The Law of Diminishing Astonishment

by on in Experience.

Let me tell you a story.

When I was younger, I worked at a local company. I wasn’t doing anything special… I just worked. The days were long, the work tough, and the pay was poor. But it was a job. And it taught me a ton. One of the things I learned was that there was no use in being lazy. The more I “messed around,” the longer the day seemed to take. So, I learned to put my head down and work hard. I would almost get lost in my work and the day would be over before I knew it.

Until the union rep tapped on my shoulder.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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!

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE