Helping Parents Rest

by on in Parents.

As the parent of two teenage girls, I think one of the biggest mistakes parents of young teens can make is thinking we need to control the behavior of our kids. We can feel pressured to tell them what kind of people they need to be, so we can keep our kids from moving outside God’s moral boundaries. But this is dangerous.

When we focus on trying to control the outward behavior of our young teens, we actually hinder their development and cause a great deal of stress for ourselves.

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Laser Pointer Day!

by on in Experience.

This past Sunday morning will forever be remembered as “Laser Pointer Day” in our middle school environment.

That’s because every student that walked through our doors was handed a laser pointer.

Why would we give hundreds of middle school students laser pointers you might ask? Well, because it was fun!

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Fishing for New Small Group Leaders

by on in Leadership.

When I’m talking with people about Transit (North Point’s Middle School Ministry), one of the questions I’m asked all the time is “How do you get enough Small Group Leaders (SGLs)?”

Which is really funny to me… because we don’t have enough SGLs.

So, needless to say, those folks tend to get a disappointed look on their faces when I tell them I have no idea and that I’d appreciate it if they’d let me know if they figure it out.

Nobody I’ve ever met has enough SGLs.

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Electrifying the Experience

by on in Experience, Small Groups.

Middle schoolers are excited, full of energy, creative, and loud! That’s why we love ’em, right? That’s who they are and how they are wired. So are your environments and programs electrifying the experience for them?

For me, I think they should… I think they need to. If we are going to reach this generation, then we should be creating environments where students want to be and where they want to bring their friends. We have the honor to think through the details and be creative in order to make it happen. Because focusing on details and creativity can lead to an electrifying experience.

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Keeping Their Attention

by on in Experience.

If you have ever had to speak to a room full of Middle Schoolers, you know how daunting the task is. They’re the hardest age group to speak to! It’s like they have the attention span of a… well, a Middle Schooler! And if you’re boring, they’ll let you know!

Bored adults can listen to a 30-minute sermon without stealing the cute boy’s hat. They won’t go to the bathroom every five minutes, just to get out of the room. Adults sit there and respectfully smile. They’re easy! Middle Schoolers? Well, when you lose their attention it’s obvious! And once you lose them, you have to know how to get them back.

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