Where is the best place for a YDisciple group to meet?

The short, simple answer to this question is to meet wherever your group can be comfortable. The setting should be an environment that fosters honest sharing, and, of course, your meeting place should meet the requirements of Safe Environment in your diocese. All of this taken into account, we have found that homes create an environment most conducive to meeting the needs of teens and engaging parents in their faith formation.

Benefits of meeting in homes:

Parents are directly involved in group meetings and therefore are more likely to stay invested.
Hosting increases ownership of the group for the teens themselves.
Teens tend to be more open to sharing when you are on their turf.
Parents who are not Catholic or are disengaged from the faith may feel more comfortable bringing their child to a friend’s house than to the parish.
Families provide snacks. Not only is this a simple way for them to exercise hospitality and teens to feel cared for, but your pastor will love what it does for your ministry’s food budget!

Best practices for meeting on campus:

When classrooms are your only option, show up early and rearrange the room so that teens are not sitting in rows at desks. (Take a picture of the room before you move anything so you can be sure to return it to its original set-up.)
Bring in a lamp or two instead of turning on harsh fluorescent lights. It is amazing how far a little lighting goes in making a space feel comfortable.
If you have room to dedicate spaces for small groups, invite the parents and teens to be involved in decorating them.
Have parents take turns being present at the parish meeting and providing hospitality.

A Note on Safe Environment:

A strong argument can be made that homes are a much safer environment for youth meetings than rooms in your parish. Engaged, observant parents create the safest environment for their teen and their friends. When parents host the meetings in their homes and provide the snacks and drinks, they really get to know the adult mentors and the other teens. Even when they give the small group privacy for discussion, they are aware of where the group is at all times. In addition, they get to know the other parents whose teens are involved in the group. Perpetrators whom Safe Environment rules against most often target lonely, isolated teens in organizations that serve youth. When parents drop their teens off at the parish, they do not necessarily know the adults and other teens. They have to trust that the adults in the church will know where their teen is at all times. They also have to trust that those teens are always supervised by at least two adults. In reality, there are many more scenarios of a “less controlled environment” with teens meeting at the church than a small group of teens meeting in homes. For these reasons, meetings in homes, when carried out well, may actually be a safer environment for teens. Regardless, when choosing a meeting place, it is imperative that all current Safe Environment policies for your diocese are followed.