{"id":32064,"date":"2021-05-04T11:00:27","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T15:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thinkorange.com\/mobilizing-your-middle-school-small-groups-to-serve\/"},"modified":"2021-05-04T11:00:27","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T15:00:27","slug":"mobilizing-your-middle-school-small-groups-to-serve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkorange.com\/blog\/mobilizing-your-middle-school-small-groups-to-serve\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobilizing Your Middle School Small Groups to Serve"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a first-year teacher, one of the best things I said yes to was leading an extra-curricular group called \u201cSHOUT.\u201d This group consisted of student leaders who wanted to help others and better themselves in the process. Literally, that\u2019s what SHOUT meant: Students Helping Others and Understanding Themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

That group was actually one of the many reasons I fell in love with middle schoolers. I was fascinated with their motivation to do good in their school, in their community, and in the world. Their energy for it gave me energy for it. In short, their service was contagious!<\/span><\/p>\n

We did countless service projects in that group. From toy drives for cancer patients and food drives for local food pantries to efforts dedicated to raise awareness for issues in the world like poverty, hunger, and inequality, these students were determined and dedicated to make a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Was it a lot of work to mobilize this group to help others and better understand themselves? Absolutely! Empowering middle schoolers to lead and serve requires extra coaching, extra planning, and extra energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to stay ahead of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to teach them social skills before the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to prepare the serving host for your students.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to educate the middle schoolers about why the need exists in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to anticipate what they will throw at each other (and tell them why throwing it would be a bad idea).<\/span><\/p>\n

And you have to think through how to help them process the experience so it will actually help them grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

This small group of student leaders signed up to serve together over a period of two years, and I believe with everything in me that these service opportunities changed them for the better. That\u2019s why, even though it\u2019s hard work, I have never stopped pursuing opportunities like this for middle schoolers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mobilize Middle Schoolers Through Small Groups<\/b><\/h2>\n

The middle school phase can be an interesting one when it comes to serving. Even though middle schoolers have a reputation for being incredibly self-absorbed (which they definitely can be at times), they also are extremely cause-driven. <\/span>They <\/b>want <\/i><\/b>to make a difference in the world. They just need someone to show them how and give them an opportunity to try. <\/b>They want the independence and trust of helping in a big way, but they often need help and guidance to get there. And maintaining that balance can require a lot of work on <\/span>you<\/span><\/i>, their leader!<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s so great to get middle schoolers to serve <\/span>as a group. <\/span><\/i>If you\u2019ve created a structure of small groups, you\u2019ve got the perfect way to help your middle schoolers serve already built in to your ministry.<\/b> Because middle schoolers love to do things in groups. It\u2019s an, \u201cIf they are doing it, I am doing it,\u201d mentality out there! If they\u2019re going to be in it, they\u2019re going to be in it together. So, your best bet to get them to serve is to give them the chance to do with the people they know best: their small group.<\/span><\/p>\n

And bonus: You\u2019ve got small group leaders already in place to facilitate and make it happen<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to expose your groups to the needs in the church, in their community, and in the world. In your context, that may look like\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

community service projects,<\/span><\/p>\n

neighborhood service projects,<\/span><\/p>\n

city service projects,<\/span><\/p>\n

serving opportunities within the church building,<\/span><\/p>\n

partnering with the schools,<\/span><\/p>\n

partnering with a community organization,<\/span><\/p>\n

serving within their own ministry,<\/span><\/p>\n

domestic service opportunities,<\/span><\/p>\n

or even international service opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any of these can happen alongside their peers, their parents, or their small group leaders (once we get out of this global pandemic, of course.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Mobilize Students With Serving Opportunities<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Middle schoolers need to see a world bigger than the world they are currently living in, and we as leaders get the chance to help them see (and experience) that. So, <\/span>how can you mobilize your middle school small groups to serve together <\/b>now<\/i><\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n

Here are some things I have tried!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n