7 Trends in Youth Ministry Seen By Orange Specialists
As Orange Specialists, Charlie, Brett and I have had the privilege of connecting with Youth Leaders all over the world—literally. One of the cool parts about that is noticing the trends in youth ministries based on size, location, region and even race.… Read More
Mobilizing Your Middle School Small Groups to Serve
As a first-year teacher, one of the best things I said yes to was leading an extra-curricular group called “SHOUT.” This group consisted of student leaders who wanted to help others and better themselves in the process. Literally, that’s what SHOUT meant:… Read More
The New Youth Ministry Metrics for 2021
There’s nothing like living through a pandemic to get you thinking about what really matters. The past 12 months, for many people, has been filled with doing most things either socially-distanced or online. School Church Family holidays Hanging out with friends Birthday… Read More
Partnering With Parents During A Middle School Ministry Sex Series
You know what’s on the horizon? The XP3 Middle School sex series, which means a few things might start to happen. Middle schoolers may begin to experience an outpouring of nervous energy when the topic comes up. They may act like they’re… Read More
Celebrating a Middle Schooler’s Decision to Walk With Jesus
Middle schoolers know how to celebrate. They’ll hand out high fives for the best dance move, body slam one another at the end of a game, and post a soliloquy on the Gram (or TikTok) in honor of a best friend’s birthday. … Read More
2 Questions Every Small Group Leader Should Ask 6th Graders this Fall
It’s August, which means Back to School season is upon us! Although going “back to school” does look different this year for some, that doesn’t change the fact that school is starting and a brand-new grade, a brand-new school, and a brand-new… Read More
What Middle Schoolers and Engineers Have in Common
Highly emotional middle schoolers can't have anything in common with engineers, right? That's so seemingly random. But, actually, it's true. Think about it this way. At its foundation, an engineer's job is to connect together concepts to solve problems. Whether you're an… Read More
Talking to Your Students About Social Media
”Twitter ruined my life.” You may think this sounds a little dramatic, but the sad truth is that one momentary lapse in judgment on Twitter drastically altered a young PR Exec’s life. Before a long international flight, she posted an off-color tweet… Read More