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At Destiny Christian Church’s E-Camp, the cabin leaders get a 2 hour break from their cabins each morning. WHAT??? Yup – you heard that correctly. Here’s the schedule for the cabin leaders:

8:00-8:30 = Breakfast with Cabin Groups

8:30-9:00 = Cabin Clean Up/Campers’ Prepare for the Day

9:00-10:00 = Cabin Leaders Take a BREAK

10:00-11:00 = Cabin Leaders Meeting

So…what’s happening during that time with the campers? Listen to today’s podcast as Sean sits down with Seth (Activities Director) to talk about this 2 hour block of time which makes the rest of the day at camp go soooo much better!

Do you give your camp leaders a break? How do you do it? Tell us in the comment section below.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

All things were created for God’s glory:

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” –Colossians 1:16 (ESV)

We can see God’s glory through each and every color that God created (visible and invisible). Today on the podcast, Sean talks about taking this concept and making it into a really fun and interactive 12-week series for your preteens.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Sure – we can get preteens excited about filling a jar with money to give to missions’ work around the world…just tell them whoever fills their jar the quickest will get a prize. BUT this is lacking something, isn’t it?

It’s the heart of compassion that we want to develop, not just the act of giving money to those in need.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated trying to get preteens to care about people in far away places, Morgan McKeown totally understands.

Morgan is working on a solution – and it’s a GREAT one. Listen to today’s inspirational podcast, and you’ll hear about Morgan’s “Orphan for a Day” project, which is still in the development phase.

On the podcast, you’ll hear Morgan’s heart behind the project. Then you can head over to www.orphanforaday.com, and see how you can get involved.

This is a great idea! Thank you, Morgan.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Some games can help to build the community of preteens in your ministry. This game is aimed at doing just that! Every preteen in your group, whether well-known or new, has things about him or her that nobody in your group knows, and which are unique to them. This is their “secret identity”.

On today’s podcast, you’ll hear how to play this game, and how this game can help you to connect “fringe preteens” to your ministry group.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

At camp, there are plenty of opportunities for preteens to miss their homes. When mail from home is being handed out to campers, this can be a moment when many preteens can feel very homesick.

On Thursdays from now until summer, we’ll be sharing ideas with you about how to have an AMAZING camp for preteens. Today, Sean talks about a strategy for handling mail from home to lessen the potential for homesickness.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Today Sean shares his top 6 ways of helping preteens memorize scripture:

1. In your services, use a song like those by Seeds Family Music or JumpStart3 as either a worship song, an intro video, and/or transition music.
2. Write each word of a memory verse on balloons (one word per balloon). Have a student hold each balloon in the proper order and have everybody read the scripture. Then pop one of the balloons and have everybody say the scripture again, included the missing word. Continue to pop balloons and restate the verse until everybody is saying the verse without any balloons to help.
3. Put together an entire month-long experience/series using a single verse that the students learn as part of the series.
4. Introduce your students (and their parents) to a tool like Fighter Verses or the FV App.
5. Involve the students in a scripture passage, in ways like those discussed here.
6. Borrowing an idea from Chip Henderson’s 12 by 12 program, Sean has introduced a game where students move on a game board each time they memorize a scripture:

• Memorize Psalm 139:14 and receive a small prize of your choice from Treasure Box A.
• Memorize Isaiah 41:10 and receive a small prize of your choice from Treasure Box A.
• Memorize 1 Timothy 4:12 and a leader from Elevate will take you to Jamba Juice or Ice Cream.
• Memorize James 1:12-15 and receive a medium prize of your choice from Treasure Box B.
• Memorize Ephesians 6:13-17 and receive a medium prize of your choice from Treasure Box B
• Memorize Philippians 2:1-4 and a leader from Elevate will bring lunch from a place of your choice to your school.
• Memorize Psalm 1 or Psalm 8 and receive a large prize of your choice from Treasure Box C.
• Memorize Psalm 23 and receive a large prize of your choice from Treasure Box C.
• Memorize Psalm 100 and receive an activity of your choice from Golf Land (go-carts, lazer tag, or mini golf).
• Memorize 1 Corinthians 13 and receive an XL prize of your choice from Treasure Box D.
• Memorize Romans 12:1-10 and receive an XL prize of your choice from Treasure Box D.
• Memorize Romans 12 and receive an all-expense paid trip to Six Flags.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Katie Gerber from Maryland shares a great event idea that she has done every February for over a decade: Extraordinary Love.

This is not only an event, but a service project for her preteens that serves senior citizens at her church.

If you have any questions about the event, Katie would love to hear from you: katiegerber@mountaincc.org

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

What happens to a lesson, a series, a camp theme, or an event when it’s over? Do you get rid of it? Or do you repeat it every two years for the rest of your life?

There is a part of us that wants new and shiny things in our ministry constantly. There is another part of us that wants to avoid work, and to avoid recreating the wheel each week.

Today on the podcast, Sean talks about an important strategy to doing ministry long-term: Don’t Scrap It…Improve It!

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

At camp, one of the most dreaded times is when everybody is gathering and waiting for the rest of the campers to show up. This is when rocks get thrown or rumors get started. This is when kids realize that they are homesick, and when leaders do, too.

These gathering times are an opportunity that are often overlooked at many camps. But no longer!!!!

On Thursdays from now until summer, we’ll be sharing ideas with you about how to have an AMAZING camp for preteens. Today, Sean and Seth (Elevate Camp’s Activities Director) talk about what to do so that gathering times at camp go from times of ho-hum horseplay to times that the campers actually look forward to.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

How do we best minister to students with special needs? Today and yesterday on the podcast, Sean sits down with two parents of preteens who have autism, and they share their thoughts on this question.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

How do we best minister to students with special needs? Today and tomorrow on the podcast, Sean sits down with two parents of preteens who have autism, and they share their thoughts on this question.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.

Fasting is a discipline that is prominent in Scripture. Is it appropriate to teach preteens about fasting? Is it appropriate to encourage preteens to go for extended periods of time without food?

At Destiny Christian Church, where Sean is the preteen pastor, the entire church fasts for 21 days each January, and Sean has had to investigate and discover how to engage preteens in this annual tradition of Destiny.

Today on the podcast, he shares what he’s learned. We’d love to find out what you’ve discovered as well. Please share your thoughts and ideas about preteens and fasting at fourfivesix.org. Simply search for "teaching preteens about fasting" to find the page about this topic and to join the conversation.

Have a question about preteen ministry or a unique preteen ministry idea that we can feature on our podcast? Send it to podcast@fourfivesix.org. Looking for a great community of preteen leaders that you can plug into? Join us at http://fourfivesix.org/.