Why Small Group Discipleship?
The training and resources needed to build a high impact small group discipleship ministry for teens.
Our Story
“Youth ministry, as traditionally organized, has also suffered the impact of social changes. Young people often fail to find responses to their concerns, needs, problems, and hurts in the usual structures. As adults, we find it hard to listen patiently to them, to appreciate their concerns, demands, and to speak to them in a language they can understand.” – Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium
How We Began
In 2022, the Holy Spirit impelled the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and a group of lay faithful to discern how we could better serve the youth of the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio. Reflecting upon what we had learned from years of experience in youth evangelization, we felt called to develop a ministerial model that is grounded in heart-to-heart relationship.
Current statistics show that in the United States:
- 60% of Catholic teenagers do not attend weekly mass
- 25% of teenagers say that their life has no meaning or purpose
- Age 13 is the median age young people decide to leave the church, even if they continue to “show up” for things.
- 40% of teenagers no longer affiliate themselves with any religion.
- 5% Actively Participate in Faith: Meaning they attend mass once a week or more, pray once a week or more, say their faith affects their behavior, and that their faith is the most important thing in their life.
To discern the WHY behind these statistics, we started asking the following questions:
“What are the most basic needs of a teenager?”
“How can youth evangelization meet their most basic needs?”
Many of our young people are experiencing real and authentic conversion moments and encounters with God in the sacraments, as well as at events, retreats, and Catholic summer camps. Yet, the majority of these teens are struggling to persevere in faith after returning home (Mt 13:1-9, 18-23). Many youth and campus ministers leading these retreats are also expressing heavy burnout and limited capacity for follow-up with teens after these conversion moments.
What We Discovered
After several years of intentional prayer, research, and discernment, we discovered that the most basic need of a teenager right now is relationships. Young people are hungry to build relationships with God, peers, the adult faithful, and the Catholic Church that lead to spiritual friendships, spiritual mentorship, and reasonable explanations to their questions. However, teenagers are struggling to find environments that foster these kinds of relationships within the church. To meet this need, there has recently been a shift in catholic youth evangelization to a small group discipleship approach, with the goal of fostering these relationships. Because of those who have pioneered this shift over the past ten years, we now have the following data:
- Teenagers who participate in a small group with a mentor during high school are 59% more likely to attend Mass 4+ times a month by their senior year of college then those who did not.
- 77% of teens who participated in a small group during high school identified themselves as active Catholics, compared to only 50% of those who did not.
- Of young people ages 13-25 with no adult mentors, 24% say they never feel their life has meaning and purpose. However, for those with even one adult mentor, this number drops to 6% (The State of Religion in Young People, Springtide, 2020).
- High school students who participate in small groups are more likely to be committed to their faith, feel more confident in defending it, continue growing in their faith in college, and engage in faith behaviors like daily prayer, Mass, reconciliation, and faith groups.
Armed with this newfound data and following the continued promptings of the Holy Spirit, in the Fall of 2023, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, along with the lay persons mentioned above, established what is now called Live Jesus Ministries. The goal of this apostolate is to provide the mentorship training and resources needed to help Catholic schools and parishes throughout the Diocese of Toledo build high-impact small group discipleship ministries for teens. We pray that this effort will meet teens’ most basic needs and help them build authentic relationships with God, spiritual friends, spiritual mentors, and the Catholic Church.
How Was Our Name Created
The name “Live Jesus Ministries” was inspired by the writings of St. Francis de Sales, who often used the phrase “Live Jesus” as a guiding principle for his life. Its dual meaning serves both as an acclamation and a call to others to live like, for, and in Christ. As we discerned a name for our ministry, it became clear that our shared desire is for teens to proclaim with conviction, “LIVE JESUS!” We eagerly hope that this proclamation will reflect the personal relationship that these young people are building with Jesus, whom they acclaim as Lord and whom they place at the very center of their lives.
The name was also chosen because of the unitive aspect it has in the Diocese of Toledo. St. Francis de Sales is the secondary patron of the diocese and patron saint of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, who have ministered in the Diocese since 1943. St. Francis is a Doctor of the Church whose spirituality is rooted in orthodoxy, Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, optimism, humility, and holy virtue. Furthermore, St. Francis is known for cultivating the kind of deep spiritual friendships we strive to emulate. We believe utilizing the spirituality of St. Francis can unify, focus, and enhance our efforts for youth evangelization in the Diocese of Toledo.
Board of Directors
John Trabbic
Executive Director
Rev. Joseph Newman, OSFS
Chairman of the Board – Provincial
Alice Jacobs
Parish Life Coordinator for Youth & Family Life Diocese of Toledo
Jenn Okuley
Pat McNamara
Janice Schlachter
Rev. Ken McKenna, OSFS
Rev. Chris Turner
Kelly Reed
O Love Eternal, let your Holy Spirit inflame my heart with your love. Help me to choose you eternally for eternal is my need for you. O Redeemer, let me die to all other loves in order to live completely in your love. O Savior, help me lead souls to you, so that we may all sing eternally “Live Jesus! Jesus whom I love,” Jesus who lives and reigns forever and ever, Amen.
Live Jesus Ministries Prayer
Live Jesus
Join us in forming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.