This past weekend, our children's ministry team went on a tour of a church and then we attended a children's ministry workshop conference. While touring the church, I was able to ask our tour guide about his church's preteen ministry. I asked questions about their check-in and pick-up process, their program format, such as if it is small group/large group format, do they use a preaching format, what type of worship do they have, and etc... Afterwards, our team reflected upon what we learned from our tour of the church and it's various ministries to children: what I came away with was not new programming or format ideas (most of what they do, we already did, do, or are thinking about doing); instead, it was a realization and confirmation that much of preteen ministry has to do with transition.

Much of what I gleaned from the church (Whom I have tremendous respect for) was their goal of providing an environment for preteens that not only ministered to them now, but more importantly provided an atmosphere of anticipation for the next level or the next step of the journey! Even in our own preteen ministry, we strive to not only turn all preteens into fully mature followers of Jesus, but we also seek to help prepare them for the next level, or transition in their walk with Jesus. Transition is huge in a preteen's life. If Barna's statistics (See - Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions) are right, the preteen age is not only a very important time in a person's life, particularlly when it comes to the decisions they make in establishing their moral and spiritual foundation, but many of them don't make that transition into adolescence (Give or take about 40%). They drop out and are more than likely to not return! What are your thoughts on this, what steps do you take in helping preteens make that next transition? Or, does preteen ministry have anything to do with transition?

Keep it real in Christ,
Joe