Middle School Ministry Podcast

We all can’t wait for things to go back to normal! But what is normal? And will it be something we even get back to eventually? This week Michelle and Ronald talk about getting back, being a little beat up, and what things may or may not look like in middle school ministry once we’re allowed to hang out in person again. Some things we talk about: •Are you going to keep doing online shows? •Is this...

Masterpiece Theater A DYM winner! We posted this game to our Insta-story and emailed parents to let them know how to compete and then showed the compiled video with some classical music during our live show. A hit AND for DYM Gold Member’s only! https://www.downloadyouthministry.com/masterpiece-theater Thank You Quarantine We totally ripped off Justin Knowles who ripped off Jimmy Fallon’s “Thank Y...

Work and home are now the same. We don’t know about you all, but the shift has been HARD for Michelle and Ronald! This week we talk about how to Sabbath while also being in the exact same room you work from now. Middle School Students are going through a lot right now. Make sure you’re rested up and able to minister to them in a way that benefits you both! Some things we talk about: •Making time t...

Wednesday: Trick Shots We sent out a text and email request for “Trick Shot Videos” like Dude Perfect. We sent them this link and just asked them to go to town. Our group delivered! It was awesome! I’ve linked our YouTube video below as well! Dude Perfect Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRJmcxCrAOA Our Student’s Video: https://youtu.be/Lt2yv_CfGqc?t=616 Teen Driver Quiz During our Online Yo...

We aren’t professionals, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t trying! There’s a balance we’re learning about putting on the best show we possibly can and running into glitches… like the camera turning off or the sound just disappearing from our live stream! And then hearing from our middle school students about their opinion on those glitches! Some things we talk about: •The difference between not tryi...

We had been doing a “This is what happened during our big meeting!” Episode for a long time. Well, everything changed with COVID-19, so here’s what we’re doing now! This will be a quick 5 minute or so weekly episode of how we connected with students online. Some ideas take place during our “youth group online” and others were just during the course of the week. Use, change, and get ideas for your...

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 questi...

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'r...

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 be...

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 Up I asked students to find five things from five different rooms in their house and then send me a picture of them all sta...

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...

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 as...

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 diff...

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 Salmon Yup. Just silly. My students really enjoyed this video! It was definitely silly and hopefully they don’t copy all the pranks. Games: Fail Guess Relationships sometimes go great. Sometimes...

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 descripti...

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 Stunts Sometimes the videos you can find on the internet are not only...

Middle school students are great. But sometimes they're also punks. Michelle has a rule in her group: Don't be a jerk. Our students don't always live by that rule. But we get to watch them grow, mature, and change over time. Sometimes... a long time. This week Michelle and Ronald talk about how to handle the punk kid, even when they end up on stage to play a game. What are your plans for dealing w...

Sunday Morning Squirrels: What a Sunday morning! It was a fun and crazy morning, but we made and students really got challenged by the lesson! Good times all around. Countdown Video: People are Awesome and Some Fails This was a fun video, but if your group doesn't appreciate some shirtless or sports bra stunts, skip it and find something similar! Games: Castle Siege We played a move around game wi...

Who in their right mind would talk to middle school students about sex? Well, people who are in their right mind of course! Someone is talking to your middle school students about sex. It might be the parents, but it might also be social media, Netflix, their buddies, Tik Tok and porn. This week Ronald and Michelle talk about what doing a sex series with middle school students looks like and how t...

Sunday Morning Squirrels: Sunday mornings are crazy and fun all at the same time. Today was definitely both and why I love Sundays with middle school students! Countdown Video: Things You Take for Granted in Video Games Honestly, this video wasn't great. I edited it to make it shorter, but it was just ok. You can use parts of it if you want, but I wouldn't. I'd go with another video. Games: Clumps...

You finally got your students to camp! It's been a crazy ride of getting all the paperwork in, the money collected, and the leaders all lined up. And then the camp speaker starts to talk. And you disagree with... most of it. What do you do?  It's happened to us all (and if it hasn't yet, it will). This week Michelle and Ronald talk about what they have done in the past when they disagree with the...

Sunday Morning Squirrels: We finally made it through January! Does anyone else feel like this month was a whole year long? Just me? Ok then.  We started a new series called "Retro" this week where we are going to look at some of the Old Testament kings and what we can learn from them. Countdown Video: Bad Day at Work What a fun way to connect students to the king of our story today! Asa was a youn...

Life means that sometimes sad stuff is going to happen. This week Ronald and Michelle talk about some recent tragedies they have both faced, how they've handled them with their students, and how modeling mourning is good for the students we all spend time with. Do you try to hide when your sad or share with your students? How can you model mourning for your middle school group? Who has experienced...

Sunday Morning Squirrels: I've been sick the last few days. This morning I took cough medicine to help me get through the day. Turns out, it was NOT non-drowsy. I've been loopy all morning and gave what I think was my best middle school talk yet. I don't think these things are related, but they might be. Oh well! Another day in middle school ministry! Countdown Video: Vintage Jesus 04 The last vin...

Sunday Morning Squirrels: Now we find a rythym! With two weeks under our belt, it's beginning to feel like a good time to get back to ministry! I love these students and the challenge they give us each week! Countdown Video: Vintage Jesus 02 Since we're talking about Jesus, we wanted to show some misconceptions about Jesus. This was the second video we showed and it was hilarious. These videos are...