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Author Archives: Matt Smith

Matt Smith

Matt Smith is the Director of Internet Ministries for Life Teen, an international Catholic youth ministry based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the creative force behind Life Teen’s cluster of websites that receive nearly 2 million visits a year. Since staring on MTV’s “Real World” and MTV’s “Road Rules Challenge”, Matt has traveled the country speaking at colleges, universities, schools, and Catholic parishes. Matt married his long-time girlfriend Candyce in the spring of 2007. They are now the proud parents of their baby daughter, Norah Grace.

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JPCatholic University: Answering the Call of the New Evangelization

by Matt Smith on August 16, 2010 | View Comments
This summer I had a talk with Martin Harold from San Diego's John Paul II Catholic University after learning the school is kick-starting their MBA program. As an MBA student myself, I was curious to see what they're up to.
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The Thinking Behind the New LifeTeen.com

by Matt Smith on July 23, 2010 | View Comments
Earlier this summer at the Life Teen Training Convention we launched the new LifeTeen.com in front of a crowd of 620 people. If you weren’t able to make it to the event, let me share with you what the new LifeTeen.com is all about. We started the redesign of LifeTeen.com earlier this spring by surveying a combined 600 teens and adults who are regular visitors of the website. We asked for honest answers to tough questions about how much they liked the old website. What’s good? What’s bad? What are we totally missing?
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Extreme Makover: John 23rd Cabin at Camp Covecrest

by Matt Smith on May 3, 2010 | View Comments
I just got an email from my dad showing all of their work over at Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia. They've spent several months rethinking the old John 23rd Villa to make it more comfortable without losing its historic charm. Take a look at the new photos!
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The Decade’s Best Praise & Worship Songs, Part 2

by Matt Smith on April 15, 2010 | View Comments
If you've already read my first blog, you know that I believe that good music is a critical component of Catholic Youth Ministry. That's why I'm sharing my top 20 favorite praise and worship songs of the decade. In today's blog, I am sharing songs 11-20, in no particular order
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The Decade’s Best Praise & Worship Songs, Part 1

by Matt Smith on April 8, 2010 | View Comments
For most people in Catholic Youth Ministry, summers are packed with youth conferences, summer camps, and mission trips. These are exciting times for your teens because they can get out of town for an summertime adventure with their peers. But in a more profound way, these events give many teens their first opportunity to experience the living God, a God who is real and loves them very much. This big experience is narrated with big music that touches their hearts in a way that their everyday iPod music never has.
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Love Life Dating Podcast 1.08 – Sexual Mistakes

by Matt Smith on March 30, 2010 | View Comments
I made a big sexual mistake... what do I do now? How do I move on, and how do I deal with how I feel?
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Interview with Life Teen Area Contact John Vasellina

by Matt Smith on March 22, 2010 | View Comments
I recently took a trip to visit St. Raphael Parish in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. Before I spoke to the Confirmation Group that night, I sat in the office of veteran Youth Minister John Vasellina to talk about how he’s stayed strong through his many years in Catholic Youth Ministry.
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Catholic Youth Ministry Show, Episode 6

by Matt Smith on March 11, 2010 | View Comments
Mark Hart gives the details on Life Teen’s new Catholic Teen Bible.  Eric Porteous talks about how a network of Life Teen staff is here to help parishes start and maintain quality Catholic Youth Ministry. Finally, Kevin Hickey explains the importance of middle school ministry. View on mobile device Subscribe via iTunes
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Photos from Our Life Teen Missionaries in Haiti

by Matt Smith on March 9, 2010 | View Comments
Some of you may've read in a recent blog that Life Teen Missionary Eric Martin and Life Teen Board Member Stephen Smith traveled to Haiti to help with relief effort following the earthquake. I spent time with both Eric and Stephen (my dad) this past weekend at the Life Teen staff retreat at Covecrest. It was very moving to hear stories from their journey to Haiti. I wanted to share some photos from their trip.
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Cool New Features on CatholicYouthMinistry.com

