About Life Teen
Life Teen is a Catholic youth ministry organization that supports parish-based programming for middle school and high school teenagers. Founded in 1985 at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona, it has grown into an international movement serving parishes in 24 countries. Life Teen provides subscription-based Catholic curricula, summer camps, leadership formation, and Confirmation preparation resources to equip youth ministers, adult Core teams, and priests to evangelize teens into lifelong disciples. Its signature weekend model centers on a teen-focused Sunday Mass followed by a 'Life Night' of catechesis, community, and prayer.
Mission
As a Eucharist-centered movement within the Roman Catholic Church, Life Teen leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. With the Blessed Virgin Mary as our intercessor and guide, Life Teen seeks to unleash the fullness of the Sacramental power present within the young Church.
- Founded
- 1985
- Founder
- Dale Fushek (then-priest at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, AZ)
- Leader
- Randy Raus — President & CEO. The administrative team also includes Mark Hart (Executive Vice President & CIO), Steve Allgeyer (Vice President of Advancement), Joel Stepanek (Vice President of Parish Services), and Jason Ball (Vice President of Missions and Operations).
- Reach
- Life Teen reports 1,600+ parishes implementing Edge or Life Teen programs across 24 countries (including the United States, Canada, Haiti, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Germany, England, the Netherlands, South Africa, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, East Africa, and Uganda). More than 1,000,000 teens and adults combined attend a Life Night, Edge Night, or Purpose Confirmation session each week, attend Summer Camp, attend a Steubenville Youth Conference or the Life Teen Leadership Conference, participate in a weekly Youth Mass, or engage with Life Teen on social media.
- Serves
- Catholic middle school and high school teenagers and their families in Roman Catholic parishes, plus the adult youth ministers, priests, Core team members, and parents who minister to them.
Mission and Ministry
Life Teen describes itself as 'a Eucharist-centered movement within the Roman Catholic Church' whose mission is to lead teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. With the Blessed Virgin Mary as intercessor and guide, the movement seeks to unleash the fullness of the Sacramental power present within the young Church. Practically, that mission is lived out by empowering parishes — through subscription curricula, training, camps, and conferences — to evangelize teens into lifelong disciples.
- Eucharist-centered identity rooted in the Mass
- Mary as intercessor and guide
- Equipping youth ministers, Core teams, and priests
- Forming teens as lifelong disciples
History and Growth
Life Teen was established in April 1985 at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona, by then-priest Dale Fushek as a parish-based youth ministry centered on the Mass and a gathering called a 'Life Night.' In the early 1990s the model began spreading to parishes outside Arizona — including St. Ann Church in Marietta, Georgia, where youth minister Randy Raus helped implement Life Teen around 1992. Raus went on to become President and CEO of Life Teen, Inc. In 2003, Life Teen launched the Edge program for middle-school youth. Today the organization reports that 1,600+ parishes in 24 countries use Edge or Life Teen.
- 1985 — Life Teen Program begins at St. Timothy's Parish, Mesa, AZ
- Early 1990s — name 'Life Teen' spreads to parishes beyond Arizona
- 2003 — Edge middle school program launches
- Fall 2014 — Hidden Lake purchased as retreat center
- Current reach: 1,600+ parishes in 24 countries
Life Night Model
The signature Life Teen experience is built around a Sunday Mass geared toward teens and their families — with music and homilies aimed at young people — followed by a Life Night gathering. Life Nights come in three flavors: Catechetical (teaching the Catholic faith), Issue (real-life topics like chastity, gossip, and drinking), and Social (building friendships). Each Life Night follows the four-part flow of the Mass: Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. Teens are also trained in approved liturgical roles such as lectors, ushers, altar servers, greeters, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
- Life Nights: Catechetical, Issue, and Social
- Four-part flow: Gather, Proclaim, Break, Send
- Teen-led liturgical roles (lector, usher, altar server, greeter, EMHC)
- Weekly Youth Mass followed by the Life Night
Seven Core Values
Life Teen promotes seven core values that shape its programs and community life. Together they describe a youth ministry rooted in the Eucharist, marked by joy, honest relationships, and a call to evangelize every teenager.
