth Ministry Training Convention. With over 350 of you already registered, we are tracking considerably ahead of last year. Because of this, we are anticipating a sell out of 550 guests over the next few weeks. We encourage you to register today!

So whether you have registered already or are planning to come and have not, download the latest and greatest convention schedule below.

Download Schedule Here

It will help you plan your days and decide which breakout sessions you want to attend.

Let us know if you have any questions. We are looking forward to an incredible few days in Scottsdale!

-Chris

Can you believe it, May 1 is next week? Once May hits, summer is just around the corner. And, we couldn’t be more excited for what summer is going to bring.

From the mud pits, to the Masses, to Adoration – transformation and encounters will happen all over the world this summer!

With summer approaching though, we have to pause and thing about the awesome events taking place after summer as well. Registration will open for these events by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 1. In addition, you will see a nice refresh of the current website just in time for the final summer rush.

As a reminder, the following events will open on May 1:

• Inspiration San Antonio (August 10)
• Life Teen Musician’s Training Retreat (September 25-27)
• Life Teen Fall Training Conference (October 13-16)
• Inspiration Los Angeles (November 2)
• Twelve Empower trainings all over the country

As always, the Events Team will be ready to assist you with any questions you may have.

Until then, have a great weekend!

-Chris

We are excited to announce that Life Teen is partnering with Matt Maher to host a CD Release Concert for his new CD “And All The People Said Amen.”

The concert will take place on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:00pm. The venue is incredible! Home of XLT Atlanta, the concert will take place at All Saints Catholic Church “Studio One” in Dunwoody, Georgia (near Atlanta).

Tickets are only $10 and copies of Matt’s new CD will be available for purchase as well. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Event Webpage:

donate.lifeteen.com/mattmaher

We couldn’t be more excited for this day. If you are within driving distance of Atlanta, pack your car, and buy tickets today!

- Chris Turner

God’s Perfect Plan

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11).  This Scripture verse has always been one of my favorites, as I tend to need the constant reminder of God’s love and perfect plan for my life.  As I reflect on the past several months of my life, it is so evident that once again the Lord has proven His faithfulness and held true to the promise He makes in this passage.

Why would a small town girl from Maine uproot everything and move far away to the great big city of Atlanta in the deep south?  You know, I’ve sort of been asking myself the same question during the moving process.  But the answer is simple: in response to the Lord’s invitation.  In a lot of ways I feel like Abraham, venturing out into the great unknown, leaving all that is known and familiar, to follow God’s plan for my life.  But here’s the beautiful thing: the Lord knows me and my desires so well that His invitation to be a part of the mission of Life Teen by serving on the Events Team made my heart come alive.  My heart knew from the first moment the opportunity surfaced that this is exactly where God is calling me to be.  In fact, when I was graduating from high school and was asked the ever-so-frequent question, “What do you want to do with your life?” my response every single time was, “Coordinate the Steubenville conferences or coordinate Life Teen events.”  And now here I am, not even 10 years later, being invited by the Lord to do both of those things in my new position as Assistant Events Director.  It blows my mind to see how faithful He is in fulfilling the desires He places on our hearts!  So how could I not say yes to the plan God designed for me?  How could I not trust in the plan of the One who knows my heart so intimately?  And that is why this small town Maine girl is here in Georgia excited to begin a new chapter serving with Life Teen.

So who is this small town Maine girl anyway?  I grew up a cradle Catholic, very blessed to have authentically Catholic parents who loved Christ and His Church and taught me to do the same.  Being the only girl with four brothers, I’ll admit I have a bit of the “princess gene” and enjoy the finer things of life like dinner at a fancy restaurant, mansions on the ocean, and a good cup of coffee.  I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville and graduated with degrees in Catechetics, Theology, & Child Development in 2009.  After working for a year as campus minister and music minister at a large state college in Illinois, I returned to my home Diocese in Portland, Maine, to work as Events Coordinator for the Diocesan Office of Lifelong Faith Formation where for the past several years I found much joy coordinating Diocesan-wide faith formation events for all ages.  On my desk, spreadsheets, detailed lists, and color-coded calendars abound.  My multi-colored gel pen set is quite possibly my most valued possession.  The ocean, mountains, and other places of natural beauty make my heart rejoice.  I’ve paraglided in the Swiss Alps, swam in the Mediterranean, spelunked in Austria, ridden a camel in Israel, eaten octopus in Spain, windsurfed in the Bahamas, and ever since studying abroad in Europe, can’t seem to shake the travel bug.  My life has been blessed and I’m excited to see what the Lord has planned in this new adventure!

