by Rich Birch: Today’s podcast is all about the next generation and why we need to focus our concern on them. Joining us is Zach Matchett, the fifth and sixth grade pastor at Northview Church in Indiana. Zach came to Northview—one of the fastest growing churches in the country—five years ago and is on unSeminary today to discuss the quirks, the joys, and the significance of working with upper elementary and early middle school students. Welcome Zach! Let’s dive in:
5th & 6th grade is the onboarding ramp for student ministry. // This is the age group that cause churches to scratch their collective head with the question where do we put them? It’s a valid question, and one that must be considered carefully: Zach believe this is the most formative time, spiritually speaking, in our lifespan. These kids are at the age where they’re starting to tune out during the children’s ministry time but are too young to join the older youth group. Zach feels like it’s important to try to offer these students something different than the kids’ ministry, including specific programing tailored to their needs. Now Zach didn’t initiate this particular ministry—he inherited it. When he arrived at Northview, his team decided to repurpose a space that wasn’t being used during the worship service in order to provide a dedicated space to the fifth and sixth graders.
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Source: Why Your Church Should Care About 5th & 6th Grade Ministry with Zach Matchett