Saint Alexis Catholic Church | 10090 Old Perry Highway | Wexford, PA 15090 | 724.935.4343 | Fax 724.935.1270

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LIFE TEEN

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CONTACTYOUTH MINISTRY DOWNLOADSBULLETINS/PARISH DOWNLOADS ABOUT Page 1

fall 11 flyer.pdf

fall retreat flyer.pdf

2011-12 permission form.pdf

serve details.pdf

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Vision

Our Vision

St. Alexis LIFE TEEN will strive to create a safe and healthy environment where teens can experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an exciting and relevant way. We desire to connect teens to Christ and His Body, the Church. We wish to rise up a new generation of Catholic saints that will commit boldly to the way of Jesus Christ. In fostering this commitment, it is our belief that the youth of our community will live lives of leadership, prayer, action, and holiness. To put it concisely, we desire to show the lost the way to Jesus Christ and to help develop youth into bold Christian leaders.

Core Values

We are striving as youth group towards:

COMMUNITY- supporting and encouraging one another along our faith journey

OUTREACH- inviting people to be a part of our community

DISCIPLESHIP- learning how to be disciples of Jesus and imitating Him

SERVICE- serving the poor and vulnerable both locally and around the world

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SUNDAY NIGHT
PIZZA FRIDAY
GUYS AND GIRLS NIGHT
FALL RETREAT
SERVE
NACA

SUNDAY NIGHT 6 PM Life Teen MassEVERY SUNDAY JOIN US FOR OUR SUNDAY PARISH MASS GEARED TOWARDS OUR TEENS TO LET THEM KNOW HOW VALUED THEY ARE.Sunday Night Live SNLSNL is our normal Sunday Night Youth Group. It begins with Dinner, followed by prayer, a talk, and consistent small groups.

PIZZA FRIDAY Pizza FridaysSeptember 2, 16, 23, October 14, 28Join us for Pizza, music, and video games after the NA and PR football games on the Fridays listed above. You don't need to go to the game to join us. Pizza Friday's go from about 9:45 to midnight.

GUYS AND GIRLS NIGHT Guys and Girls NightJoin us every Wednesday for Guys and Girls night. Girls night is always at the Lesnefsky Residence, the location of Guys night changes. Girls night is from 6:30-8:30. Guys night begins _ 6:30 and finish time depends on the activity.

FALL RETREAT

Fall Retreat

fall retreat flyer.pdf

SERVE

Serve

serve details.pdf

SERVE- the Leadership and ministry initiative for 10th, 11th, and 12th gradersHere’s what you are invited to: We want you as Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors to know that you have a very important place here as a part of St. Alexis LIFE TEEN. We want to invite you to be a part of the ministry team of St. Alexis LIFE TEEN. You are invited to be a part of SERVE- our leadership and ministry initiative. Basis info about SERVE: •Our Serve Meetings will be on the following dates:Sunday Nov. 20 from 3-4:30 PMSunday December 18 from 1-2:30 PM Leadership Overnight Sat. Jan. 7-8 Leaving at 7:30 AM, Skiing at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and staying at Heritage ReservationSunday Feb 19 from 1:30-3 PMMarch 18 from 2-4 PMApril 15 from 2-4 PMMay will close with a wrap up dinner on Thursday May 24•COST FOR THE PROGRAM- includes overnight and book is $25 – Prices for Skiing and Snow boarding are $20 lift ticket, $10 for rentals, and $10 for TubingHere’s the commitment for SERVE: Regular church and youth group attendance. Attendance at either or both the fall retreat or spring retreat Attendance at either or both the Mission trip or NorthBay trip Personal growth through bible study and prayer. A bi-weekly meeting with an adult mentor Paired up with other SERVE member as accountability/prayer partner Completing regular reading assignmentsTRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT DETAILSBi-Monthly Leadership meetings Prayer time Discussion on assigned reading Ministry Reports/Decisions Training Working in Ministry Area Teams

NACA

NACA stands for North Allegheny Christian Association. Its a short bible study that meets before school in the chorus room at NAI on Wednesdays at 7:10 and Fridays at NASH at 7:10. Join us for a short time of prayer, song, and bible study. Its a great way to start the school day. Invite a friend- open to Christians of all denominations.

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ANDY LESNEFSKY
SARAH NICKEL
AMY WEIXEL
KATHERINE LESNEFSKY
MIKE REID
MATT HECKMANN
RACHEL PETERS
CRAIG MAURO
TOM CLOGAN

ANDY LESNEFSKY

OCCUPATION:director of youth ministry _ saint alexis churchBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:2002FAVORITE TV SHOWS:saved by the bell, seventh heaven, the wigglesINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:had a three-legged dog name Kiwi, once paraglided in the swiss alps, and I've run four marathons.ALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:got stiches because of a fish fry mishap several years ago, broke my nose and had to get surgery after a retreat with middle school students.

