over the next week or so, i’ll post slightly edited versions of the notes from our junior high pastors summit. they’re pretty fragmented for someone who wasn’t there, i’ll admit (they weren’t ‘taken’ for this purpose). but for those who would like to read, i’m excited to share them with you.

parts 1, 2 and 3 are the summaries of the morning scot mcknight spent with us. then, parts 4 - 8 are the pieces of our discussion. one bonus post will have the book recommendations from the group to one another (this is one of our traditions each year, to share two or three books we’d recommend to each other).

and now for part 4…

brainstorming of questions and topics we’d like to talk about…

Heather: How can we encapsulate and not manipulate?
Cristin: How do we define the Gospel in the Jr. High language? Hyper-relational distortion in JH?
Heather: How do we challenge kids to a life of holiness without judgment? What are the Path Markers?
How can you make the gospel seen more than it is heard in JH? Chap: the feel is more important than the content – how should it feel?
Eric – The feel is the content…how does that fit with following Jesus vs. having kids become Christians? How do we frame it right with JH “the first time” with “the 2nd time” in view?
Kurt – how do we thin slice the gospel to JH kids? We only have 2 years, we have to give them a portion but how do we decipher which parts are essential? What is the JH version?
Eric – should we try to?
April – Gospel/evangelism same – what does evangelism look like and how do you explain it for JH?
Jim – Doesn’t the whole church have to get the 4: God, self, others, world – does this need to be global change?
Heather – is there any assurance in gentle nods of the soul and how do we encourage them to continue that always?
Mark0 – JH want assurance because that’s the gospel we have taught them
Andy - how do we welcome JH into this community, how do they know
Sean – permeable walls…
Nate s – most churches aren’t designed for cracked eikons
Cristin – how do we restore the cracked eikons in the JH context?
April – students compartmentalize their faith – how does the “old” gospel contribute to that? How does the new gospel affect that? Development/castration
Marko – how do we structure our ministry around having kids love God and love others – how do we know if we’re hitting it?

CHOSEN TOPICS
1) Defining the Gospel
2) Framing young teen decisions with the long-view in Mind
3) Ministry Around “Love God, Love Others” and how to know if we’re achieving it
4) Evangelism and Outreach