Reaching and Teaching Preteens
Children
Reaching and Teaching Preteens
Purpose Statement
This conference is designed to help the conferee think like a preteen so they are better
able to relate to them. Understanding how preteens think & develop emotionally,
socially and spiritually will benefit the teacher in reaching and teaching preteens for
Christ.
Before the Session
Focal Wall, Room Setup, & Decoration Ideas
1. Locate several current pre-teen magazines that teenagers are looking at now. Use
pictures from the magazines to make a collage on a display board. Use the header on
the board and cut out letters that say “Preteen’s”. Keep the magazines to use in the
opening activity.
2. On a separate display board, locate copies of the current preteen curriculum that
Lifeway offers and any preteen articles located on Lifeway’s archives that you want to
display that relate to reaching and teaching preteens. Tear off the front copy of the
curriculum or print off a list of resources from the Lifeway website. Mount the resources
on your second display board and title the board header “Resources”. Display a copy of
Lifeway curriculum for preteen’s on your table.
3. Arrange the chairs in five semi-circles 4-5 in a circle. (adjust according to number of
conferees.)
4. Use a display table and cover with a bright colored plastic cloth and sit display boards
on each end of the table or one on the table and one on the floor (opposite ends). If a
table is not available, use the floor or chair. You can sit these boards anywhere and use
anything in your room as a prop.
Place name tags, felt tip markers, and handouts in the chairs. Consider placing candy
(use candy that teens like) in each chair. (Optional: For more decorations you can
use some props that teens use and wear to put name tags, markers and candy in
and around them. Example: Converse sneaker, sports jersey or helmet, fast food
container, “bling”, “bling” purse, teen Bible, a can of deodorant or cologne sitting on
a mirror and use the lid to hold your markers, name tags & candy. You can also use
these items as well as cell phones, CD’s, etc. to sit around the display boards.)
6. Hang Giant Game floor mat so each conferee can see it and participate. The floor
can be used also.
1
Reaching and Teaching Preteens
Children
1
Resources to Collect & Prepare
Bright Colored plastic table cloth, name tags, felt tip markers, candy & push pins. (Dollar
store)
Make Copies of Handout # 1, pages 1-3 (one for each conferee) and only ONE copy
of handout #1, page 4-6. Make copies of handouts 3, 4, & 5, enough so that each
conferee has one. Pages 4-6 are set up to run on Avery 5163 shipping label so you
can stick them on index cards, card stock or colored construction paper. You do
not have to run onto labels but because they are set up as labels, you may have to
feed your paper thru for these pages to print.
Make one copy of Handout #2 for each semi circle you have. (You can mount these on
colored construction paper if you prefer.)
Gather (2) display boards with headers, Teen Bible, Lifeway curriculum: BTX Bible
Teaching for Kids Sunday school curriculum, Everything You Need to Know to Be a
Teen-ager, Bible Express & a pamphlet on presenting the gospel to a teen-ager. (There
are some articles on the lLifeway website and you can also provide copies of the A, B,
C’s of salvation.)
Several copies (1 per group) of current teen magazines. Put one magazine in each
semi-circle with tear sheet & Instruction sheet (Handout #2)
CD of a Christian artist that pre-teen’s listen to. (Look at suggestions on Handout #1
page 1)
Place out one tear sheet for each group. You can use a wall close to the groups or on
the floor.
Giant Game floor mat (Lifeway # 001114564/ $39.95). If you do not have one, you can
make one using a shower curtain liner and envelopes for the pockets or use another
display board for your categories and index cards for your questions. You can use the
questions we have provided (Handout #1 page 4-6 OR create your own using the
information on page 1, 2 & 3 of Handout #1.) Print pages 4-6 on avery 5163 shipping
labels and mount them on index cards or enlarge them on to card stock or construction
paper. Put questions into the pockets under each category. Put as many questions as
you have time for. We have provided 15 which is enough for the floor mat.
Audio/Visual Needs
CD Player
2
Reaching and Teaching Preteens
Children
During the Session
Procedure Steps
As conferees arrive, greet them with some teen lingo. (See Handout #1. page 1).
Direct them to a group and ask them to print their first name on a name tag and
begin to work on the assignment. (Handout #2).
After everyone has arrived, ask conferees to share two things from their list that they
learned about pre-teens or that they did not know. Pray and ask God to help you
and your conferees to continue to learn about preteens and how to reach them in
Sunday school. (Caution: Do not spend a lot of time on this assignment. It should
only be used to help them start thinking like preteens.)
Say: “In order to have a dynamic preteen Sunday school, we have to understand how to
speak to the thirst they already have. Speaking to where they already are is how to
reach them on their level. The only way to do that is to understand a little about how
they think & communicate. We want pre-teens to apply the scripture we give them
so they can walk thru their week and use the scripture in every decision they are
faced with. As teachers, that should be our goal. In order to teach on their level, we
must learn who they are.” Use the next game in step 4 to get to know today’s
preteens. Say: “Let’s use a game to find out about our preteens lingo, their free time
and what they are watching and listening to.”
Call Attention to the Giant Game floor mat. (It is easier to use on the wall, but can work
on the floor.) Let each semi-circle be a team. Have them pick a category and play
the game. Play according to how much time you determine you can spend on it.
(Optional: Tell them their answers can be found on Handout # 1, pg/. 1-3, however,
it is more fun and allows your conferees to think like a preteen if you look at the
hand-out after the game is over.) Allow for discussion as the game continues.
Explain that the answers used in this game actually came from preteens at our church.
Encourage conferee to use Handout # 3 as an early arriver activity with their group
of preteens to get to know them and not depend only on the answers from our
preteen group.
Say: Let’s look at the handout “Who are Preteens” (Handout #4) to learn more about
our preteens. Fill in the blanks and allow time for discussion. (Answers are located
on pg. 5 under the “Handout” portion of this conference model.)
Say: How do we take everything we have learned and apply it to our Sunday school
class? Have the conferees look at Handout # 5 “Applying to Sunday School.” This
handout is to be used as a discussion tool. Suggestions to fill in the space under
each statement and to help you with your discussion are located on the
answers handout. You may want to add some personal comments to the
discussion.
3
Reaching and Teaching Preteens
Children
Call attention to the resources that Lifeway has to help us to reach and teach preteens.
These should be listed on your display board. (See Step #2 under Focal Wall,
Room Setup & Decoration)
Thank your conferees for coming, pray and dismiss asking God to help them teach
preteens in a way that will relate to them as individuals. Always give conferees a
way to contact you for questions or follow-up.
4