5 Things I Learned from Justin Bieber About Preteen Ministry

I am super excited to have JC Thompson guest blog for us. JC is the founder of jcisonline.com, a site that provides resources for Tween and Preteen Ministry. He is married to Kristen, his wife for 3 years and works as the Switch Pastor at Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, SC.

Here are the words of JC Thompson:

After seeing the affinity that most of the Switch girls and all preteen girls have for him, I just had to write a blog on him.

So here are 5 things I learned from Bieber Fever:

Appearance matters: I know some think his hair is ridiculous. But one thing is sure. It’s well kept up and it’s got an identity all on it’s own. The Biebs definitely knows and shows that appearance is important. How much does the appearance of your preteen ministry environment matter to you?

Know your audience: Teeny Bop love songs with some hip hop flair. Does this describe 2011 preteen girls or what? Does your programming match your preteen audience? Are you aiming too young or old?

Fun is always cool: Sometimes even if it’s corny, like his “We’re going to Disneyland” line after winning MVP. I always have a blast watching the Biebs. In your preteen ministry, are you having fun as the leader? If not, your preteens probably aren’t either. How can you add more fun?

The power of social media: It gave him an All-Star Celebrity MVP and gave the country Bieber Fever. From Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter the Biebs has used technology to grow his Bieber Community. Have you jumped on the bandwagon to promote, communicate, and add some identity to your preteen ministry?

Work with what you got: Some say he has no talent, some say he can’t sing or dance, what no one is saying is that he hasn’t made an impact in the lives of 10-12 year old girls everywhere. Embrace your strengths and use them to be effective in your ministry context.

Has Bieber Fever taught you anything?