Ronald's church has a big event coming up! It's called Echo Weekend, but your church might call it a DNOW. That is unless you've never heard of what a DNOW is. No matter the case, listen in to how Ronald's church tries to communicate to parents (especially of those young 6th grade students) that everything is going to be alright!
Here are some questions to help process the show!
When do you start casting the vision for a weekend retreat or event?
How do you communicate to parents the schedule, price, time, etc?
What ways do you try to get the information out to everyone?
How do you make your sign-up schedule work for you?
Is the first trip you take several hours away or closer to home?
Mentioned on the podcast: 
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Got a middle school ministry question?
Email [email protected]
Need student ministry resources?
Check out www.downloadyouthministry.com
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Sunday Morning Squirrels:
Thanksgiving is three weeks away. Don't be mad but we're deep into our Christmas series! We're talking students through Luke's narrative, teaching them about virgins and learning all sorts of cool stuff! Let's do this!
Countdown Video:
Dad Copies Daughter's Face
We're talking about babies, so why not show some cute babies? I found this one on Facebook. Click the link above to get what I downloaded!
Games:
Praise Hands
This is an easy crowd elimination game. It pokes fun at our various ways to lift up holy hands in worship, but if we can't laugh at ourselves sometimes, then where's the joy, right? We got the group down to about four and then brought those students up on stage to play...
Won't You Be My Trivia?
Last week, the world celebrated National Cardigan Day on November 13th. If you missed that, you can still play this Mr Roger's themed trivia game. Hilarious and fun!
Songs:
Away in a Manger
Hark the Herald, Angels Sing
Bible Study:
We're on week three of my series "Son of God, Son of Man" that you can download from DYM by clicking here. This week we looked at Mary's song after she went to see Elizabeth. There's a lot of really wonderful truths in this passage, but mostly we challenged students to praise God for what He has done in their lives.
That's something we should do on a regular basis too!
Main Idea:
For what God has done, eternal praise is the only response.
Scripture:
Luke 1:26-38
Resources:
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Michelle just got back from a great weekend camp (or is it a retreat?). While SOME things went really well, other things were not so great. Namely, there was that ONE kid. You know the one. The one who causes all the drama, seeks all the attention, and makes all the jokes no matter whose feelings get hurt.
It's not an end all conversation, but maybe this will help you think about how to handle that kid in your group!
Here are some questions to help get you thinking!
Who is the adult who can relate best to that kid?
What's that kid's home life like? Are the parents on board or unaware?
What job can you give that kid to help focus their energy?
Does this kid make students feel welcome or drive them away?
Which side do you fall on? Calling kids out or calling them up?
Mentioned on the podcast: 
A great book by Jonathan McKee: The Bullying Breakthrough
DYM Community Facebook Group
Got a middle school ministry question?
Email [email protected]
Need student ministry resources?
Check out www.downloadyouthministry.com
Do you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!
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Sunday Morning Squirrels:
Christmas time is here! Well, almost. We start Christmas a little early around here because Middle School students help with the Christmas Eve service and we need all the band practice we can get! So it's a new series and thinking about the Christmas story!
Countdown Video:
Funny Animals
Animals are silly. We watched a silly video. Gotta be silly sometimes!
Games:
Face, Booty, Awesome Winter Edition
We brought up all over our November birthdays and played this game. It was a blast and SUPER easy to make happen! Download it now!
Dinner Disaster
This was a game from the creators of Dead Cat. It took me a minute to understand it, but I'm slow. But once I got it, everything made sense and this was a great game to get people up on stage and having fun! You need to be a DYM Member to get it. Click the link to figure out how to make that happen!
Songs:
What Child is This?
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Bible Study:
We're on week two of my series "Son of God, Son of Man" that you can download from DYM. It's interactive and I LOVE teaching it! This week we looked at Mary being approached by Gabriel. There is SO much going on in this passage beyond the incredible promise of a miracle. Mary, as a teenager, takes on incredible risk when she agrees to bear the Son of God. It's a great lesson!
Main Idea:
God's promises are difficult, but they are SO worth it!
Scripture:
Luke 1:26-38
Resources:
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Sometimes adults show up and help in big ways! Sometimes they just show up. Either way, it's our job as middle school pastors to give these wonderful adults willing to volunteer their time with these awesome students!
Here are some questions to get your brain thinking!
How do you train your adults who help in the big program?
Do you use the same adults for big service as you do small groups?
What jobs do you give your adults who help with your program?
What jobs do you give your students?
Why is it important for your context to have adults in the room?
Mentioned on the podcast: 
DYM Community Facebook Group
Got a middle school ministry question?
Email [email protected]
Need student ministry resources?
Check out www.downloadyouthministry.com
Do you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!
Social Media:
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Twitter
Facebook

Sunday Morning Squirrels:

Woohoo! It finally happened! A Sunday morning that wasn't insanity! I mean, there was the normal amount of chaos for middle school ministry, but not a WILD amount. It was great!