- Eucharistic Spirituality — focus on the Mass and receiving Christ in the Eucharist
- Love — every teen is shown they are loved
- Joy — Jesus is a reason to be joyful and excited about life
- Affirmation — community members support and encourage one another
- Authenticity — teens are encouraged to live without a 'mask'
- Evangelization — 'every teenager deserves a chance to have a relationship with Jesus'
- Primary Vocation — adult leaders put family and primary responsibilities first
Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) Subscriptions
Life Teen's resources are delivered through its Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) platform at lifeteen.com/cym, sold by annual subscription so parishes always have current material. The middle-school Edge curriculum follows the pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, while the high-school Life Teen curriculum follows the USCCB framework for high school catechesis. The digital experience is centered on the Life Teen mobile app (iOS and Android), which hosts leader guides, schedules sessions, and pushes information to Core members, parents, and teens.
- Edge Support — middle school (Edge Nights, Small Group Guides, Retreats, Training)
- Life Teen Support — high school (Catechetical, Issue, Social Life Nights)
- Combo Support — Life Teen + Edge
- Premium Support — Combo + Purpose Confirmation + one conference registration
- Purpose Confirmation curriculum (24 sessions) included with Premium Support
- Three annual resource shipments plus digital library access
- Annual use of Life Teen and Edge names and logos
Purpose Confirmation Catechesis
Purpose is Life Teen's flagship Confirmation preparation curriculum. It is a 24-session, Kerygma-based program organized around three big questions: 'Why believe in God?', 'Why trust Jesus?', and 'Why belong to the Church?'. The curriculum is designed to move a teenager from unfounded belief (or disbelief) toward a committed relationship with Jesus lived out in the Catholic Church, and is offered in large group, small group, 8th-grade, and Spanish formats. It includes video, supplemental resources such as '100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know' and '100 Saints Every Catholic Teen Should Know,' a Scripture companion called 'Inspired,' a 'Foundations' series, and a parent/sponsor 'Story Guide.' Each session also has a lectionary-based 'Summit' small-group Bible study option.
- 24 sessions built on three core questions
- Large group, small group, 8th-grade, and Spanish formats
- Supplemental books: Inspired, Foundations, 100 Things, 100 Saints
- Lectionary-based Summit Bible study for every Sunday
- Parent and sponsor Story Guide
- Digital delivery through the Life Teen app
Life Teen Summer Camps
Life Teen runs one-week, Monday-through-Saturday summer camp sessions for both high school (Life Teen) and middle school (Edge). The flagship residential locations are Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia and Camp Hidden Lake in Dahlonega, Georgia; Life Teen also lists remote camps in California, Missouri, Texas, and other locations. Pricing is typically $625–$665 per participant, with an optional Away Day ($145) such as white-water rafting at Covecrest or kayaking/canoeing and zip-lining at Hidden Lake. The standard Core member-to-camper ratio is 1:8 gender specific, and the same price applies to campers and chaperones.
- Camp Covecrest — Tiger, GA (high school Life Teen weeks)
- Camp Hidden Lake — Dahlonega, GA (Edge and Life Teen weeks)
- Remote camps in CA, MO, TX, and beyond
- Life Teen camp: rising 9th graders through graduated seniors
- Edge camp: incoming 6th graders through outgoing 8th graders
- 1:8 gender-specific adult chaperone ratio
- Optional Away Day ($145) — rafting, kayaking, zip-lining
Camp Covecrest Retreat Center
Tucked away in the North Georgia mountains, Camp Covecrest at 25 Falls Drive, Tiger, GA has served parishes, schools, and groups for over 20 years as a Life Teen retreat center, mission base, and summer camp. Covecrest welcomes non-Catholic and non-Life Teen groups as well. Booking inquiries go to [email protected] or by phone at 706-782-5961.
