Phase

Social media is the place where all the world’s a stage and you—a grown adult—find yourself playing understudy to the next generation. Hey, we get it. As soon as you get a grasp on Facebook or Instagram they announce another big change. And new social media platforms are popping up all the time. You might be tempted to just stay away from social media, but then you’d miss out on some big opportunities for connection.

11, 12, 13. These are the awkward years. You remember right? Greasy hair, frizzy hair, don’t care. Weight gain and weight loss. You feel like an adult but everyone treats you like a kid. Life for a middle schooler is rough. Forget trying to figure out who you are in Christ. Preteens are hanging onto the struggle bus for dear life.

What matters to someone actually matters. When the leaders in your environment take the time to figure out what matters to those they lead, children and teenagers in your ministry begin to believe they matter, too.

Your God-given influence only works on kids who like you and know you like them. You want to shape the future of the kid in your life? Get to know him.

Not “how many people will respond to my latest snap?” kind of questions. We mean big, deep, questions. It boils down to 3 words: Mobilize their potential.

We love our middle schoolers...even if our mere existence is painfully embarrassing for them. What would you add to the list?

In the elementary years, a child develops skills and competencies that equip their future. The way a child resolves the “Do I have” questions of these phases provides them with critical knowledge and resources. It shapes their perception of personal ability, comparative value, and resilience. Through these phases, kids shift from wanting to be seen by adults to […]

Toddlers get a bad rap. Sure they whine and throw tantrums. But can you blame them? There’s a lot going on in those pint-sized bodies. By age two your little one will grow to half their adult height—something they’ll spend the next two decades reaching. And their shape will morph from one designed for doing a whole bunch […]