A complete discipleship system for leading intentional preteen and youth ministry
Welcome to the world of Preteen Ministry, where new feelings and skills run wild, and what our friends think of us reigns supreme. Whether you are still considering starting a Preteen Ministry or have been leading one for years, here are four tips for doing Preteen Ministry better.
Start by setting goals, always keeping your “why” in mind, and the ideal result in focus to keep your ministry on track. Set achievable goals that help you shape the identity of your ministry. Setting goals like this will help you zero in on how you will program your meeting times, what events you will do, how it will be different from the Children’s and Student ministries, and most importantly, it will help you say no to some ideas that might be fun but don’t help you achieve your ideal desired result.
Preteens are experiencing physical, mental, cultural, relational, emotional, and moral changes faster and more complexly than in any other stage of life. They can do more than they ever have been able to do before. They still need training wheels to work out their new skills in a protected environment, but this can help them gain confidence as they step into areas of more independence. There is no better or more pivotal time to intervene in a child’s spiritual formation than in this transitional phase.
A better Preteen Ministries creates an environment for preteens to have more freedom and independence to widen their horizons and test and practice their new skills. This desired environment does not give unlimited freedoms; it is just the next steps that are progressional based on trust earned and abilities developed, an environment where it’s safe to fail and then try again.
To have a better Preteen Ministry, you must use it as a bridge to help kids transition from childhood into adolescence. We build bridges through communication, creating an intentional environment for practicing new skills and providing opportunities to lead younger children while emulating older students.
Most of us learn better when something is modeled for us, especially when living the Christian life, not just knowing about God or the Bible. Your Preteen Ministry should provide events or moments for your student pastor and student leaders to join preteens and “cross-over” events for parents, preteens, and students to build relationships and see what the Student Ministry is like with their eyes.
Parents of preteens and preteens can be hesitant about transitioning from Children’s Ministry into Student Ministry. Some parents are scared to admit their “babies” are growing up, scared of the unknowns of the Student Ministry quickly approaching, afraid to allow their child to have more freedom and independence, and scared of other preteen students. Yes, you read that correctly. They are worried that the students in the Student Ministry will introduce sinful behaviors, words, or content and corrupt their “babies.”
You can assuage most of these fears by confronting them with the truth about students and the Student Ministry. Clear and frequent communication with preteens and parents during their years in the Preteen Ministry will take care of the rest. Communication about what you are doing and why you do it is necessary. Allow the student pastor access to do the same—to start building trust and communication pathways with the same group of parents and preteens before they graduate into the Student Ministry.
Deep Discipleship Preteens is a complete curriculum and system with everything you need for ministry to 4th—6th grade students.
