Serva Fidem: How One Small Group at Dowling Became 84 - Drew Croegaert & Peyton Jamison - 08/31/2026

Drew Croegaert and Peyton Jamison, Serva Fidem coordinators at Dowling Catholic High School, sit down with Bo Bonner to talk about small-group discipleship as a new school year begins. Serva Fidem lets students form their own groups with peers they already know, then pairs each group with an adult faith mentor who meets with them weekly at Dowling, offers formation content, and teaches spiritual practices students can carry with them. As Peyton puts it, the goal is students making the faith truly their own rather than something they simply inherit through school or family. The ministry began at Dowling with a single small group in 2017. It has since grown to roughly 84 groups — a number Drew traces back to one group of students who said yes. Both coordinators come from education backgrounds, and this year they're applying the classroom idea of differentiation to ministry: how do you serve a student new to the faith, a student who's lukewarm, and a student ready for apostleship all at once? Part of the answer is better questions — pressing past the answers teenagers think adults want to hear, and asking why they believe what they believe. Mentors are the engine of the whole thing. Drew and Peyton meet with every mentor three times a year, and they say that at some point in nearly every meeting a mentor admits they're getting more out of it than the students are. There's no one-size-fits-all mentor profile — some groups thrive with someone who has decades of life experience, others with someone closer to their own age. If you're considering it, contact information for both coordinators is available under the "Meet the Team" menu at ServaFidem.org; the usual next step is a simple coffee conversation. Classes at Dowling started last Monday, and groups typically take shape through September and October, with the freshman retreat in September serving as a key entry point. Peyton is due with her first baby this Sunday and will be out roughly twelve weeks — so this fall will look a little different, and a lot busier come spring. Learn more about Serva Fidem at ServaFidem.org or about Dowling Catholic at DowlingCatholic.org. Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com. #ServaFidem #DowlingCatholic #CatholicSmallGroups #CatholicYouthMinistry #Discipleship #CatholicSchools #FaithMentor #CatholicPodcast Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.