Here you will find short videos and related resources to train you and your team to successfully launch small groups in your community. These videos were originally presented as part of our training webinar series.

YDisciple When You Have a Successful Youth Group

Why would you use YDisciple and implement regular small groups when you already have a thriving youth group? Brad Bursa of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati explains how he did just that

Resource Link:
A Message to Youth Ministers

The Power of Affinity & Natural Relationships

John Zimmer is the Vice President of Apostolic Development for FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) whose teenage children are actively involved in YDisciple groups. He shares his experience both in FOCUS and as a parent how to use natural affinity groups to share the gospel.

Resource Link:
Leveraging Natural Affinity to Create Small Groups

Running YD When You Don’t Have a Youth Minister

The Guenthers are not youth ministers. Andy is a dairy farmer. Cassie is a stay-at-home mom of 6. But together they volunteer to coordinate their parish’s YDisciple effort in rural Nebraska.

Resource Link:
Youth Ministry When You Don’t Have a Youth Minister

Flipping the Large Group/Small Group Paradigm

Tony Vasinda is a ministry veteran, inventor of Catholic Beard Balm and co-founder of Project YM, a ministry helping to connect, form, and equip youth ministers. Tony shares his insight on how his parish in Seattle has prioritized small group ministry.

Resource Link:
The Both/And of Small-Group and Large-Group Ministry with YDisciple

Getting Parents to Buy-In…Really

Brad Bursa shares how he creatively engaged more parents than a single “Parent Meeting” ever could.

Resource Links:
Invitation to Parents
Parent to Parent Letter

When You Can’t Meet In Homes

Fr. Jason Buck is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. When launching YDisciple in his parish, he discovered that all groups needed to meet on the parish campus in order to be in compliance with Safe Environment policies. Rather than getting discouraged, Fr. Buck got creative.

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

Applying YD to Children’s Ministries

Andy & Coreen Wagenbach are co-Faith Formation directors in Minnesota who are implementing a discipleship model across all ages.

Resource Links:
Applying YD to Children’s Ministries

Applying YD for Middle School

Meet Gwen Bartlett, middle school youth minister from Texas who has successfully reworked the YDisciple studies to better suit middle school students.

Resource Links:
Adapting YDisciple for Middle School

Why Single-Gender Small Groups Matter

Dan Driver is the Retreat Team Coordinator for NET Ministries. From his experience training young missionaries and leading YDisciple groups, Dan gives insight to the power of single-gender small groups.

Resource Links:
True Strength: Becoming the Man You Were Created to Be
True Beauty: Becoming the Woman You Were Created  to Be
The Why Behind Single-Gender Small-Groups

What is a Mentor?

You are more than just a small group facilitator. With YDisciple you are called to be a mentor. But what does that look like? Sean Dalton of the Augustine Institute shares his mentoring experience.

Resource Links:
What is a Mentor?

How to Talk to Teenagers

Connecting with the teens in your YDisciple group can be intimidating. Listen to author and speaker Katie Prejean McGrady share tips on how to authentically engage conversation with your teens.

THE SECRET to Being an Awesome Leader…

Everyone wants to be an awesome small group leader and mentor, but what’s the secret? Hear what Sr. Mary Juliana (Nashville Dominican, Catholic school principal, and all-around Discipleship guru) has to say.

The Art of Listening

One of the most important things you do as a YDisciple mentor is not what you say, but how you listen. Adam Cross, a youth minister in Simi Valley, California AND a Marriage & Family Therapist shares his wisdom on the subject.