Intentional Preteen Ministry Leader,

Most weeks, we don’t get much direct feedback from preteens.

They’re usually not lining up after the service to tell you what part resonated most. You don’t typically hear, “That really helped me,” or, “I’ve been thinking about what you said all week.” Most of the time, they just move on to the next thing.

Over time, that silence can start to wear on you. It’s easy to assume that what you’re doing isn’t really making a difference. You might even start to feel like you need to bring something more just to get their attention.

And slowly, that turns into pressure to make something BIG happen each week.

I had the chance to teach our preteens last Wednesday night. There were a few small moments - unexpected moments - when I could feel their attention and focus.

What struck me afterward was how much was happening in their minds and hearts during those moments, and yet without a single preteen saying a word. I know they were engaged; they were listening, imagining, trying to make sense of it all in their own way.

And it made me think about this…

I can’t tell you who taught me how to do 2-place multiplication. I don’t remember when I first understood the connection between humility and love. But I know that someone, somewhere along the way, taught me those things. And now they’re just… part of me.

That’s what intentional preteen ministry is like.

You’re planting seeds that may not grow for years. And when they do, that person probably won’t connect the dots back to something you said or did. There may never be a moment where they look back and say, “That’s where it started.”

But that doesn’t mean it didn’t start with the service that you’re planning RIGHT NOW...for this week.

As we head into this week, don’t carry the weight of trying to make something BIG happen. Instead, decide this week to be present and pay attention to the small moments - when they lean in, when they go quiet, when something holds their attention just a little longer than usual. That silence is the sound of a seed taking root.

Thank you for being willing to be one of those nameless voices in their story. One who prepares without anybody saying thank you. One who shows up week after week without anybody complimenting your faithfulness. One who plants something that, by God’s grace, might take root and produce far more than you’ll ever see, and that you may never receive accolades for.