by Matt Smith on March 4, 2010 | View Comments
Before we all travel to Covecrest for our annual Life Teen Staff Retreat, I wanted to give you all a quick update about four new features on CatholicYouthMinistry.com... 1) Better Search 2) New Edge Resources 3) Better Access to Resources 4) Jobs.
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Special Podcast: Interview with Mark Hart about His New Book “Finding Yourself in Scripture”

by Matt Smith on March 3, 2010 | View Comments
Earlier this week I sat down with our own Mark Hart to talk about Life Teen's new book called Finding Yourself in Scripture. This is an exciting new book that will help young people better relate to individuals in the Bible. In the book Mark tells the stories of the Bible's babysitters and rock stars, kings and queens, daydreamers and warriors, heroes and angels. This is good stuff!
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Love Life Dating Podcast 1.06 – Dating And Marriage

by Matt Smith on March 2, 2010 | View Comments
Does it all have to be about marriage? I'm 16, can't I just date? Can't I have a relationship without 'discerning' marriage? I'm in high school and that's years away... These are all the questions we answer on this episode of LoveLife.
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Catholic Youth Ministry Show, Episode 5

by Matt Smith on February 22, 2010 | View Comments
Randy Raus shares Life Teen's Missionary Heart, Kevin Hickey, our new Edge Coordinator, shares what it's like to live with missionaries, and Lisa Epperson talks about our new Life Teen and Edge subscription options. Also, Lisa lets all the ladies know about two cool retreats just for them, the Life Teen Women's Retreat and Life Teen Women's Day of Reflection.
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LoveLife Dating Podcast, 1.05 – How Far is Too Far?

by Matt Smith on February 16, 2010 | View Comments
On this episode of LoveLife, we answer the most popular dating question you asked us: how far is too far? The panel and I tackle the real world question of what's okay and what's not in the world of kissin', huggin', and holdin' hands.
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Update from Life Teen Missionaries in January

by Matt Smith on February 9, 2010 | View Comments
Some of you may have heard that we have a some Life Teen people on the ground in Haiti. But did you know that Life Teen has college-aged missionaries in Arizona, Georgia, and Germany? If you want to see what our missionaries are doing in Germany, download a PDF of their January 2010 newsletter. There [...]
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Catholic Youth Ministry Show, Episode 4

by Matt Smith on February 5, 2010 | View Comments
Are you a new youth minister or veteran needing some help and perspective? Mark Hart shares why you should considering coming to our Spring Training in Georgia. Also, three of our podcasts hosts share why you should considering listening to our network of podcats. Greg Iwinski shares a Catholic perspective on this week’s best movie, [...]
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Life Teen Missionaries in Haiti

by Matt Smith on February 3, 2010 | View Comments
Tomorrow two of Life Teen's finest will travel to Port-au-Prince to serve the people of Haiti: Stephen Smith and Eric Martin. Let me introduce you all to these gentlemen and share why they're going.
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Love Life Dating Podcast 1.04 – First Dates

by Matt Smith on February 2, 2010 | View Comments
What to do when she "just wants to be friends," and more dating answers. We have a lightning round of questions about asking people out, first dates, and even how to turn people down.
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Catholic Youth Ministry Show, Episode 3

by Matt Smith on January 29, 2010 | View Comments
On this week’s show, President Randy Raus reveals a new vision for Life Teen Summer Camps. Plus Life Teen graduate and famed designer and architect Jeff Berghoff unveils plans for Tepeyac’s beautiful new chapel. You heard it here first. View on mobile device Subscribe via iTunes
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Catholic Youth Ministry Show, Episode 2

by Matt Smith on January 23, 2010 | View Comments
On this week’s show, Mark Hart talks about Life Teen’s 2010 Theme, Behold the Mystery, as well as our 25th Anniversary and the Life Teen Training Convention this June. Lisa Epperson talks about Life Teen and Edge’s newest resources and gives you a sneak peek into other cool new resources coming later this year. View [...]
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