Join me in welcoming Sarah Houde to the Events Team. We are excited!
- Chris Turner

***

It’s not easy being a man . . .

“Amen!” every man replies, noting that “amen” is, obviously, a masculine term in and of itself. (Not really, given its Hebrew derivative, but go with me here.)

Think about it:

Who gets alerted when the spider needs to be killed or the weeds whacked? The man.

Who gets awoken out of a dead sleep when it’s time to fix a leaky roof, plunge a clogged toilet, wet vac a flooded basement, or stop a ninja from burglarizing the house? The man.

Who gets called and asked how to work the universal remote so not to miss recording a crappy romantic “dramedy” (dramatic comedy, that is) which he will later be forced to watch under the threat of perpetual married celibacy? That’s right, the man.

My upbringing and story, my brothers, is much like your own. Allow me to explain . . .

I slept on a bed of thorns with a rock for a pillow . . . because I’m a man.

I built my house using only a Swiss Army knife . . . because I’m a man.

I flossed with barbed wire and I peed turpentine . . . because I’m a man.

I showered in acid rain and I use chlorine for mouthwash . . . because I’m a man.

I wrestled gators for morning exercise and then ate them for breakfast . . . because I’m a man.

I shaved with the fang of a cobra and swam with a piranha when I needed my hair cut . . . because I’m a man.

I knelt on shards of glass when I prayed, reciting the Scriptures from memory . . . because I’m a man.

And that one time that people thought I cried in public (after the police must have obviously dispersed invisible tear gas) in the delivery room, moments after my daughter was born . . . those weren’t tears, they were beads of sweat from having to do the hard part during delivery.

(We pause the blog at this point to apologize to my wife for that last comment. Obviously the doctor had the hardest job that day. Just kidding, again, honey. Yes, I’ll go sleep in the guest room now.)

To my brothers who are still reading this (and to any sisters in Christ who are creeping on this blog obviously written just for men), allow me to speak realistically and sincerely for a minute.

The world has given us a jacked-up vision of “true manhood.” We live in an age where men get applauded simply for “showing up” inside a church or for not being addicted to pornography. Praise for such things is just ridiculous.

I love my wife and kids and am not ashamed to say it. I love being married, too, which I don’t believe we hear men utter enough publicly. Additionally, I believe that if you have to tell someone how hard you work, you don’t. I believe that if you have to tell someone a joke is funny, it’s clearly not. I believe the designated hitter is a far greater sports travesty than a mulligan and that if you didn’t get choked up during either “The Natural,” “Hoosiers,” or “Brian’s Song” then not only are you not a man . . . you need to consult your cardiologist to see if you even have a pulse.

Most importantly, I believe in a God who believes in me. I kneel before a Savior – your Savior – Jesus Christ who died for me, who looked through my unworthiness and declared worth. And I follow a Spirit who, daily, sets before me a steep, treacherous and often unpopular path of virtue. Most days I fail; some days I don’t.

What keeps me walking and ascending the spiritual mountain is not only my love for Christ but my spiritual brothers who don’t let me settle for less than I am designed to be. I need accountability. I need guys who are willing to kick me in the butt when I’m lazy in my prayer, my exercise, my marriage, or my fatherhood.

And I need to go on retreat at least once a year . . . to take a weekend or more when no one “needs” anything from me. No early morning emails or late night texts. No stress of deadlines or frustration when others miss theirs. A weekend where I can just be a son of God and not fulfill all the earthly duties that come with being a husband and father, boss or co-worker. Ironically, I need to retreat in order to advance.

If you’re anything like me . . . if you’re a man seeking to become a better man, I’d like to invite you to retreat, too. Find a retreat near you. Get out of the office and get back to God. Infact, there are a few spots currently remaining for our annual Life Teen Men’s Retreat. It is a weekend that has the power to forever change your life and vocation.

Like with anything in a busy life, there are always a hundred other things you could or “should” be doing but it’s when we make time for God, the Author of Life, that life, in general, will make better sense and actually become what it’s designed to be.

I go on retreat . . . because I’m a man (pursuing God). I encourage you to retreat, too.

