Kurt Johnston is a junior high ministry expert; he has severed in a variety of junior high youth ministry roles for over twenty years, and currently serves as Junior High Pastor at Saddleback Church. Earlier this week he shared three attributes of a good junior high lesson:
- Short (20 minutes or less)
- Interactive
- Fun
So What?
I have spent enough time in youth ministry with junior high/middle school students to understand that teaching this age group is unique. This is one of many reasons why I typically favor (in the context of the most common forms of youth ministry) separate groups for junior high/middle school and high school. It is also why some youth ministry folks are wonderful with one group (junior high/middle school or high school), but far less at ease and less effective with the other.
- Do you agree that most effective junior high/middle school lessons are short, interactive and fun?
- If not, why not?
- If so, would you add any others to the list?
- What is the most memorable junior high/middle school lesson you were ever involved in (as a student or an adult leader)? Why do you think that specific lesson is so vivid today while many others have long since been forgotten?