They Made the Switch to Discipleship and their Youth Ministry Blew Up
Note: The following testimony is written by Olivia Dvorjak, an Associate Director of Faith Formation at a parish in Kentucky. In 2021, she made the switch to a small group discipleship youth ministry and their ministry has since blown up. Today, youth ministries focused on small groups and mentoring are the fastest growing youth ministries around the world.
In the summer of 2021, I was hired as the Associate Director of Faith Formation at my parish, which encompasses middle and high school youth ministry. Previously, I was a teacher at the parish school for seven years and during my 2nd – 4th years of teaching, I was the part-time youth minister. When I was praying about what youth ministry needs to look like for Saint James at this time, the Holy Spirit kept drawing me to read more about intentional discipleship and what a ministry based on this apostolic mode would look like. I read Sherry Weddell’s book, “Forming Intentional Disciples,” along with Everett’s book, “The Art of Forming Young Disciples: Why Youth Ministries Aren’t Working and What To Do About It.” The Holy Spirit ignited a fire and shifted my whole mindset that summer. The first chapter of “The Art…” was a powerful smack across my face. Everything I was frustrated about from my time as a part-time youth minister was revealed in this book, including the knowledge that a majority of my former teens were no longer practicing the faith, except for a small handful that I personally had mentored. From there, I began reading as many books on discipleship, evangelization, and discipleship groups.
We started small last year with 7 groups and 60 teens meeting on Sunday nights at the church campus with two mentors in each group. This year, at the beginning of the year, I met with the parents and together we decided on times and locations for groups. We have 9 groups with about 70 teens meeting at various times and locations throughout the week, including host homes, the school campus, a local coffee shop, and in our youth space. Each group decided upon a book to read and study together, including how to be virtuous men and women of God, with authors such as Curtis Martin, Dom Quaglia Jr., Emily Wilson, Lisa Cotter, etc. They also pray through the Sunday Gospel using Lectio Divina each time that they meet. Each group has two adult/young adult mentors that help guide and facilitate the discussion. This was also a major factor in my discernment—knowing that I can’t do this alone and stepping aside to allow the teens to have more adults help lead and guide them other than just me, especially men for the high school boys.
Discipleship groups have now become an aspect of our Confirmation process (we confirm in 10th grade with a two-year process). As a part of their Confirmation requirement prior to Confirmation, I had our recently Confirmed teens write a Personal Testimony of their Faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that these testimonies articulate profoundly how their discipleship groups have led to their continuous desire to encounter the Lord. Please read the following excerpt from one of our Personal Testimonies:
I started out my life being a very Catholic person, and even though I showed all the values of a Christ-like individual, I realized I didn’t have a good relationship with God himself. I almost never prayed, I sinned constantly, and overall, just didn’t have a good relationship with God. Then as I left (catholic school), I started to become even less Christ-like and still without a relationship with God… As youth ministry progressed, I started to build a better relationship with God, and strived to become more Christ-like. This is both because I wanted to and because I had my mentors to help me along the way. I don’t think I would’ve gotten to the point I am at now without them. Now, two years into it, and about to be confirmed, I have a good and growing relationship with God, praying a lot and trying even harder to be a more Christ-like individual.
I am amazed at what the Lord is doing in their hearts and souls during this process. Comparing it to the teens I had in Confirmation back in 2015-2018, there is a complete switch and desire in this process, from the classroom setting that I was doing, to now the discipleship groups and the discussions that go beyond just the knowledge and penetrate the heart. I would recommend to ANYONE to switch their programs to discipleship group ministries.
OLIVIA DVORJAK is the Associate Director of Saint James Catholic Church in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, which encompasses middle, high school, and young adult ministries, along with Baptism preparations and Marriage preparations. She has been the Associate Director for two years, and previously worked as a middle school Theology and Social Studies teacher at Saint James Catholic School for seven years. Olivia attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville for her bachelor’s degree in education, PK-6th grade, and the University of Cumberlands for her Master of Arts degree in Education, K-12 Literacy.
