The transient nature of military settings is both a gift and a challenge to building young adult communities. It is a gift because there are always new people to invite. It is a challenge because it is difficult to find a young adult who does not already have several responsibilities whether it be their job and/or family. Nevertheless, military young adults still desire to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, learning more about their Catholic faith and developing their prayer lives. If this description fits you or someone you know, please consider this new resource the Office of Evangelization is encouraging called Discipleship Quads.
A military young adult connects with an Evangelical Catholic (EC) coach to discuss the process of starting a Discipleship Quad.- The Discipleship Quad begins with a facilitator (the military young adult) inviting two or three friends (of the same sex) to join a micro-group with the intent of growing as disciples together.
- The quad will run through several faith development series, allowing all involved the opportunity to lead the group. Every member learns to facilitate the group. Make a commitment to meet weekly, whether that be physically or virtually.
- Each member agrees that the group will terminate at a specific time in order to make a concrete commitment and consider replicating this same approach with two or three new people. This approach has the distinct advantage of being replicable when military young adults are transferred to the next assignment.
Currently, there is no limit to the number of Discipleship Quads the Archdiocese can have and there is no cost to participants. If you would like to connect about starting a Discipleship Quad, please contact Casey Lee, Associate Director for Young Adult Ministry, at YoungAdultMinistry@milarch.org or (202) 719-3653.
