FourFiveSix.org: Great Ideas for your Preteen Ministry

Today on the podcast, Sean speaks with Zach Matchett about first impressions and last impressions and where to put your focus.

A person will determine their impression of a place in the first 6-8 minutes of walking into your space. Making sure that you have great guest services when they first walk in can have a big factor of whether or not that visit might return.

Zach's team really focused on making sure they were meeting the needs of the visitors during that first impression but thought about what they were missing out as the preteen was leaving. They began brainstorming about ways that they can make that last impression a positive one. The first plan that they are trying is by having their guest services team remain through the service. On the check in form there is one question that asks a preteen their favorite drink or candy. The team will then get that item for the preteen and give it to the small group leader to give to the student on their way out. Providing intentional individualized care to the preteens is their ultimate focus to make sure that not only coming but also leaving the preteen feels welcome and encouraged to return to the group. Listen to the podcast as Zach shares a second idea his team will be putting into play for 2020.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean speaks with Pastor Chris and Jaime Santos about giving preteens a chance to choose elements that occur in our preteen ministry.

The idea of This or That came about during one of Elevate's weekly leadership meetings. They were looking for a way to get the preteens more engaged in announcements. Allowing preteens more involvement in the announcements to ensure they are retaining the information given to them.

This or That gives the preteens a choice about something brought up during the announcements. For example, the Christmas party included hot chocolate and the preteens were given the choice between candy canes or marshmallows in their hot chocolate. By giving the preteens a chance to be involved in the planning of one of the elements brought up during announcements will make them more engaged in the element itself.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean speaks with Heather Soukup about the Family Photo Christmas Card Prayer Wall.

Heather discusses the bulletin board she has above her desk in her office. It is a 4'x6' board and on it she has saved and trimmed down the family photo Christmas cards, leaving the picture and the names. The pictures are either families in the ministry or volunteers in the ministry. Having the pictures is a remembrance of who they are serving and helps to focus on why you are doing the ministry you are doing. It is a great way of having a visual to look at that you can be reminded to pray for that family and their students.

If you would like more information from Heather here is her contact information. She can be reached through Facebook by clicking here or via her email: [email protected].

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean talks about being thankful.

As Christians we are thankful every day for what God has given us even though we are not deserving. There is a call for us in ministry to be thankful for our volunteers, our Senior Pastors, even the kids and parents in our ministry. Today as you sit down with family and enjoy Thanksgiving remember that we should be thankful every day because of our Heavenly Father. Happy Thanksgiving!

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6-7

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean talks about the idea of not doing anything on Sunday.

What! Not do anything on Sunday. It means that you have everything prepared before Sunday comes and you don't have anything that is vital to the service that needs to be handled that morning. Sean explains how over the last few weeks he and his team have made a change to have everything that can be done finished before Sunday morning. This isn't always easy and there are times when you are not motivated to get it done because you are not under the gun to get it done. The stress that is removed from Sunday's has made it all worth forcing yourself to get it finished.

Try it out if you aren't already doing it and see how it affects your Sunday mornings.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean speaks with Dayna about the use of snacks during preservice.

In Elevate, during the preservice time the kids are offered a snack as they enter after checking in. In Elevate one of the positives of having the café set up is that it offers a social area for the preteens to hang out. In the Elevate café area there are little tables and stools to sit at where they can eat their snack or drink their beverage. Another benefit of the café is for those preteens that may not have had breakfast offers them a chance to eat something.

If you feel like economically it would be tough to offer a snack, Dayna has some great ideas of inexpensive ways of getting snacks to feed your preteens. Look for on sale deals and get donations when you can.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean talks about a concept while working with preteens of knowing what you expect versus what you hope for.

When you are talking about things in ministry like inviting friends, baptism or worship. Your tone when asking things of the preteens can really determine if you are demanding something of them or inviting them to join you in doing it. When it comes to behavior it is ok to be demanding in your tone. When you think about that concept, how are you approaching baptism, communion and even salvation response. If in our tone we are demanding these things there is no real meaning or purpose to the preteens because they are doing as ordered.

If preteens are just being compliant then there is no value in worship, baptism, communion or a salvation response. A preteen who is just being compliant is not taking ownership of their faith.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean speaks with Heather Soukup about a Disciple Making Map for birth to 18 years.

When Heather's group was first putting this together they met to identify spiritual moments that they want their families to pay attention to as the students grow up. Using a map like this can help a ministry to organize how they will minister to their different age groups. After putting together various pieces of information from various locations they were able to put together discipling through the stages classes.

This information would be able to help a leader put together strategies to answer some of the basic questions that specific age ranges would be asking and how to bring God into that conversation. These were set up in milestones. Heather explains some of the milestones on their list, child dedication, gospel conversations, baptism and communion, bible skills and purity and identity. This helped to set up parent classes and design what curriculum works best based on the various milestones.

If you would like more information from Heather her is her contact information. She can be reached through Facebook by clicking here or via her email: [email protected].

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean speaks with Chip Henderson on the best way of ministering to preteens is by stepping into their world.

To really connect with preteens you need to be culturally relevant to them. When you use things that they are aware of in their world, like current video games, in your message or when you are speaking to them they can relate to it better. Knowing what is popular for them and adding it in as an object lesson will help them to be more engaged in what you are telling them.

This is something that can also be helpful in small group questions as well. Chip explains the Cup O Noodle reference and how effective for his preteens using that idea in the question made it that much more relevant. Making current video games they are playing live action games can turn an activity into something they will enjoy more than playing the go to of dodgeball or shuffle your buns.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today on the podcast, Sean talks about bringing in preteens to sing or play music on occasion for worship.

In the past, Elevate would work with a group of preteens who wanted to be involved in the band. We would spend a few months working with them and they would be able to play one or two songs at the end of it. This was a very ineffective way to get the preteens involved in music and worship. Lately, we have tried something different. We invite guest preteens to join the worship team on a weekly basis. We will invite one preteen who is learning to play an instrument come join the regular worship team during one song.

The preteens are given that one song on Wednesday to practice the chords and be ready to play on Sunday. This has given the kids a chance to play more often. When you only have one preteen at a time they are able to follow the more skilled musicians on your worship team. Recently though, we decided to have all of them play together on one song this past Sunday. If you don't currently have a worship team, check with the preteens in your ministry, some of them might currently play an instrument and you can create a team using just the preteens.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to [email protected]. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.