APPLESEEDS: A Mentoring Program for Preteen Girls by Betty Huizenga
“I loved using this book with my Preteen girls class. If you want to get your girls into the Word, and to
begin to build a solid foundation of who God is, and who your girls are to Him, this is the book for you.”
To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller
This book a must read for single-parent mom of boys and for anyone who works with preteen boys that live in single-parent-mom house. In this book, author Donald Miller, reflects on his own life of growing-up with out a dad. He talks candidly about the effects it had on him and the struggles and trials that he has gone through.
Many people do not understand the power and effect
that having an involved dad can have on a young man. The father is the one who controls what words are used, what entertainment is aloud in the home, and etc… What he was essentially saying is that the father is the one who will ultimately dictate what the morals and values will be in the home - and when the father’s morals and values are out of whack or absent, the kids (especially boys) will also take the shape or lack-of-shape as that of the father’s.
This book will help you be prepared to better help your son, or the young man that you minister to. It will help you understand his thought process and decision making and it will help you understand his heart!
We must remember that just because there is a dad in the house doesn’t necessarily mean that he is there.
Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis
This is a must read book for dads of preteen boys. This book answers the question - “what does it mean to be a man,” but more importantly it answers the question by showing fathers and sons what it means to be a godly man. The book, written by Dr. Robert Lewis (He is the teaching pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Ark.), gives great insight on a father’s role in guiding his son into “Authentic Manhood.”
Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions by George Barna
If you have not read this book, then you need to read it! All the statistics on the home page of this website are from this book. This is a book that you will want to buy and give to fellow staff members, such as your senior pastor, youth pastor (If you are not the youth pastor), or your children’s pastor (If you are not the children’s pastor). You will also want to give it to the leadership of your church or organization that you work at (Such your elders, directors, ministry team leaders, and etc…).
If there is a book that calls for the a serious look as to why preteens are one of the most important age groups that we should focus our time and resources on, then this is it!
Between by Vicki Courtney
Between is an insightful book for preteen girls that looks and reads like an irresistibly fun magazine. between offers a wealth of wisdom to a booming and most impressionable audience. Through colorful articles, quizzes, games, and lists, girls age eight to twelve are encouraged to grow spiritually and socially in every major area of life. Still, most admirably, the book encourages girls to enjoy being their age rather than succumbing to modern culture’s temptations to grow up too fast.
73% of kids between the ages of 8 to 12 years old have internet as favorite media medium. (Barna, 23)
Kids between the ages of 8 to 12 years old intake about 48 hours a week of mass media. (Barna, 23)
Preteen Spiritual Stats:
Barna and sociologists have discovered that the moral and spiritual foundations are generally determined by age 9. (Barna, 47)
Barna discovered that the probability of someone embracing Jesus as his/her Savior was:
32% between the ages of 5 and 12
4% between the ages of 13 to 18
6% between the ages of 19 or older
In other words, if people do not embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior before their teen years, the chances of doing so at all is slim. (Barna, 34)
(All material taken from George Barna’s book “Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions”)
Can anyone say, "Preteen Ministry!"?
Cool Website About Ministry and Culture
There is a really cool website that talks a lot about ministry and culture. I check it
out at least every other day - just to see what the latest trends are, current events,
and parent helps, and other helpful stuff. I urge you to check it out - www.childrensministryandculture.wordpress.com