Countdown Video:

FIZZED

We stole this game from DYM's More Than Dodgeball Show. It was super easy to pull off and something you could do with your group! Click the link to see the youtube video and get the supply list in the comments. Totally a great opening video!

Games:

Find It!

This is a simple game from youth group history! Students just have to find the thing on the screen and bring it up on stage! We had rows of teams. The team that won got to come up on stage and play...

Will It Burn?

These games are legend in the DYM world! My students loved it and each item was a mystery to them. Great game and a great way to keep them engaged! It was great!

Songs:

Burn Like a Star

Good Good Father

Bible Study:

This week was the last in our series. It's called "The Road" and you can download it on DYM! We talked about what it means to be JUSTIFIED and what God did for us through Jesus! It was a great way to end the series. 

Main Idea:

I'm not perfect, but Jesus makes me right with God.

Scripture:

Romans 3

Resources:

One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!

Talking Squirrels on Social:

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Ronald and Michelle talk about their Tentpole events. The big events they do that help drive the ministry, promote their vision for their ministries, and help keep the momentum going in middle school ministry!
If you do big events for your ministry, we've got some questions for you!
What are the events that take up a lot of your time and budget?
Do these events help drive your ministry's vision forward?
Would you rather do a lot of smaller things or a few big things?
How do you make your events work in your context?
What seasons do you try to schedule events in and which do you avoid?
Mentioned on the podcast: 
 
DYM Community Facebook Group
Got a middle school ministry question?
Email [email protected]
Need student ministry resources?
Check out www.downloadyouthministry.com
Do you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Sunday Morning Squirrels:
Who needs singers to show up? Not this middle school pastor! Whew! Another crazy Sunday with students stepping up and volunteers not showing up. Wild!
Countdown Video:
Fortnite Reactions
In case you didn't know, Fortnite closed down for 48 hours and middle school students (and some adults) everywhere went crazy. This is a short video of those reactions. I cleaned up some of the more... vulgar reactions to the event. 
Games:
Sculptionary: Halloween Edition
This went over well! We played this with our rows and it was fun. The only thing that got wild was students starting guessing random Halloween words and eventually got some of them right without their sculptor even making something. Kind of weird but good strategy I guess! The winning row came up on stage to play...
Clowns Have Feelings Too
Super easy game with Sidekick. Blurred images of clowns that were either SAD or GLAD. Nightmare fuel and loads of fun. I do not suggest having an actual clown up on stage.
Songs:
Let It Be Known
Praise Before My Breakthrough
Bible Study:
This week we had our second in our series. It's called "The Road" and you can download it on DYM! We talked about how God makes the rules and that His rules go over our own preferences. Even if we don't know God's law, He'll judge us (and everyone!) by the same standard!
Main Idea:
God's law over my standards!
Scripture:
Romans 2
Resources:
One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!
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Today Ronald and Michelle got to hang out with Katy Langley, a youth pastor for Penninsula Covenant Church, and talk about getting out there and finding a tribe of youth pastors to connect and hang with.
It can be intimidating to form a network if there isn't one in your region, but the awkwardness and the rejection from other pastors is SO WORTH IT if you can find a tribe to do life with. Katy has faced a lot of trials in getting her network going, but has definitely seen the benefits as well.
Here are some questions to consider:
How are you connecting with the current youth worker network in your area?
Who are the youth pastors you can meet with this week for coffee?
What step can you take to get a network going if there isn't one around you?
Why is it so important to find a group of other pastors to hang out with?
Mentioned on the podcast: 
Read some stuff Katy has written here!
Follow Katy on Instagram!
DYM Community Facebook Group
Got a middle school ministry question?
Email [email protected]
Need student ministry resources?
Check out www.downloadyouthministry.com
Do you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Sunday Morning Squirrels:
It's Picnic week at our church! After church today we go rent out a big amusement park and invite EVERYONE from our church. It's a blast and a great chance to hang with students and meets lots of guests.
Countdown Video:
Wholesome Memes
Just a quick video of memes from a longer youtube video. I didn't want the whole thing, so I edited it down to this!
Games:
Remember Me
Super quick to set up and play! We had students mingle for a bit and get to know each other's names. Then we had everyone sit and we held up a sheet between the two sides of the room. Each team quietly chose ONE person to go face the sheet. When they were both ready, we dropped the sheet. The student who said the correct name of the other student first scored a point! Nice. Then we got the winners to come up on stage to play...
Pound for Pound
Up on the screen, there was a combination of things. The students had to guess which group of things weighed more. SUPER funny and easy!
Songs:
Let It Be Known
Praise Before My Breakthrough
Bible Study:
This week we began a series on walking through the first three chapters of Romans. It's called "The Road" and you can download it on DYM! This week we looked at the fact that we don't have any excuses. First, we have no excuse for NOT knowing who God is because creation points us to Him, and second, we have no excuse to be ashamed of the Gospel, because God has called on us to be a part of His plan to save others!
Main Idea:
I'm a part of God's plan to save His creation!
Scripture:
Romans 1
Resources:
One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!
Talking Squirrels on Social:
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