Middle School Ministry Podcast

Sunday Morning Squirrels:Now we're getting into a groove with Sunday mornings! This was the first week where sixth-grade students were REALLY getting into serving and it's awesome to see them getting into the flow of everything! This is our third week of Purpose and we're focusing on LOVE today! It's been really great and I love the season of newness!Countdown Video:Animal VinesWeek two of the vines! It was fun last week and we did it again this week and it was a blast! Games:Meet and GreetThis was a really creative game to get students interacting with each other. You can download it from DYM by clicking the title above!Songs:Let it Be KnowHere as In HeavenBible Study:Week three. Good stuff from this great series on 1 John. This week was all about Love and what John has to say about who God is and who we are in Him! Check out the study here.Main Idea:Love like God.Scripture:1 John 4:7-121 John 4:19-21Resources:One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!Talking Squirrels on Social:FacebookInstagramTwitterEmail

There are only so many hours in the day! It's time to use what we've been given to the fullest potential! Ronald and Michelle have been flying by the seats of their pants this summer. Both of them are trying to get a hold of their schedule before the fall kicks in with full force. There's a lot to manage! Meetings, planning, growing, reading, studying, meeting parents, hanging with students and answering emails! It can get overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be! You can get a hold of your time.Here are some questions to think about:How do you plan out your time?Do you just make a weekly checklist?Do you plan every minute of the week?Do you have a yearlong calendar in your office?What tools do you use to help control your time?Mentioned on the podcast: Dry Erase Year Long CalendarCalendyRoles and Goals, free resource from Doug FieldsDYM Community Facebook GroupGot a middle school ministry question?Email talkingsquirrelspodcast@gmail.comNeed student ministry resources?Check out www.downloadyouthministry.comDo you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!Social Media:InstagramTwitterFacebook

Sunday Morning Squirrels:Sunday number two with the new group of students. A little less chaos. But only a little! We continued our series on Purpose from the 1 John series from DYM. It was a good day!Countdown Video:Animal VinesRemember vine? Those were the days. Our countdown video was just tons of animal vines all put together. Animals are funny. Students like animals. Win win win.Games:Quick DrawThis game came from DYM's Gold Rush week. The week was incredible, and this game was a lot of fun! Students got into pairs and then had to look at the screen. The video told them what to do and the student who completed the task first won and found a new partner. Quick and easy!Meow MixOnce we got down to four students, we brought them up on stage to play Meow Mix by Anthony Taylor and Sam Peterson. The premise is easy: instead of singing the song on the card, you have to meow it! It's harder hilarious and actually challenging!Songs:AliveCornerstoneBible Study:We continued the series of Purpose by looking at what it means to abide in 1 John. I didn't use the Big Lebowski reference they included in the lesson and instead talked about houses I've lived in and the switch you always make from calling it "my house" to "my home" and how that means we "abide" there. Check out the study here.Main Idea:Abide with Jesus.Scripture:1 John 2:3-6, 26-281 John 3:17-24John 15:1-8Resources:Youth Ministry Lab PodcastOne month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!Talking Squirrels on Social:FacebookInstagramTwitterEmail

Every year Ronald's church attends the Global Leadership Summit through a satellite campus. This year, Michelle went for the first time to a satellite campus as well. This episode we talk a little about what we took away from the conference and what we can apply to middle school students and leadership!Here are some questions to think about:What is your church doing to invest in leaders?How can you be a catalyst to help your church's leaders get better?Is the GLS something you can attend in the future?What benefits are there from you getting better as a leader?What benefits are there from all the pastors in your church getting better?Mentioned on the podcast: Global Leadership SummitLIZ FORKIN BOHANNONCraig Groeschel PodcastDYM Community Facebook GroupGot a middle school ministry question?Email talkingsquirrelspodcast@gmail.comNeed student ministry resources?Check out www.downloadyouthministry.comDo you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!Social Media:InstagramTwitterFacebook

Sunday Morning Squirrels:What a crazy good Sunday! Our students all promoted today. That means tons of new students, a new group dynamic, and lots of names to remember!It was a really a great Sunday morning. We began a new series talking about our Purpose through 1 John. Absolutely a blast!Countdown Video:Chickfila Pickup LinesThis was a funny video, BUT I was disappointed that it was a little racy. Use it if you want, but make sure you watch it and that it would work for your group. Because it REALLY pushed our boundaries and I wouldn't show it again without taking out some of the jokes.Games:2 Liter SmashThis game was a ton of fun! It may have just been the energy in the room, but it was awesome! You just get a group to drink a 2 liter and do a task as they get it past the number you've drawn on the bottle. Click the link to download it and play with your group.Nailed it or Failed it: Cat EditionThe group that won got to come up and play this really funny game from DYM. It's a video-driven either-or game and got a lot of reaction!Songs:Let It Be KnownDeath was ArrestedBible Study:We began a Bible study by VIVA! that's available on DYM to download. We adjusted it a little bit to fit our needs, but it's been a good study to look over so far! This was a study on what John says about Light in 1 John. Check out the study here.Main Idea:Walk in the light!Scripture:1 John 1:5-101 John 2:9-11Resources:One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!Talking Squirrels on Social:FacebookInstagramTwitterEmail

