A big reason they can grab the attention of pre-teens is because they are who pre-teens want to be. Pre-teens can't wait to be the age of high school and college students. Why do you think High School Musical has been so popular? Why do you think many music and pop culture stars for pre-teens are high school and college-age students?
Below are some pictures I took this past weekend of some of our students serving. I love seeing high school and college students leading pre-teen worship, teaching, running tech, and leading small groups.
Here are some tips for getting high school and college students serving in your pre-teen ministry.
- Be intentional about partnering with student ministry. Have coffee with your high school pastor / leader and share the vision of students serving in pre-teen ministry. Get in front of students and share the vision.
- Be committed to helping students grow in their faith. Students serving is not an end in itself. See serving for what it really is... a vital part of the discipleship process. When you get students serving, you help students grow spiritually.
- Invest in students. Spend time with them. Mentor them. Train them. Celebrate them.
- Set clear expectations and guidelines before they start serving. Define what the wins are. What the time commitment is.
- Call them up. Not out...but up. They are used to people telling them what they are doing wrong. Believe in them and let them lead. Call them up to all that God wants them to be.
