Becoming a Teen

Becoming A Teen

Entering junior high comes with complex thoughts and a deep need to belong. And if you haven’t heard it from your teen yet, nothing you do is cool. Through this milestone you will discover how to coach your teen in this new phase and remain their biggest fan through all the ups and downs.

As your preteen transitions into Student Ministry they hit a milestone; Becoming a Teen! Fusion is the gathering that celebrates this milestone and welcomes our new 7th grade students into The MET Student Ministry. Parents and teens will begin the night together and enjoy dinner as we hear from our Kids Ministry and Student Ministry teams. Then parents will be dismissed, and students will spend the next couple hours playing games, getting to know Small Group leaders and owning The HUB in a night of fun!

During Fusion we parents will learn all about how the Student Ministry desires to partner with them for the next 6 years, while students will be invited into living on mission as a part of The MET Students.

Tell me, What is This Phase All About?

Ages 12 and 13 are great ages to intentionally coach your child in building a foundation of their own faith. This comes with helping them make sense of all the things they’ve learned in scripture and how it matters or makes sense in their world. In their early teenage years you have an incredible opportunity to help your teen make some pre-decisions about a life of purity, the kind of friend they want to be, valuing service, and building habits that grow their relationship with God. As a coach in this phase, you are calling the plays and watching your teen run. While they may not run every “play” perfectly, as their parent, you are a safe place and source of wisdom for them to learn from.

Put it Into Practice

Here are some ideas to help you navigate this phase:

• Just like you did in the Learning to Read Milestone, set an example for your teen of spending time in scripture and applying it to your life.
• Ask questions – Keep lines of communication open with your teen. Ask them open ended questions that require more than a one-word response.
• Celebrate them – Your teen needs to know that it’s okay to be unique and that they are doing something right. Celebrate their accomplishments, brave steps, talents, and when they get things right. And don’t forget to celebrate how you see God at work in their life too. Celebrating can look like a note left for them to find, a text message, or face to face conversation.

Next Steps

• Set up a time to meet with our ministry team and learn more about the importance of establishing pre-decisions and navigating the teen years.
• Pray about other trusted adults you can invite to speak into the life of your teen. Inviting other trusted adults to care about your teen can be a game-changer in navigating the teen years and pointing your teen in the direction of making godly decisions.
• Have your teen write out what their pre-decisions are about living a life of purity, the kind of friend they want to be, valuing service, and building habits that grow their relationship with God. Encourage them to base their pre-decisions on scripture and write out the verses along with their declarations.