Middle School Ministry Podcast

2019 - Everybody! Stay off your phones and off social media!2020 - Everybody! Get on your phone and check out social media!It feels like everything has gone online! While some middle school parents might have had concerns about their students logging onto social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, now those are some of the most prominent places where ministry is happening!Now the question is, are our students engaging with us now that we're online? This week, Michelle and Ronald talk about how their students have been reacting to the new normal of being online and what they've been doing to increase social engagement!Sometimes boundaries foster creativity!How are you relieving parent concerns about being online?In what ways are you having students interact with your online presence?Do you feel like you're making a difference in students' lives even if you aren't in the same room?Once more for the people in the back, How long, Oh Lord?Mentioned on the podcast: The Best Free Ideas to Navigate COVID-19https://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/Sample YouTube Moderator Guidelineshttps://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/sample-youtube-moderator-guidelines/Quarantine Lunch - Online Gamehttps://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/idea-quarantine-lunch/DYM Communityhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/DYMCommunity/Podcast Networkhttps://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/Ronald's Student Ministry One-Stop Online Youth Group Pagehttps://waysidechapel.org/echo-online/Got a middle school ministry question?https://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/submit-questions/Do you listen to the Podcast? Consider leaving a review of the podcast!Social Media:Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/middleschoolministrypodcast/Twitterhttps://twitter.com/middleschoolmi2Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/middleschoolministrypodcast

How can you stay connected while remaining six-feet apart, in groups no larger than ten, or sheltering in place?Well, it definitely presents some challenges.In this episode, Ronald and Michelle talk about how they plan to try to stay connected with students, parents, and leaders during a time when we're told to not hang out so much.Sometimes boundaries foster creativity!What are the ways you're going to try to connect? REAL letters? Phone calls?How are you going to reach out to your leaders?In what ways can you encourage parents?No for real, How long Oh Lord?Mentioned on the podcast: The Best Free Ideas to Navigate COVID-19https://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/PSA From a Momhttps://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/psa-from-a-mom-me-im-the-mom/DYM Communityhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/DYMCommunity/Podcast Networkhttps://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/Ronald's Student Ministry One-Stop Online Youth Group Pagehttps://waysidechapel.org/echo-online/Got 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

Who was really looking forward to re-inventing church and middle school ministry as we know it this month? Anyone?Well too bad, we're doing it anyway! Thanks, COVID-19!For real, churches and ministries everywhere have been completely changing the way student ministry happens in order to help stop the spread of the virus. Michelle and Ronald take a moment to talk about what their churches have been doing. What online platforms have you been using to reach your students?How have you managed to keep doing "youth group" in the midst of a pandemic?What has been the best practices you would take away?What are some changes you would make?How long Oh Lord?Mentioned on the podcast: The Best Free Ideas to Navigate COVID-19https://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/DYM Communityhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/DYMCommunity/Podcast Networkhttps://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/Ronald's Student Ministry One-Stop Online Youth Group Pagehttps://waysidechapel.org/echo-online/Got 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

Middle School Sundays:Well, the world has been flipped upside down! But we're an adaptive bunch, so here's what we're doing for our Sunday Mornings until this COVID-19 business is all wrapped up!Check out our website:https://waysidechapel.org/echo-online/ Games:Stack It UpI asked students to find five things from five different rooms in their house and then send me a picture of them all stacked up. I told them I'd choose a winner on Tuesday at 1 pm and send that person a prize! Here's to making up games while social distancing!  Bible Study:Crisis ModeThis was a great start to a series we are super pumped to get going! Instead of talking about sex right away, we focused on all relationships. Students were really dialed in!Main Idea:Be wise and care for others!Scripture:Ephesians 5:15-17Resources:Everything you need to survive COVID-19 while still doing ministry:http://youthgroup.downloadyouthministry.com/Get the graphics for my series and the game here:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y_HyOjABOREjcEqWohQr706UMY0n1NWQ?usp=sharing

