interlínc : Maximizing Music and Media in Youth Ministry

Most of us have deposited memories of our Middle School years into the same dark, deep hole we put our trips to the dentist, vaccinations, wetting the bed and throwing up at the birthday party of the little girl we wanted so badly to impress. But if you allow yourself to dredge up those memories of entry into the Middle School system you may recall the strange mixture of fear, apprehension, excitement and wonder that ran through your thoughts.

Building a comfortable on ramp into the world of Middle School and in particular youth group territory can not only take some of the nervousness away from incoming students but can set the pace that will, in the next six or seven years, turn the greenhorn into a terrific student leader. But we need to be proactive—not waiting for kids to come to us but going out to meet them part way.

Here are a few ideas of how:

• Work with the teachers in the Junior Dept. (Grades 4-5) to come in (or pull the kids out) and have a special “what to expect” time with the fifth graders BEFORE they leave that area. Give them a chance to get to know you and your staff.

• Get a clean mailing list for each kid who you will be inheriting and send them a personal note, card or letter welcoming them into the new world.

• Contact parents and have a “What to expect from Middle School” kind of meeting where you lay out your ministry, your vision, your needs and how parents can help. Getting parents rooting for your team in advance pays off in the long run.

• Come up with some cool promotional material about activities to look forward to. Make sure to get these into new kids’ hands.

• Take the time to grab each new student within the first few weeks of transition, and take him or her out for a milkshake or something. Find out their interests, etc. Let them get to know you.

• While you are at it, make sure to give each new kid a cool card that tells him or her how to get in touch with you. Put your family’s names and even the name of your pets on it as well. And yes, it is entirely appropriate to tell them what day you take as “don’t bug me, I'm having a family day” so that they are trained right off the bat.

• Get your hands on the Elementary School(s) yearbook and make copies of all the 5th graders in it. Pass it around to your new students and ask them to circle kids who are their friends. This can really help you build your group as you see the network of friends and can brilliantly ask Barney to invite his buddy Clyde.

• While you have the yearbook, copy pictures of the new kids and put them somewhere you can see them so you can match faces with names and pray for these new critters as well.

• Have some kind of welcoming party for the new crew. Be careful of doing really embarrassing initiation rites, as most young kids are so ridiculously self-conscious they may run away never to return.

• Create espirt de corp goodies; Youth group T-shirts, stickers, etc. and give them to the new crew as part of your welcoming gift.

• And speaking of welcoming gifts, putting a copy of the SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL book in the hands of every new student in your group is a rip roaring and very practical idea. Check out the great tips for new Middle School kids and the bonus CD of hot new Christian music picked especially with a Middle School kid in mind.