Author: Andy Baker, Diocese of Palm Beach Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since we last reflected on the importance of relationships in ministry. Last year, we looked back at the Christmas classic A Charlie Brown Christmas and discovered how much we need friendships that do more than simply walk with us—they help us find Jesus. In short, we all need a “Linus Van Pelt” in our lives.
In youth ministry, the need for multiple “Linuses” is not only helpful, but absolutely necessary. Today’s young people are not responding to ministry as it was once structured. Instead, they are drawn to the small, the authentic, and the personal. They are curious and searching, craving relationships that are real and trustworthy, relationships that lead them toward the only truth that satisfies: Jesus Christ.
For more than four years, we in the Diocese of Palm Beach have been working to help parishes build relational ministries that meet young people where they are, draw them into authentic community, and allow them to encounter Christ. Within these small communities, young people are finding mentors and friends who walk with them toward deeper conversion.
The fruits are undeniable. Across the diocese, parishes are answering the call—and young people are responding. Their participation is no longer out of obligation, but out of genuine desire. Small groups are becoming places of transformation where hearts are converted, and where a burning love for Christ is born.
Here are just a few of the ways God is at work:
- Diocesan gathering in Port St. Lucie: On a recent Friday night, 120 middle and high school students from several parishes came together with their small groups for a joy-filled evening of community, encounter, reflection, adoration, and confession.
- Mission at St. Clare: Small groups have adopted a rural parish in North Carolina. For two summers, they have served the poor and brought the hope of the Gospel to those in need of Christ’s joy.
- Digital discipleship at St. Bernadette: Groups are creatively using technology to reach young people where they are—helping them move beyond the distractions of digital life into deeper friendships and encounters with Jesus.
- Family-centered ministry at St. Anastasia: Entire families are being invited into small groups together, building community and empowering parents to become the primary faith influencers in their children’s lives.
- Explosive growth at St. Jude, Tequesta: In just two years, the ministry has more than doubled, fueled by great mentors, a vibrant community, and a “fear of missing out” that draws more youth into fellowship. Family nights are helping anchor this desire for faith-filled community.
- Mentors on mission: At St. Lucie in Port St. Lucie and St. Jude in Boca Raton, dedicated mentors like Mary Jane, Coreen, and Samuel (check the links) are forming disciples who, in turn, are mentoring others. Their profiles have even been highlighted by YDisciple and NET Ministries to inspire and train small group leaders around the globe.
What we are witnessing is more than growth in numbers—it is growth in faith. Relationships matter. Small groups matter. Most importantly, Jesus is at the center of it all, and He is changing lives. The story of youth ministry in our diocese is still being written—and you can be part of it. Whether as a parent, mentor, parish leader, or supporter, your “yes” to walking with young people can change a life forever. Together, let’s keep building communities where our youth not only find friends, but also encounter Christ.
What does scripture say?
- “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
- “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
- “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together…but encouraging one another.” — Hebrews 10:24–25
- “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” — Matthew 18:20