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What grade do you promote into the youth group and why?
Right now, we promote right after they finish their 5th grade year at the beginning of the summer. I like the idea of doing it after they've completed 6th grade or at least waiting till the end of the summer (right before they start 6th grade). I want to present the idea to my superiors but I wanted some more ideas and reasons for or against it. Thanks!
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We start our ministry at 7th grade. Students can actually begin attending the summer after their 6th grade year is over. We are Methodist, so we have Confirmation which we do in the spring of 6th grade. I've been in YM for over 10 years. To me the biggest leap/change you'll ever see in a student is between 6th and 7th grades. There are some huge leaps in maturity that 6th graders aren't ready to for yet. I think a 6th grader is much closer to being a child than an adolescent whereas a 7th grader is closer to being an adolescent than a child. Our program was all but non-existent when I arrived and I had a chance to set the entry age. I selected the completion of 6th grade for the reasons above. I hope this helps. |
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Totally agree with this being a great conversation to have with your children's person. However I say pull them up as soon as the children's ministry is done with them. For example...at our church we do not do "middle school (6-8)" we do junior high (7-8). I do not know why but our children's ministry ends it's school year of ministry in early May. We could wait until they officially end school (eary/mid June) but that seems late and they experince summer ministry which is not a "full" or we could wait until they officially become 7th graders (late August) but we feel that is too long of a wait, it is like telling them they cannot go to church the whole summer (with no children's min and no official "promotion" to jr high). |
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It's a great conversation to have with your Children's pastor too. They will provide great insight as well since they are the ones who've had them and would be able to keep them or not. We do a big promo at the beginning of the Summer b/c whether we like it or not, as soon as 5th & 8th graders walk off campus they believe they're 6th and 9th graders and we just saw them move themselves up in the Summer :) So we just made it official and a big celebration for both groups at the beginning of the Summer. Moving them in 6th also coincides with school so Middle = Middle and it's less confusing. |
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We do what you do. We like having the students in the ministry during the summer because of the caual atmosphere. This gives them time to get to know our adult leaders and other students in various ways. They are also allowed to attend any children's events that happen during the summer, so they kind of have a choice of what to do. We think this helps makes the transition a little easier for the students rather tha just jumpig it at our kick service in January. Most of our students and parents like this format. |
