A Small Change for Servus Dei
Last week, YouTube demonetized the Servus Dei channel, citing what it considers “low quality” children’s content.
As you might imagine, I do not agree with that assessment.
But I also do not want to spend much time arguing about it.
Servus Dei was never created to make money. The channel actually costs me considerably more to operate than it has ever earned. Between the software, music, voice tools, hosting, and other expenses involved in producing the videos, this has always been something I do because I believe the stories are worth telling.
I also made a deliberate decision from the beginning not to build the channel around advertising. I do not take sponsorships or interrupt the stories to sell products. I generally do not even use the videos to advertise Servus Dei itself.
The goal has always been simpler than that: to create Catholic stories and resources that children, parents, teachers, and catechists can actually use.
None of that is changing.
What Is Changing
There was one part of YouTube monetization that I found genuinely useful: channel memberships.
I try to release saint videos before their feast days whenever possible. That way, teachers and catechists have time to find them and incorporate them into lessons.
But several people wanted even more advance notice. They wanted to know what I was working on, see upcoming videos early, or have additional time to prepare a lesson around them.
YouTube memberships gave me a convenient way to provide that.
Since YouTube has now removed that option, I am going to create a membership system directly here on the Servus Dei website.
For everyone who simply enjoys watching the videos, nothing changes.
The videos will continue to be released publicly on YouTube just as they always have been. They will remain free. I have no intention of putting the regular Servus Dei library behind a paywall.
The membership will simply be an additional option for people who would like to support the project and receive early access to upcoming material.
In some respects, having that system here may actually make more sense. Servus Dei has always been larger than a YouTube channel. The website gives me room for stories, videos, teaching materials, and other resources without depending entirely on the decisions of another platform.
And Speaking of Upcoming Stories...
One of the newest Servus Dei videos tells the story of the Georgia Martyrs, five Franciscan missionaries who served among the Guale people along the coast of what is now Georgia.
Their story is a remarkable one of missionary courage, fidelity, and sacrifice.
I wanted to share the full video here for everyone:
This is ultimately what matters to me.
Platforms change. Policies change. Algorithms certainly change.
But the purpose of Servus Dei remains the same: telling the stories of the faith in a form that children can understand and that families, schools, parishes, and catechists can use.
So I will keep making them.
If you simply want to watch the videos, please continue doing exactly that. There is no obligation to become a member, and the public videos are not going anywhere.
If You’d Like to Support Servus Dei
For those who would like a little more, the new Servus Dei membership will include early access to upcoming videos, advance notice of what is in production, and extra time for teachers, parents, and catechists to plan around upcoming feast days.
Membership also helps offset some of the real costs of producing and hosting these resources. The public videos will remain free, just as they are now.
If that would be useful to you, or if you simply want to help support the work, you can join through the Servus Dei website here: Join Now
And to everyone who watches, shares these stories, or uses them with children: thank you.
That is why I keep making them.
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