Youth Programs
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small discipleship groups for youth
Vision
"Forming missionary disciples who seek holiness by discerning and carrying out their personal vocations." We envision a diocesan Church where every young person and family is nurtured to grow in holiness and sent into the world as joyful, faithful missionary disciples. This vision calls us to renew our efforts to form the whole person—heart, mind, and spirit—within the context of family, parish, and community life.
Pastoral Goals
1. Nurture the Domestic Church: Support parents as primary educators of their teens, cultivating a home environment where Christ is known and loved.
2. Accompaniment Through Small Groups: Establish a diocesan model for small groups that walk with teens in faith, adaptable for all parish contexts.
3. Formation of Witnesses: Form adults and teens who are prepared and empowered to accompany others and echo the Gospel in word and deed.
4. Facilitate Encounters with Christ: Create opportunities for authentic encounters with Jesus that lead teens to discern their personal vocation.
5. Celebrate the Diversity of the Church: Promote shared intergenerational and intercultural experiences that build communion in the parish.
Why small discipleship groups?
Intentionally forming consistent small groups of one adult and 4 to 6 youth will:- Provide youth a place where they are known, valued, actively engaged, and proactively loved within a community (Sticky Faith)
- Built a level of trust in the group as people get to know one another
- Create space for young people to have deeper faith conversations and ask the hard questions
- Provide community which is essential in the life of a disciple particularly youth disciples
Resources- YDisciple – a subscription to YDisciple is available to any parish that requests it. This resource is available thanks to a grant from the Catholic Foundation of Northwest Florida. Email [email protected] for more information.
- Discipleship Quads – Deacon Bob Rice, Franciscan University
- Life Teen – small groups are part
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Deanery YOUTH COUNCILS
In order to engage more youth in leadership in the diocese, we have established deanery youth councils. These councils exist to plan diocesan youth events for middle school and high school youth. We currently have a youth council in three deaneries.
Western Deanery
West Central Deanery
Eastern Deanery
If your parish is interested in being more involved in the deanery youth councils, contact Melody Grogan at [email protected]. -
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (C.L.I.)
C.L.I. is a summer leadership program designed to provide youth leaders with skills for leadership in their parish, school and community. It takes place for 5 days each summer with a limited enrollment.
The goals of the Christian Leadership Institute are to foster the leadership potential of each individual and to heighten his or her awareness of the responsibilities of leadership in a high school or parish and in the larger community. The week includes planning skills, group dynamics, communication skills and decision-making. There is daily opportunity for prayer, journal writing, worship experiences and reflection.
Christian Leadership Institute is open to youth entering their sophomore through senior year of high school.
To be eligible to attend CLI:
- Youth must be entering their sophomore through senior year of high school and be at least 15 years old at the time of CLI
- Youth should be involved (or plan to be involved) in parish, school and diocesan leadership roles such as parish youth council, student council, or diocesan youth council.
- Youth must be sent by their parish
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updated on July 23, 2025
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