SARAH NICKEL

SARAH J. NICKELS

OCCUPATION:therapistBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:2008FAVORITE TV SHOWS:doogie howser, full house, lary king live, fresh prince of bellairINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:i am obsessed with twitter. check me out- i am the nickelator. tweet. tweet.ALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:almost died whitewater rafting with middle school students.

AMY WEIXEL

OCCUPATION:teacherBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:grew up at st. alexis, became part of core 2009FAVORITE TV SHOWS:dora the explorer, real sports with bryan gumbel, who's the boss?, prison breakINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:I like to dance and ice skate. i have 12 tamagotchis that I have kept alive since 1998.ALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:I was a bit clutsy in high school and seemed to often get injured walking into things, tripping on other things, or falling over small obstacles. I bought a Wii fit and learned to have a better center of balance and have had 7 injury free days in 2010!

KATHERINE LESNEFSKY

OCCUPATION:Mom of two wonderful kidsBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:2002FAVORITE TV SHOWS:what not to wear, sports center, anything sports related, american idolINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:born in canada, grew up in england, played netball in grade school, and i am an expert at the wii fitALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:dubbed the first lady of youth ministry. got my teaching start at st. alexis. tea time with God.

MIKE REID

MIKE "BARABBAS" REID

OCCUPATION:student at duquesneBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:grew up at st. alexis, became part of core 2009FAVORITE TV SHOWS:ripley's believe it or not, america's funniest videos, family matters, family tiesINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:i have more nicknames than the average human. call me barabbas, tim fran, mike, michael, barbar, just don't call me late for dinner. also my mom was a founding member of st. alexisALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:i brought brake dancing and the asian invasion to st. alexis

MATT HECKMANN

OCCUPATION:professional wrestler / undercover NARC at Duquesne UniversityBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:grew up at st. alexis, became part of core 2010FAVORITE TV SHOWS:say yes to the dress, sponge bob, icarly, the backyardigans, the young and the restlessINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:I am the funniest, best looking, and most humble of my brothers (I am a quadrulipet)ALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:where do I start?

RACHEL PETERS

OCCUPATION:human resources assistantBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:2006FAVORITE TV SHOWS:law and order, trl, i love the 80's, fraggle rock, star trek, america's most wantedINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:i am an aspiring political scientist (according to a recent study, there is a 6% chance I will take over the world)ALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:part of the first ever st. alexis dance off/dance party on the bus back from springfield, missouri.

CRAIG MAURO

OCCUPATION:student at pittBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:grew up at st. alexis, became part of core 2009FAVORITE TV SHOWS:ellen, perfect strangers, family matters, the hills, american idolINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:i am a seventh degree wizard, i attend a LAN party atleast once a week, i can bench 224 pounds, and my mom is my best friendALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:world youth day in spain, sofball allstar, also was once awaken on a fall retreat by a cold bucket of water being thrown on me

TOM CLOGAN

OCCUPATION:teacherBEEN A PART OF ST. ALEXIS LIFE TEEN SINCE:grew up at st. alexis, became part of core 2010FAVORITE TV SHOWS:the amazing race, dancing with the stars, Oprah, Dr. Oz, Judge JudyINTERESTING FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:I represented Pitt an the International Math and Science SuperbowlALL STAR MOMENTS AT ST. ALEXIS:I coached to the St. Alexis Beggars to their most wins ever in 2011. They were awesome- thanks to my awesome coaching.