This is a really great event that we do the week before we have our 6th-grade students promote into the student ministry! It's a chance for the incoming students to be in the room, get to know me, and have a ton of fun eating and learning about the ministry!Here's a quick run-down of what we did.Game: 12 in 12A really fun memory game based on screens. My 6th-grade students always really engage with it!Talk: IntroductionsI told them about myself, my family, and showed a few pictures.Game: Head, Shoulders, Knees, CupThe easiest ministry game ever! Students just need a cup for every pair of students.Talk: MS VisionI shared our vision for the middle school ministry. I want students to know my heart in ministering to them! Click the link to see what I shared! Game: Crushed It or Crashed ItWe played this in tables and I awarded the winning table with a unicorn pinata filled with candy. I love my job.Talk: Serve CardsStudents can serve immediately in our ministry! We have them fill out cards to let us know where they want to serve. We make a really big deal out of making sure they don't just sit back, but that they are an active part in what we do! Click the heading to see what our cards look like. Student PicturesI took their pictures with their names. 

Sunday Morning Squirrels:This was the last week we had with our students who are in 8th grade. Next week we promote up and have a fresh group! I'm excited about it, but we needed to finish up strong!Jeremiah was our focus today. We reminded students that they are not too young to do God's will. We also spent some time praying for our leaving group of students.8th Grade Send-off:We circled up the 8th-grade students and surrounded them with 7th and 6th-grade students. We prayed over them all.We prayed for the students that they would:Lead even though they are about to be the youngest in their high school group.Serve and not let the older students be the only servants in the group.Live in such a way that points others to Jesus.Countdown Video:Girl Cries Like a Race CarThis is an old video, but we started our day by praying for students. This was a funny segue to get from our cry moment to the rest of the morning.Games:Did It FundI made this game. It's an "either-or" game about Kickstarter projects. Click the link to download!Name That TuneWe had our students come up on stage who had birthdays in August. It was a ton of fun for my students, but they struggled with the game. Maybe a different group would get it, but only the songs like "Jingle Bells" and "Happy Birthday" worked with our group.Songs:Burn Like a StarEven So ComeBible Study:This was our big send-off for our 8th-grade students. We talked about how God has a plan for Jeremiah, even though he was really young when he was first called. We reminded students that they aren't too young to do what God wants them to do!Main Idea:You're not too young to do God's willScripture:Jeremiah 1:1-10Resources:One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!Talking Squirrels on Social:FacebookInstagramTwitterEmail

Your leaders' opinions of the trip matter!When you take leaders on a trip, you have the opportunity to ask them to be your "eyes and ears" for things that you might not be able to see because you've been working so closely on the details of the whole thing.Debriefing with your leaders is hugely important and can really help when you're either trying to change a big part of the trip or make it better next year!Here are some questions to think about:When is a good time to debrief? On the way home? One week after?What questions can you ask your leaders?What's the best way to record their answers?How will their responses shape your next trip?Mentioned on the podcast: DYM Community Facebook GroupGot a middle school ministry question?Email talkingsquirrelspodcast@gmail.comNeed student ministry resources?Check out www.downloadyouthministry.comDo you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!Social Media:InstagramTwitterFacebook

Sunday Morning Squirrels:We've only got two weeks until we promote up the fifth-grade students into the middle school room and I'm excited! But that means we need to properly send off the eighth-grade students first! We started a two-week series called "Launch" which I'll put down below for you to download and make your own!It's always a crazy Sunday in middle school. Here's what we did!Countdown Video:Taco Bell and KFC Board RoomI like Taco Bell. My students give me a hard time (as they should) so this video just made sense.Games:Bird BirdThis was a fun elimination game from DYM. Easy to use and have students play!Disney CharadesOnce students were eliminated enough, we got them up on stage to play Disney Charades. It's exactly like it sounds. A movie name goes on the screen, the crowd acts it out and the participants have to guess. Very nice!Songs:AliveEven So ComeBible Study:Today we talked about Phillip and the Ethopian Eunuch (a guy who the king made sure he couldn't have illegitimate children with the queen. You're welcome). We talked about taking the next step in your faith, whether that's responding to Jesus, being baptized, serving, or sharing the Gospel with someone!Main Idea:Take the next step!Scripture:Acts 8:26-40Resources:One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!Talking Squirrels on Social:FacebookInstagramTwitterEmail

Middle School Girls.Chances are half of your group is female. How do you take time to make sure they are ministered to on trips?Michelle and Ronald have a candid conversation about making sure you've got what you need to meet the needs of half your group when you're gone on a summer (or really any) trip!Here are some questions to think about:Did you buy pads? You should.Do you have extra clothing options for emergencies?Have you prepped your female leaders to help out in a crisis?Are you able to know things without letting on you know things?Mentioned on the podcast: DYM Community Facebook GroupGot a middle school ministry question?Email talkingsquirrelspodcast@gmail.comNeed student ministry resources?Check out www.downloadyouthministry.comDo you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!Social Media:InstagramTwitterFacebook