Middle School Ministry Podcast

Ok, it wasn’t ALL a dumpster fire. Some good things did come out of 2020! This week, Michelle and Ronald look back at 2020 and talk about the things they saw that were positive from the year!Got anything to add? We’d love to hear about it!Talked about on the episode:2020 - It Wasn’t All Badhttps://www.downloadyouthministry.com/p/2020---it-wasn%27t-all-bad/games-6045.htmlThe Life and Legacy of Allison Williamshttps://scholarship.downloadyouthministry.com/allison-williams/What did we love about 2020?1.Michelle Speaking at David Wood’s church!2.Brett Eddy speaking at Ronald’s retreat3.Online game nights were great! Google Doc Trivia night. Kahoot is a good tool.4.Ronald’s Youtube Lives were really fun5.Michelle and her husband celebrated 1 year! Yay! PS - Allison we love you.

These kids are squirrely. You’ve got to be careful or they’ll run around on you if you put them in charge of things! They might even get going even when you aren’t ready! This week, Michelle and Ronald talk giving students responsibilities.And the good and the bad of doing so!Questions to Consider•How can you help students lead from the front?•How can you help students lead from behind the scenes?Mentioned in the Podcast:Student Job Descriptionshttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FOQfPY_WNmnnqDdZlOU-I90DegOFPBcG?usp=sharing3 Ways to Quickly Pivot a Youth Ministry Game That is Bombing on Stagehttps://blog.downloadyouthministry.com/3-ways-to-quickly-pivot-a-youth-ministry-game-that-is-bombing-on-stage/5 Tips For Hosting Next-Level Camp Gameshttps://blog.downloadyouthministry.com/5-tips-for-hosting-next-level-camp-games/

Christmas Fun and Plans During CoronavirusIt’s December! That means Christmas parties and lots of plans. And maybe changing plans.This week Ronald and Michelle talk about what Christmas looks like during Covid. Got any suggestions? Send them on!Talked about on the Podcast:Escape the North Pole: Digital Escape Roomhttps://www.downloadyouthministry.com/p/escape-the-north-pole%3A-digital-escape-room/online-ministry/special-events-6000.htmlActin’ Sushttps://www.downloadyouthministry.com/p/actin%27-sus/games-actinsusgame.html

Did you spend a lot of time planning an event that had to get canceled or postponed due to the pandemic? This week, Ronald and Michelle talk about having to make contingency plans and calling audibles during this wild season. And what to do when you don’t really agree with the decisions that get made.Questions to Consider•What do you do with the plans you had for an event that didn’t come together?•How can you support the leadership of your church even if you don’t like a decision?•What are some ways you can reach out to and encourage students even when an event didn’t get to happen?

Have you and your church stayed open this whole time? Did you have to shut down and then got to re-open? After all that, are you having to shut down AGAIN?This week, Michelle and Ronald talk about having to go back to online.Again.Questions to Consider•How do you communicate with parents and students about going back online?•Who makes the call in your church about the youth group being online?•What things did you learn from the last shut down that you’re going to use if you have to go online again?

It’s time to vote. And this election cycle has been extra spicy for us and our students. So when politics come into the conversation during small groups and hanging out, how do we talk about politics without being a jerk? Today, Ronald and Michelle talk about how to do just that.Things we talk about this episode:•Reading good books •Listening to both sides of the news•Talking with leaders and when it’s right to talk politics•Listening to students process what’s happening

After a crazy break, student ministry is getting started back in force! This week, Ronald and Michelle talk about what that looks like in their ministries.Things we talk about this episode:•Starting small groups and big program•Outside versus inside•Communicating to everyone•The great NDOVYMT!

We’re pumped for this year’s NDOVYMT! In this episode, Ronald and Michelle talk about the big day of training, how they’ll use it, and how it’s helped train their middle school leaders!Things we talk about this episode:•Talks and topics at this year’s events•Ways to use the training AFTER the event•Sweet ways to experience the training even during a pandemic

*Ronald and Michelle are not medical doctors*This week we talk about trying to make small groups happen without making Covid-19 happen. We talk about how we communicated to parents, small group leaders and students. We also talk about the interesting ways we’re trying to make this stuff happen! Things we talk about this episode:•A couple ways we’re making small groups happen•What we tell leaders in the meantime•How to encourage in this crazy season

Everyone has some time of guidelines in place for their space.But what if that space doesn’t belong to your church?This week, Michelle and Ronald talk about the challenges of sharing space in the midst of a pandemic. It’s challenging for sure. It could also be a great chance for you to show middle school students what it’s like to be a great neighbor.Things we talk about this episode:•Not comparing yourself to other churches who had dedicated space•Thinking creatively and outside the physical space box•Trying to work things out with other ministries vying for the same space•Giving students a place to be