Lead in Middle School Ministry
Welcome to Dwell Middle School ministry!
We are excited you are considering leading in a Middle School (MS) cell group/home church. As with other ministries, our middle school groups are in need of committed Christians who want to make an impact for God, so we welcome your application. However, before applying, please read the following expectations to make sure this is something for which you have time and something to which God is calling you. After reading through these expectations, please confer with your home church leader to see if they agree this will be a good fit for you and for the ministry.
On the other hand, don’t let the feeling of inadequacy prevent you from applying! This might be where God wants you. See 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. Know you will be put with a capable team with plenty of help. Also, each group will have an experienced coach available. Make sure to check out all the resources on this website, from teaching outlines to creative activities, you should find enough help to guide and stimulate ideas. See the leaders page for resources, ideas and training materials.
Thanks,
Quest Shannan
Dwell MS Director
Joe Botti
Dwell Student Ministries Division Coordinator
Dwell Middle School Leadership Expectations
Active involvement in Dwell home church: We require our youth leaders to maintain regular and active participation in Christian fellowship. For our church, this usually means active engagement in Central Teaching, Home Church, Cell Group, and/or Discipleship. In addition to giving financially to support the local church. It is important for middle school students to witness their leaders living out a committed Christian lifestyle.
If your personal walk with Christ, marriage or other vital area begins to seriously falter during your term of service, it is important for you to communicate with us as soon as possible. It’s also important for your home church leader to be aware. We want all of our leaders to have a growing relationship with Christ and His church. The home church leader who recommended you for this work also committed to notifying us if things change, but we would rather you contact us personally. We value the spiritual vitality of you and our students.
Are you a volunteer or leader? Every volunteer is signing up to be a “leader” among a team of leaders. We do not want volunteers to simply be “helpers” who only give rides and come and go as they please. We want you to be a vital part of the leadership team and to excel in this ministry. Leadership is a privilege and you are presented as a living example to one and all. Also, leading in a MS group is not just an extended form of parenting or chaperoning, as in other youth-related activities. This is spiritual leadership (1Timothy 3) and as such, a high calling from God.
Helpful reading to understanding teens: These readings will help you gain insight into communication with adolescents and how to effectively minister to them.
What will be my job?
Perhaps teaching! You may be called on to teach! Not everyone should necessarily teach, not everyone is gifted for that. We generally want to hear from our best teachers. The senior MS leader sets the teaching rotation and may call on you to teach. Know that all teachers need regular constructive feedback, so if you teach, be prepared for that. We are using the Teaching Feedback Form.
Please attend the “Teaching Junior High Students” class. Teaching to students is much different than teaching to adults. In this class, we will learn how to honor the Biblical text while grabbing the attention of middle school kids.
Consider using our teaching outlines from the Group Curriculum. These outlines cover some basic issues students need to hear. In addition, several MS age-specific outlines are included. We want our students to embrace a Christian world view in these important and relevant areas of their lives.
Please read Dennis McCallum’s paper on “Teaching the Bible to Teens.” This short outline summarizes key feature needed for effective teaching to teens.
Mentoring students! One of the most important jobs of a middle school leader is mentoring students. This involves meeting regularly with one or two students in your group, reading the bible or relevant Christian books (see the Suggested Reading List), praying together, building a friendship, discussing ways to help them progress in their faith, and exploring ways they can help the group grow in quantity and quality.
Attend our quarterly training meetings. These meetings are short, but cover important issues in youth work and our ministry.
Attend important junior high events. From time to time, we need your help in running events like the Christmas and Halloween parties. You will also be called on to attend our annual Blow Out summer camp and an annual group weekend retreat.
Make the group fun! There is no substitute for fun. All successful MS groups know how to have fun. This takes some time and planning. Shooting from the hip might work in rare occasions, but it’s better to have a plan. See our website for activity ideas. Of course, a Google search will give you plenty to work with as well. Tom Dixon’s paper regarding “Peer vs Authority” is helpful and can be found on the Leaders' page of this website.
After reading through these expectations, please confer with your home church leader to see if they agree this will be a good fit for you and for the ministry. The MS leaders might also interview you to participate in this decision as well.
Please contact us with any questions.
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