10 Observations after Teaching the Middle Schoolers

Okay, so these boys are not my middle schoolers from church, but they could be.

See the goofball on the far left and the one in the brown plaid shorts doing the peace sign with his hands? Times those two boys by 5, add four sweet, intelligent girls and you have my middle school sunday school class from this morning.

Really.

We have a great teaching system at church for the middle schoolers - on one month, off three. There's a reason for this and if I need to explain it to you, maybe I should just give you my next month.

So, since I'm into lists, here are 10 observations about Middle Schoolers during my teaching stint this past month:

10. Middle school boys talk way more than middle school girls. Actually, it doesn't have to be words, just noise. Noise coming out of their mouths non-stop. Non-stop. NON-STOP.

9. Middle school girls are polite, intelligent, interested in what I have to say and incredibly patient. And good drawers. And pretty. And sweet. Did I mention they were interested in what I have to say???

8. Middle school boys don't care if there is powdered sugar from the puppy chow I made them all over their sweatshirts or on their faces for that matter.

7. Middle school girls have three basic facial expressions - a smile when they hear something clever, an interested smirk when they hear something new, and an irritated scowl when they can't hear the teacher above the non-stop noise-making of the middle school boys. NON-STOP.

6. Middle school boys have basically one facial expression - refer to the goofball on the far left of the above picture. Not sure what it means but occasionally that expression comes without sound effects.

5. Middle schoolers have the capacity to listen when threatened. I had to use my Momma Wisen voice twice today - I hate pulling that one out of my hat, but it was highly effective.

4. Middle schoolers are shockingly honest. They answer every question asked them with speed and very little filtering. Just ask them about themselves - after all, they are their favorite subject!

3. Middle schoolers can be helpful to have around. Every Sunday morning I am met by two brothers who race to my car to help me carry in the sixteen dozen doughnuts that I picked up for the Cafe. Of course, I doubt it has anything to do with the doughnuts...

2. Middle schoolers are completely unable to repeat after a teacher in unison. So don't even bother to ever say, "Repeat after me..." Trust me on this one.

1. Middle schoolers are image bearers of Jesus Christ and because of this, they are able to glorify God with the choices they make. We had a long talk about this and I actually think the kids understood it by the time we were done.

Amidst the sound effects, the spilled hot chocolate, the belching, the poking, the texting, the wiggling, the munching and the begging to be my helper (yes, we dressed one of the boys up with the full armor of God today and I had more volunteers than I knew what to do with), these kids seem to grasp the fact that the gospel is not just another theory or Sunday School story, but a life-changing historical event that demands a response from even a goofy middle schooler in the twenty-first century.

What more could I possibly ask for?

May Jesus Christ be praised in all that we do for the cause of furthering His glorious gospel - even to our middle schoolers at Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake!

P.S. If any of you would want to join the team, it's a hoot! Give me a call...