Today on the podcast, Sean talks with Zach Matchett about preteens and application of your message.

Zach discusses the ways he has helped preteens make application of a message they hear, helping them to figure out how that message will affect them going forward. By setting aside time for preteens to talk back to a leader about what they heard, allows them time to process the information. This allows them the ability to apply it and put it into practice during the week.

If preteens don’t realize that their faith needs to move beyond the four walls of the ministry space, that following Jesus is an everyday decision, they aren’t going to grow. They will move through life and they will not be able to do this as an adult.

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 on the podcast, Sean speaks with Ryan Frank regarding MegaCon and the Preteen HQ.

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Ryan, the leader of KidMin, speaks about his heart behind the Preteen HQ that was added to MegaCon at the 2019 conference. Have you ever wondered what conference to attend as a preteen ministry leader? Children’s conferences just don’t seem to have the necessary resources you are looking for. Maybe think about attending next year’s MegaCon 2020 which will occur October 6-8. This is a conference you don’t want to miss.

Last year, KidMin introduced the Preteen HQ which focused on preteen ministries. With the help of FourFiveSix they put together a preteen focused conference inside of the children’s conference. The resources offered in this area are geared toward your preteen ministry.

If you are interested in the Onference click here. If you want more information regarding MegaCon 2020 and the Preteen HQ click here.

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 on the podcast, Sean continues his talk with Paula Mazza about what to do about mental health in our preteen ministries.

Paula discusses some things that can be done now if you suspect some mental health issues in your preteen ministry. One of the easiest things we can do is to talk about it. Helping preteens to know ways to express how they are feeling can help them to get their feelings out. We are great at making kids feel physically safe in our ministries but often times we don’t think about making them feel emotionally, spiritually and socially safe.

There are so many simple things that will emotionally make a preteen feel more comfortable in your ministry. Here are just a few ways Paula suggests.

• Making sure that they know that they are seen.
• Connecting with them so that they don’t slip through is also a great way.
• Normalizing emotions is so helpful to make preteens feel comfortable with the feelings they are having.
• One of the biggest things you can do in your ministry is working with you church and community to put together a referral plan. Navigating mental health can be overwhelming for families and anything that we can do to help them will allow the church to be a light in our communities.
• Familiarize yourself with the difference between clinical mental health and just mental health in general by knowing some of the warning signs.

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 on the podcast, Sean talks to Paula Mazza about mental health in your preteen ministry.

1 in 6 people in our world are between the ages of 10-19. When it comes to mental health half of all mental illness will start showing symptoms before the age of 15. The average delay in diagnosis is 10 years, which in terms of preteens is the formidable years of their lives. Beginning in 2007 and reporting through 2017, according to the CDC’s report in October 2019, suicide rates in adolescents has tripled. 

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/.