This page includes quotes that you can use for newsletters, banquets, social media posts, leadership training, fundraising presentations, and more. This list will be regularly updated.

“If children are not reached with the gospel by age 13, the chances of their accepting the gospel after that point are greatly reduced.”  (George Barna, Generation Next [1995] p. 30)

“I don’t consider troubled teenagers to be the norm. I believe that the vast majority of teenagers are great kids who are basically doing fine – or at least could do fine with a little adult support and guidance along the way.”  (Wayne Rice, Junior High Ministry: A guide to early adolescence for youth workers, Updated and Expanded [1998] p. 7)

” ‘Grownups don’t think you’re very important if you are over 10 and under 14. But if your’re younger than 10 and older than 14, then you’re important. When I was 11, I thought I was important, but after the first couple of months I found out that I’m just a plain old boring kid.” (12-year old girl, quoted in Junior High Ministry,  p. 13)

“Worry less about being a leader and more about being a shepherd. Remember, Jesus called himself the good shepherd, not the good leader.”  (Kurt Johnston, 99 Thoughts About Junior High Ministry [2012] pp. 36-37)

“For every young, cool, 18-year-old leader serving in your junior high  ministry, try to add an older, wiser one.” (Ibid., p. 38)

” ‘If parents are for you, who can be against you?” (Katie Edwards, middle school pastor, quoted in 99 Thoughts, p. 45)

“Every single 10-to-15-year-old is at risk – regardless of the language they speak, their socioeconomical status, their ethnicity, their academic standing – because during that five-year period they are going to make decisions that will impact the quality of the rest of their lives, education being one of the major issues. The belief system they develop now about themselves and their potential is difficult, if not impossible, to change later.” (John Liechty, director of middle schools for the Los Angeles Unified School District in “Q&A: Middle School Solution to Turbulent Age Group” by Lois Timnick, in The Los Angeles Times [Oct. 13, 1991] Full article available here.)