Consistency

When I first came on staff at La Jolla Pres 8 months ago, X-Zone (our preteen group) was dead.  It had been around for awhile but was struggling to survive.  There was no vision and had a high turnover of leaders.  It took a few months to gain some momentum.

Things are much better now.  Preteens bring new friends all the time.  The group is well connected to each other.  Myself and other leaders have really gotten to know the preteens in our group.  We’ve come a long way in the past 8 or so months.

I think the main reason for the turnaround is consistency.  Myself and other leaders show up every week.  We love playing games and teaching preteens about Jesus.  We have regular events outside of our normal programming that give our leaders a chance to get to know preteens in a fun and relaxed setting.  Consistency is the key.  When you recruit preteen leaders, avoid any kind of rotation.  Keep it consistent.  It makes all the difference in the world.