Every year about this time, something crazy happens to 8th graders. Maybe it’s in the water. Could be a virus. Whatever the case, they start acting, well….different. Like they are…you know…like they’re almost high schoolers!

Does it throw you off a little? It still does me.

Reaching the 9th grade may not be considered a mark of great maturity by many, but we who invest in kids know that maturity is relative, and most 8th graders are leaps and bounds ahead of the average 6th grader. Most boys have finally hit a growth spurt and passed up the girls. Few, if any, are still under the impression that the these same girls have cooties.

An 8th grader’s relationships, family dynamics and innocence (or lack of) really do put them on a different planet now.

Caring for students on two planets can create some big challenges. Friendships get strained. Planning age-appropriate games and lessons can be impossibly hard. Older students start getting this “been-there-done-that” attitude in older students that saps the enthusiasm of the younger ones. (Okay, it saps our enthusiasm a little bit too, doesn’t it?)

Right now, some of our 8th graders are just done. And maybe you’re even feeling like you’re done with them.

But before you resign to losing them for the rest of the school year….I extend to you a ray of hope. Some students don’t want to check out; they just don’t know how to fit into a group they’ve outgrown. Showing students how to finish well instead of checking out is one of the most biblical, missional lessons you can teach them right now.

Take Peter. He spent 3 years following Jesus’ life and ministry, but it was his follow-through at the end of those 3 years when God birthed the New Testament church through his leadership. What if he’d checked out as soon as Jesus left instead of finishing well?

8th graders have spent as much as three years in your ministry; now you can offer them a chance to finish well with a lasting impact too!

Here are 3 suggestions for using 8th graders now so you don’t lose them: 

1. 1. Let them lead.
   Do your 8th graders complain that they’ve “played that game 100 times?” Ask them to lead it! After 3 years, they are well-equipped to lead many regular group activities. This honors their experience and gives them a chance to practice leading.
   

2. 2. Let them share.
   Many students experience spiritual milestones during middle school. Why not invite 8th graders to plan a night of youth group at the end of the year, or even take turns teaching during the spring so they can share what God’s done in them? This inspires younger students and also helps 8th graders to reflect and “monument” God’s work in them before they move on to high school.
   

3. 3. Let them process.
   Most 8th graders are feeling a muddled mess of excitement, success and fear about transitioning to high school, but few can express it well. Planning an 8th graders-only time can provide a much-needed place for them to walk through this together.
   

Your last few months with 8th graders can feel discouraging, and it’s tempting to just move on to younger students, who can be more affectionate and affirming to us. But if you tap into the experience and emerging maturity you’ve helped your 8th graders grow into, your last few months with them can be incredibly fruitful.

~ Laura Wampach