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Dirty Vagabond Ministries

DIRTY VAGABOND MINISTRIES- our partner ministry

Dirty Vagabond Ministries is our partner ministry here at St. Alexis Life Teen . Here's a little about them:Our Mission: Our mission is to provide effective, Catholic youth ministry to urban communities. We accomplish this goal as we mentor inner-city youth in a holistic model of relational ministry.Our Anthem: As Dirty Vagabond Ministries we strive to live radically the model of Christs incarnation: to be Christ among the people. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14)OUR CORE VALUES:• We believe that every person deserves Christ. Failure to bring Him to the marginalized, or in this case urban America, is failure on the part of the Church.• We believe that urban outreach happens most effectively in the midst of community.• We believe in a holistic approach to ministry, and so we will empower youth with the resources to develop faith, character, knowledge, and life skills.• We believe in developing catechetical structures appropriate to the context in which we serve.• We believe in raising up young people who will remain in urban communities as pastoral leaders.• We believe in calling youth to Sainthood.• We believe that greatest intimacy with Christ is found in the Sacramental life of the Church.WHY DOES DIRTY VAGABOND MINISTRIES EXIST?THE NEEDIt has been our experience that most, youth ministry programs fail to reach a critically important demographic of young people in Americainner city teenagers. Unfortunately youth ministry has become a big business of sort in modern Christianity, and urban communities are often forgotten. There are two main reasons that we see this happening;• First because of the communitys lack of resources to pay for youth workers/ programming,• Secondly because of the Churchs lack of vision regarding the importance of these communities.At times it seems as if we are able to callously write off urban communities, yet we cannot deny the powerful sway of urban culture on youth culture as a whole. White teens, far from the inner-city streets, are influenced by the slang, fashion, and music of urban culture. Because of urban Americas undeniable sway on culture, we are now seeing the pain, hopelessness, and anger of the urban youth reflected in rural and suburban areas. We can no longer afford to treat urban youth ministry as an after thought ministry. Our efforts to win over these inner-city communities for Christ - will take more than a spring break service trip. The situation demands ours attention and more soour lives.We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well.1 Thessalonians 2:8.This verse sums up the spirit of Dirty Vagabond Ministries.THE DIRTY VAGABOND PLANAs Dirty Vagabond Ministries we strive to live radically the model of Christs incarnation: to be Christ among the people.(John 1:14)Whether it is urban, suburban, or rural the key to effective youth ministry is always relationships.Also, understanding that the transmitting of the Gospel is essential, and that the substance of that transmitting does not change; we should also understand that how that happens will look different dependant on the culture receiving the Gospel. Despite this fact as a church, we often still present a canned, suburban model of ministry to the urban church. Though these traditional models continually fail in inner-city areas, we are puzzled and dismayed at the gaping absence of multi-ethnic, urban - pastors, youth ministers, speakers, and church professionals.Dirty Vagabond Ministries aims at raising these leaders in a grassroots effort and incarnational model of ministry. All ministry that happens in Dirty Vagabond Ministries, happens in conversation, relationship, and recreation, as opposed to formal youth group functions. Though our goal is the same as any Catholic youth ministry program - raising saints, rooted in the sacramental life of the Church - our approach is different. The centerpiece of Dirty Vagabond Ministries is its community centers. These centers, located in the heart of urban communities, are a place where youth workers live, and catechesis happens, in the midst of holistic ministry focusing on the physical, educational, emotional, and spiritual needs of the young people. The Dirty Vagabond youth workers live as missionaries, volunteering 3 to 5 years of their lives to be Christ among the people.THE DIRTY VAGABOND DIFFERENCEMost youth ministry models operate in a shotgun fashion:• Target the Gospel to as many people as possible in the hopes of hitting some.In a different approach, Dirty Vagabond Ministries is seeking very purposefully to:• Mentor and Disciple leaders.Our goal will never be to put on an event of large-scale proportions or to boast of massive numbers coming to functions. The objective rather, over time, will be to raise up a generation of urban leaders. This mission is fundamentally different from most urban outreach programs because our intent is not to bring up a group of young leaders in the hopes to get them out of the ghetto and on to a better life. Our aim rather, is to raise pastoral leaders in the urban church with the intent on keeping them in urban communities to mentor others. This model, though slow growing, will in the long-term be more fruitful and will ultimately create a cycle that will naturally grow new leaders. As this happens, the ministry will be able to open more centers in more communities.THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCEIf the church holds back from culture, the Gospel itself falls silent(Pope John Paul II).Too often the Gospel falls silent when it is presented to people in a way that neglects their culture and background. The configuration of urban life and the inner-city community looks very different than that of its suburban counterparts. Whereas suburban life may be just as chaotic as that of urban America the structure or lack thereof, is entirely dissimilar.• The youth in urban areas are more often raised by single parents. These parents are more often absent from the events of their childrens day to day lives.• High school drop out rates in urban areas are staggering. This affects not only the level of their education but also their perspective on the importance of this kind of structured event in their lives.• Ultimately the uninvolved parent is not going to encourage their teen to go to youth group, and the teen whose life is devoid of structure and motivation is not going to sign up for a religious education class. The street becomes their classroom. The people around them become their youth group.• Dirty Vagabond Ministries strives to be that classroom, to be their youth group as we bring Christ to their world in the midst of relationships and community.

Dirty Vagabond - How Much Can be Done in a Year?

LT HOMEVISIONEVENTSCOREDIRTY VAGABOND MINISTRIES

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