Helping middle schoolers get the WHY as they serve

Middle schoolers will do just about anything….but ask them WHY, and you’ll stump them almost every time. This is both fun and terrifying. Fun because you can make a great game of almost anything. Terrifying because they will follow you—even if you don’t know where you are going. Your service projects need an identifiable purpose—a [...]

3 ingredients of middle school-friendly service projects

What about your summer service projects will make your students shine—spreading Jesus’ light to the people around them—not in spite of being middle schoolers, but because of it? Few people will deny that getting a 12-year-old to spend a few hours packing food bundles for Zambia is a better use of summertime than logging record-breaking [...]

Are you a youth leader AND a parent of a middle schooler?

So I’ve only been a parent for a few weeks, but it’s already opening my world to a whole host of new things to think about. Even though I won’t need to work out how to handle my own kids in our youth ministry for a while, some of you are dealing with this every [...]

Reason #2 to study the Bible yourself as you teach curriculum

God speaks to us through his Word! God’s Word is living and active (Heb 4:12). The Bible isn’t a dictionary—nor is it Google, in spite of the way we use our Bible apps at times. Remember, we study Scripture to know God. When you read God’s Word, he’ll speak to YOU! Why would we bypass [...]

Reason #1 to study the Bible yourself as you teach curriculum

God’s Word is perfect, but curriculum isn’t. Your own study may bring you to different conclusions than the curriculum writer’s or raise questions you need to explore further before teaching the lesson.  Also, not every curriculum will fully line up with your church’s doctrinal statement or your own personal convictions. Even great curriculum includes some [...]

Using curriculum well with your middle schoolers

Not all of us have time to come up with our own material to teach students every single week. And then some of us don’t feel like we know the Bible well enough to teach it on our own. So, we often turn to curriculum. I have a sort of love-hate relationship with curriculum. It [...]

We believe…

Middle school students make up one of the most strategic mission fields in America! Working with middle school ministry can and should be “ministry,” not glorified church babysitting until students can graduate into the “real” youth ministry—high school. Middle school ministry is mostly led by volunteers in the church—and  volunteers can do ministry effectively!

When do you have “enough” leaders for your middle school ministry?

When you have a 5 to 1 ratio? When you meet your church’s policy guidelines? When there’s at least someone besides yourself? Honestly – you have enough leaders when you have twice as many as you have now. Really. If you have one leader, you need two. If you have four leaders, you should be [...]