- 25 Falls Drive, Tiger, GA 30576
- Phone: 706-782-5961
- Email: [email protected]
- Open to all denominations for retreats
Camp Hidden Lake Retreat Center
Purchased by Life Teen in fall 2014, Camp Hidden Lake at 830 Hidden Lake Rd., Dahlonega, GA is both a summer camp and a year-round Catholic retreat center for the greater Atlanta and North Georgia area. It features a 50-foot climbing wall, a low-ropes challenge course with 15 elements, a high-ropes 'Koala Course,' and lakefront activities including a rope swing, blob, water slides, boating, fishing, swimming, basketball, pickleball, beach volleyball, gaga ball, and field games.
- 830 Hidden Lake Rd., Dahlonega, GA 30533
- Phone: 706-867-0592
- Email: [email protected]
- Climbing wall, low ropes, Koala high-ropes course, lake activities
Life Teen Leadership Conference (LTLC)
The Life Teen Leadership Conference is a weeklong Catholic formation experience for rising juniors and seniors, designed to help them encounter Jesus, grow in leadership, and live as missionary disciples. It is hosted on the campus of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas — where Life Teen has exclusive use of the entire campus — and features daily Mass in the Abbey, prayer at the Marian Grotto, morning Bible studies, Liturgy of the Hours with the monks, XLT, breakout sessions, and parish small-group sessions. Teens who complete LTLC receive a Certificate of Catholic Leadership Formation usable for college applications, resumes, and leadership portfolios.
- Weeklong conference for rising juniors and seniors
- Held at Benedictine College, Atchison, KS
- Daily Mass in the Abbey; prayer at the Marian Grotto
- Certificate of Catholic Leadership Formation
- 2026 rates: $610 subscriber / $625 regular / $635 last chance
- Deposit: $100/person
Music, Liturgy, and the Sunday Youth Mass
Music and liturgy are central to the Life Teen movement. The Sunday Youth Mass is celebrated with music and homilies focused on teens, and teens are invited to be trained and commissioned in approved liturgical roles. The Life Teen / CYM subscription includes a Youth Liturgy Planning Guide with song suggestions and a Summit leader guide for every Sunday Mass, plus lectionary-based discipleship Bible study options that align with the liturgical year.
- Youth Liturgy Planning Guide for every Sunday
- Summit lectionary-based small-group Bible study
- Teen liturgical roles: lectors, ushers, altar servers, greeters, EMHC
- Resources in English and Spanish
Leadership and Staff
Life Teen is headed by a five-member administrative team. Randy Raus serves as President & CEO; Mark Hart is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer; Steve Allgeyer is Vice President of Advancement; Joel Stepanek is Vice President of Parish Services; and Jason Ball is Vice President of Missions and Operations. The organization also maintains offices in Mesa, AZ; Atlanta, GA; and St. Louis, MO.
- Randy Raus — President & CEO
- Mark Hart — Executive Vice President & CIO
- Steve Allgeyer — VP of Advancement
- Joel Stepanek — VP of Parish Services
- Jason Ball — VP of Missions and Operations
Get Involved
There are several ways parishes, teens, and adults can engage with Life Teen. Parishes can subscribe to Edge Support, Life Teen Support, Combo Support, or Premium Support through CatholicYouthMinistry.com. Teenagers can register for Life Teen Summer Camp at Covecrest or Hidden Lake, or attend the Life Teen Leadership Conference at Benedictine College. Groups of any denomination can book retreats at Camp Covecrest or Camp Hidden Lake. Job postings, including a Life Teen Summer Camp Social Media Intern role, are posted at lifeteen.com/cym/job_posts. Direct contact is available through the Life Teen main office at 480-820-7001.
- Subscribe a parish at lifeteen.com/cym
- Register teens for Summer Camp at Covecrest or Hidden Lake
- Send rising juniors/seniors to the Life Teen Leadership Conference
- Book a retreat at Covecrest or Hidden Lake
- Apply for jobs and internships (e.g., Social Media Intern)
- Contact the main office: 480-820-7001
