The Volunteer Middle Schoolers Need
So…if no volunteer can ever know what a parent knows, then why recruit anyone to help with kids? It would definitely make things easier if you could just tell parents, “Since you know more than we can ever know, and you have… Read More
You Get 40 Hours a Year: Here’s What You Need to Teach Them
So, here’s the question: If you have less than 20 times to connect to a sixth grader this year, what are you going to teach them? Are you going to take them chronologically through the entire Bible? Are you going to cover… Read More
How to Read a Middle Schooler’s Mind
“Read their mind” is just another way of saying: Every leader needs to understand what’s changing mentally and physically. When you know what can be expected of a phase, you are able to give kids the right amount of success. In Deuteronomy… Read More
If They Aren’t Asking Questions, They Aren’t Listening
There are three drives that are hardwired in every kid: Wonder Discovery Passion If you think about those drives as dials you turn to help a kid connect with God, then what if you turn those dials to different volumes for different… Read More
Helping Middle Schoolers Answer: Who Am I?
Every phase of a kid's life has unique cultural changes. But you can’t discover everything you need to know about the culture of childhood and adolescence in a book. By the time a book is printed, culture has changed. The only way… Read More
Surviving “The Talk” in Middle School Ministry
Is there anything with more potential for awkwardness than talking about sex with a room full of middle schoolers? Probably not! Awkward as it may be, it’s one of the most important and influential conversations you can guide your students through. In… Read More
[E-Book] Raise the Flag: Middle School Matters More Than You Think
Looking for encouragement? Or language to convince someone why what you do matters so much? Check out and be encouraged by an eBook all about why middle school matters more than we think. You’ll hear from voices like Tom Shefchunas, Mark Oestreicher,… Read More