I Need My Own Space

Junior high students are a very resilient age group.  They put up with a lot of being told what to do, where to go, how to do things, when to do things, and where they can or can’t go.  They often feel stuck in the middle because they aren’t adults, but they aren’t the little kids in the booster seat anymore.

Junior highers in many churches get moved around a lot and don’t have their own designated space. I have seen junior high classes that met in an office and one group of junior high boys that met bathroom (gross!).  As you can imagine,  not much spiritual growth happened in those groups.  Students don’t want to invite their friends to meet in a bathroom (even if junior high boys have ready access to some potty humor)!

We need to put a priority on creating a specific space for junior high students.  I don’t mean that you need to go out and do a building project to create your dream space for junior highers, but you need to be specific and deliberate with the space you have.   Students need to know that they have a place where they can be junior highers.  They need to know that they have a space where they can relax.  They need to have a space that they call their own.

In many churches this space will be used for something else as well, but they need to be able to decorate (to some extent) and set up (activities/games) in a way that makes it attractive and comfortable for them. This is difficult in some situations because the priority goes for a high school group or even another adult group that uses that space, but we must be creative. If that means we have decorations and games/activities that we put away after each class, then do it.  If this means that an adult class may have to have a poster in their room talking about junior high stuff, then do it.  We must put a priority on these students.

If we want students of any age to care about the message that we are presenting, then we have to be deliberate about creating an environment and atmosphere.  We put a lot of emphasis on how we communicate with students.  We are careful about what we say and how we say it, but often overlook the atmosphere of a room. It  can create or help facilitate conversations that can change students lives.  We must create a place where they can let their guard down.  Many students come from homes where they have a great deal of responsibility.  They must care for siblings, fix meals, and many other tasks.  It is great to give junior highers responsibilities, but they also need that place where they can relax and feel safe.

We need to put focus and effort into creating that space for them.  For many of us that means taking designated  junior high space only and being more intentional about creating an atmosphere that draws students in and creates community.  Others of us will have to take a shared space and find a way to make it junior high specific.

There is a group of us also that will have to speak to leadership and say that these students need a more substantial space. This will start a discussion about the importance and significance of junior high ministry.  Wherever you and your church are with your junior highers, we all need to concentrate on creating a place for learning and communication.  This is when transformation can happen.