Category Archives: Experience

When Middle Schoolers Invite Their Friends

by on in Experience.

Are your students inviting their friends to come to church?

It’s an important question.

Maybe a more important question is, “When they have an opportunity, do your students feel like it’s important to invite their friends to church?”

Or, let’s make it more objective.

Are guests showing up to your ministry?

The answer to this question tells you so much about the heart your ministry, the heart of your students, and your effectiveness.

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Don’t!

by on in Experience.

I really feel for Middle Schoolers. Their lives are totally crazy.

First of all, their brains are in the middle of the second most turbulent time of their lives, rivaled only by the year after birth.

Second, their bodies are changing, too! I don’t need to go into the details here. I think we all know what happens when we go through puberty. But if puberty wasn’t bad enough on its own, every kid goes through these changes differently and at different times… making the gym locker room one of the most agonizing places on the planet. It’s strange for the early developers. It’s strange for the late ones. And it’s strange for those in the middle of the whole thing.

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Spontaneous Pillow Fights

by on in Experience.

A few weeks ago, our Middle School Ministry staff stumbled on a little gem of a video (God bless the Internet): a Spontaneous Pillow Fight prank.

So, of course… we had to do it with our favorite middle schooler friends.

This is Jezzzy. (Her real name is actually Jessica, but Jezzzy is way cooler.) She is one of our game hosts and a regular on-stage personality at SHINE!, our Middle School Ministry.

When Jezzzy showed up at church a few weeks ago, we gave her two pillows and told her to get to work.

Here are some of the results…

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Put Instagram to Work

by on in Experience.

We’re always looking for ways to leverage technology for our ministries. It’s about finding a way to bridge the gap between where students hang out and the truth we find in Christ. Over the past year, we have started to utilize Instagram as a useful tool to make that bridge happen.

WHY USE INSTAGRAM FOR MINISTRY?

Because it’s where students hang out online! This wave of technology should change the way we approach ministry. If we are going to continue to reach students, we need to also occupy this space.

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7 Tips to Make Even the Lamest Games Fun

by on in Experience.

Middle School Ministry is a fun ministry… and you can’t have fun without games!

But the thing about games? They’re often either hit or miss. Middle schoolers will either love it or loathe it. And when they loathe it, it’s tough to recover. These games are marked by awkward silences, confusion, blank stares, and disinterest.

In these situations, the games are rarely the problem. It’s usually the way the game is led that’s the problem. With a little tweaking any game, even the lamest ones, can be loved. So, here are 7 tips to making even the lamest fun!

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