There is nothing quite like communicating to a room full of middle school students. The smells. The sounds. The zaniness. How do you survive the onslaught and yet make a difference communicating for the Kingdom?
Here are 4 quick insights to help you the next time you find yourself standing in front of a room of 11-14 year olds:
1. Remember that they are kid-ults.
Middle school students are an interesting breed. They are still in many ways children, and yet, they are also adults in numerous ways as well. Remember, when talking theology, try to use more concrete examples and illustrations than abstract ones.
2. Appeal to their oppositional brains.
By the time a student is 11 or 12 years old, their brains have usually already made the switch to oppositional independence toward their parents and other adults in their life. As a youth speaker, you can actually appeal to this new part of their personality and thinking by challenging them to take action, own their faith and make decisions for themselves.
3. Keep it brief.
Middle school students are known for their short attention spans. Be intentional to prepare messages that are no more than 20 minutes in length. Even in doing so, break them into 3 or 4 different segments so that you keep the flow of the message moving forward at a dynamic pace.
4. Energy is key.
Telling a story? Use energy. Conducting an interactive activity? Use energy. Whatever you choose to do for those twenty-or-so minutes, be sure that it is high octane. That doesn't mean that you can't be serious. Just temper your high energy communication with a few well-placed pauses or moments of silence and you will do well in getting your theme across.
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