Ministry is hard. Trying to do ministry from an empty cup is impossible.Don't burn out. You're not alone. Get help!This week, Ronald and Michelle talk about what they do when they're feeling spent in ministry. No matter what fills your cup back up, it's important to know when you're bone dry and how you can stop from getting all burnt out.But, when you see the signs that it's coming, there are definitely things you can do to help fill your cup back up and get to ministering to middle school students again!What is the main cause of burn out in YOUR life?Why do you normally burn out?Which activities do you seek out to refresh yourself?How can you avoid burnout?Mentioned on the podcast: DYM Community Podcast NetworkGot 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

Sometimes we get the awesome opportunity to talk to another student pastor's middle school students!Michelle got to go and teach for a retreat for our favorite wizard (David Wood). In this episode, she talks about her experience, what she did to prepare, what she'll do next time, and we both talk about how to set up the next speaker you invite into your group for success!What questions do you ask if you're going to be a guest speaker?What do you want a guest speaker to know about your group?How can you help your next guest get ready to speak to your group?Mentioned on the podcast: DYM Community Podcast NetworkGot 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

It's such a blessing to have students in our ministries who are different! When it comes to students with special needs, they have a set of needs that ought to be addressed and met. Both Michelle and Ronald have and have had students with special needs in their ministries. This episode breaks down some strategies to help you think through how to help out the families who have students with a different set of needs than the rest of the group.How are you communicating with the parents of special needs students?What space have you set up for when your student needs a moment?Who can you have champion your special needs student on a regular basis?Why is it important to keep the conversation going with the student's parents?Mentioned on the podcast: DYM Community Podcast NetworkGot 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:Woohoo! Sex talk time! Ok, maybe not everyone is excited about this, but that's alright. We had a great start to a potentially awkward and wonderful series!Countdown Video:Silly SalmonYup. Just silly. My students really enjoyed this video! It was definitely silly and hopefully they don’t copy all the pranks.Games:Fail GuessRelationships sometimes go great. Sometimes not. A fail game is a great way to talk about it! We had a good time bringing up everyone with a March birthday to play this!Feed the TurtleFunny game with the whole crowd! You've got to be a DYM Gold Member to get it though. Click the link and see what the buzz is about!Songs:Alive10,000 ReasonsBible Study:God Guys and GirlsThis was a great start to a series we are super pumped to get going! Instead of talking about sex right away, we focused on all relationships. Students were really dialed in!Main Idea:Unless I’m wholeheartedly pursuing a relationship with Jesus, all other relationships will be an attempt to fill that void. Scripture:Genesis 2 and 3Exodus 20:3Resources:One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!

We all post to social media. Whether it's for our personal pages or for our ministries, putting up a quick pic is something we all do!Have you ever put up something that you later thought might not have been the best? Or has a recent Facebook memory from seven years ago made you cringe?Or have you ever stopped to ask a student, "Hey, before I post this are you cool with the pic and the description?" This week, Ronald and Michelle break down what it means to ask a student for their opinion before you put something about them up on social media.When you post something with a student in it, are you celebrating them? Championing them? Or trying to get a laugh?Have you ever asked a student if it was ok to post their picture or quote before? What happened?Are you posting to benefit yourself, your ministry, or your student?What's happened the last time you asked a parent for permission to post their student's photo?Mentioned on the podcast: DYM Community Podcast NetworkGot 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:After a great trip to California, I’m back and it’s Sunday with the Middle School ministry! Between helping the children’s ministry with technical difficulties and watching some students be ridiculous during worship, today was a great (and very normal) morning program!Countdown Video:Thomas the Train StuntsSometimes the videos you can find on the internet are not only ridiculous, they're pretty impressive too! This was a weirdly neat video we showed this Sunday!Games:Maze CrazeLast week’s movement game was a bust   This week it was awesome! My students were REALLY into this game from DYM and it was a lot of fun. Four pieces of colored paper on the walls and we were ready to go!Sync'd UpThis was an easy upfront game. Students got called up in pairs and had to shout the same thing in the category on the screen. Great game!Songs:Alive10,000 ReasonsBible Study:This was one VERY violent Bible study lesson! Seriously this is a crazy story, but it helped us communicate to students that you can do SO MUCH and still have a legacy that leaves much to be desired. We talked about how we can live in such a way that when people think about us, they think about Jesus.Main Idea:Leave a legacy of faith.Scripture:2 Kings 9-10Resources:One month free Sidekick and DYM Gold Member Access: Click here!