Your brother in Christ,

Mark

P.S. Confession – there was no tear gas in that delivery room any of the times, nor in the basilica in which i was married, nor at the innumerable Conferences or Retreats or Ordinations or Weddings in which I’ve seen young people fearlessly give their hearts and pledge their lives to Christ.

Yes, I’ve wept publicly on those and many more occasions – and so did Jesus, so back off (John 11:35).

***

I couldn’t be more excited for the Life Teen Winter Training Conference schedule! Take a look to view all of the breakout options and general sessions. It is going to be an incredible few days.

1. If you are already registered, download it and game plan your days!
2. If you are still wondering if you should register, now is the time! Flights are still reasonable. Invest in your ministry to teens with this conference!

Speaking at this year’s conference:

• Randy Raus, President/CEO of Life Teen
• Mark Hart, Executive Vice President of Life Teen
• Steve Allgeyer, Vice President of Life Teen
• Matt Smith, Vice President of Life Teen
• Joe Chernowski, Eastern Regional Director of Life Teen
• Chris Turner, Events Director of Life Teen
• Sarah Kroger Band
• Local friends and ministry leaders

See you at the beach!

Peace,
Chris Turner
Events Director

- Chris Turner

I’m gonna go ahead and admit something right off the bat. When I was a youth minister, I never wanted to bring my teens to summer camp.

Let me repeat that.

Never.

Weekend retreats? Great.
Leadership Conferences? Perfect.
Training Conferences for me? Wonderful.
But 6 days of summer camp with my teens?
No, no, no, no, no!

I didn’t want to get dirty.
I didn’t want to play messy games.
And, believe it or not, my back did not want to “sleep” for 6 days on some lousy plastic mattress that would leave it begging for the therapeutic qualities of anything I could rest on at the Motel 6.

I did everything I could to avoid summer camp.

But, wow, those Life Teen Staff Members were persistent.

They tried every trick in the book to guilt me into…I mean convince me that I needed to bring my teens to summer camp.

“Ok fine. So, what dates do you have available at Covecrest?”

“Oh…um…Covecrest is sold out. You should take them to Tepeyac.”

“WHAT?!?”

So, there I was, in my sixth year of Youth Ministry, reluctantly taking my teens to Summer Camp at Tepeyac in Northern Arizona. And you know what? It was one of the best decisions I made during my entire career as a Youth Minister.

As a Life Teen Staff Member, you probably expect me to say that you should take your teens to summer camp, but what I am about to say may shock you. Now, keep in mind, that I may be the only Staff Member who feels this way, but I believe that Tepeyac is a better summer camp than Covecrest.

And, here are 5 reasons why I think you should take your teens to summer camp at Tepeyac this year:

1. 2 Ropes Courses. Camp Tepeyac has 2 amazing Ropes Courses. There is the Tango Tower and the High Ropes Course (which has 2 levels). There are also a lot of elements, allowing for more teens on the course at the same time.
2. The Weather. One of the biggest misconceptions about Camp Tepeyac is that it’s in the desert. Yes, it is in Arizona, but technically it’s not in the desert. It’s up in the mountains of Northern Arizona, where the temperature is much cooler, and there is still minimal humidity, making for a gorgeous week.
3. Paintball. Now, I know you love all your teens, but do you ever have one or two that annoy you a little bit? Here’s your chance to get them. All kidding aside, paintball is a lot of fun. It’s safe. It’s supervised, and playing in the forest makes for an awesome setting.
4. Relational Ministry. At the heart of all youth ministry is a relationship. Six days with your teens at Camp Tepeyac can do more for your relationship with them than an entire semester of Life Nights. Some of my greatest leadership teens started their journey with Christ at camp. Many of them would say that without Camp Tepeyac, they don’t know where they’d be.
5. The Sacraments. Ultimately, the goal of any youth minister is to bring teens to Jesus Christ fully present in the Eucharist. Is there a better way to do that than 6 days at camp with Daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, opportunities for Confession, Liturgy of the Hours, praise and worship, powerful talks by great speakers, and authentic small group discussions? Jesus is alive at Camp Tepeyac, and He will be alive in your teens when you return home.

I never wanted to take my teens to summer camp, especially at Tepeyac. But after seeing the many ways God moved in my teens’ souls, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I request to host a week every year at Tepeyac and am excited to do so again this year. I’d love to have you and your teens join us for one of our four weeks at Tepeyac. Would you consider joining us? It could be one of the most transformational decisions you ever make for your youth ministry.

Question: What is your favorite part about summer camp?