One of the people I met for the first time at Group’s Kidmin conference was Nick Diliberto he and Patrick Snow are the what I would consider the leading voices when it comes to preteen ministry. Nick is a great guy and much of what he writes applies to leaders of any age level but it especially hits him with those who are reaching out to the Pre-teen crowd.
The two places in our kids ministry where I have the most difficult time filling is the 2-year-old room and our preteen environment. Why? My theory is 2 year olds and preteens are the same. I’ll have to blog that theory for you someday. Needless to say we need more people speaking into this crucial age. It’s my honor to have Nick do a guest post for me I hope it will create some dialog and stir people to action.
Check out his blog over at preteenministry.net
I love the comparison between 2-year-olds and preteens. I have a friend who always compares (and it’s usually dead on) her dog to my son. Funny, sad, but true. We’ve been reading a great new book that we are really excited about, so I just have to share. It’s called “MiddleSchool: The Inside Story- What Kids Tell Us, But Don’t Tell You,” by Cynthia Tobias and Sue Acuna. It has interviews and feedback from middle schoolers, parents and teachers (and a little humor) to help us deal with puberty, purity, communication, tackling social media, technology, Internet, gaming, faith, independence, discipline and accountability, and deepening and strengthening positive, loving relationship. It’s so rich in valuable help as we face these transitional years with our kids. I think everyone with a middle schooler or who will have a middle schooler will benefit from it. I highly recommend it! http://www.tyndale.com/Middle-School-The-Inside-Story/9781589977778#.U8R_Gl4Q7wI