It was almost eight years ago, the day we began our journey of launching the Preteen Ministry at our church. From our experience, we had witnessed the 4th and 5th grades begin to drop in attendance, and then when they transitioned into the Middle School Ministry, all the students who had not been attending were returning. What we realized is that by grouping our K–5th grades, we were causing the older students to become disengaged. We knew what needed to be done; we would need to find a way to separate our 4th and 5th grade students from the K–3rd and create a space just for the preteens.

This decision did not come without pain points. Change can be difficult for some, especially when you have had the same program for many years. Anytime you decide to step out of your comfort zone to make significant changes, you are causing others to unwillingly step out of their comfort zone, which can cause a struggle. But through much prayer, planning, and communication, we officially launched our preteen program that fall.

Once you decide that a Preteen Ministry is what your church needs, I highly recommend communicating the plans with the church, the parents, and your team. If you feel that you have communicated enough, communicate a bit more. Share your vision in a way that thoughtfully explains the plans for the new ministry. Allow room for questions and answer them with excitement and encouragement. As mentioned above, change can be difficult for some, so be prepared for the hard questions. Even parents initially had a difficult time accepting the term “preteen.” When they first hear that term, it would immediately put them in a state of denial that their child is old enough to be a preteen. But I would always kindly explain that our goal is not to be the student ministry. Our ministry is simply a way to bridge the gap between elementary and middle school. We understand they are still kids and not quite teenagers. Communicating this vision and plan helps to ease the uneasy minds of those struggling with change. It took us about a year after starting our Preteen Ministry to have complete buy-in from those who initially struggled with the change. Once they saw that we were not taking away from the Children’s Ministry but adding a ministry that would bring double the number of students we previously had, they knew something big was happening.

One way we communicated our Preteen Ministry’s launch was to partner with the VBS team. The summer before we launched, we printed promotional materials and handed them to all VBS’s rising 4th and 5th grade classes. I even went to the classes to introduce myself and discuss the Preteen Ministry. Then, we planned an ice cream party for all the families of those students after our VBS family night. At this party, I took the opportunity to introduce myself again and share our vision with the parents. This was a great way to kick-start the excitement for what was to come, and it helped communicate the plans with the families.