Season 4 - Middle School

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood

you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

2 Timothy 3:14-15


Let’s be honest... middle schoolers are different. They are full of energy, full of questions, and often do and say things that don’t make sense. In this season your middle schooler is trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world. 

They’re asking questions related to their identity, and they need you to help them and guide them to find those answers

and their identity in the One who created them!



                    Celebrations: We believe that there are significant moments in your child’s faith journey that deserve special recognition and celebration.
                    We don’t want to simply pass over what God is doing in their life. We want to make a big deal of these moments so that your child will remember
                    it for the rest of their lives.


                    Ministries: CLCC provides multiple opportunities to help you and your child in your spiritual formation.


                    Parenting Ideas: Each season has its own joys and challenges. We want to provide you with ideas to help your kids grow their faith during
                    this season of life.

  • Celebrations

    This is a wonderful season where your child may make some important decisions for Christ. They are also establishing lifelong habits and making choices which will carry into adulthood. Go to the web page (see link below) for ideas on how you might celebrate these decisions in your child’s spiritual journey.



    Faith Commitment

    Your child just prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior! What could be more exciting and worth celebrating than this moment!? Whether your kid is young or old, this is a time to celebrate what God has done in their life. We want to make sure that we don’t just pass over this moment. HERE are some ideas for how you can celebrate this beautiful moment in your child’s life.


    Baptism

    Once your child has made a faith commitment, the next step in their faith development would be to be baptized -  identifying with Christ and publicly declaring their faith. Please reach out to one of our pastors or ministry leaders to help you prepare your child for this important step.


    First Communion

    We celebrate Communion (also known as The Lord's Supper) each month at Canyon Lake Community Church. For those who've made a faith commitment to Christ, it is important that we follow His commandment to remember His sacrifice for our sins until He returns - regardless of age.  We'd love to suggest many ways that you can celebrate this step in your child's spiritual journey - just click HERE!


    Serving in Ministry

    There may be no greater way to cement your child’s faith than to see them serve the Lord in His church. In serving they will get the opportunity to see God at work in a personal way – in their life and in the lives of those they serve. It’s also a great way to connect them with other adult leaders in the church who can pour into your child’s life as well.


    CLCC Promotion Sunday

    Even at church we take the time to celebrate the fact that our kids are growing up and maturing in their faith and the way they interact with the world around them,. At the end of each school year we host a promotion event to celebrate just that!


  • Ministries

    Along with small groups and the Pursuit Adult Sunday School Class, here are some additional ministries for you and your child in this season of life:

    • Student Min. Sunday School (Youth Room)
    • Middle School Youth Group (Thursday evenings)
    • AWANA (Tuesday evenings)
    • Serving in Ministry
    • Mission Trip Opportunities

  • Ideas

    • Pray for your child and with your child.
    • Study the Bible with them and teaching them to study the Bible on their own.
    • Have conversations about screen time habits.
    • Begin talking with your kids about sex and sexuality. 
    • Take your kids out one-on-one for fun and conversation.
    • Rite of Passage:
      Most cultures have a ceremony to celebrate when a child becomes an adult, however, in American culture we don't really do this. It may be helpful to do this for your child when they graduate middle school and enter their high school years (if your child is already in the high school years that's fine. Better late than never, as they say!).This could look like mom taking their daughter on a mother-daughter trip and talking about things related to womanhood. Or it could look like a dad taking his son on a trip to talk about things related to manhood. Then as a parent you can intentionally walk with your child through their high school years by doing a devotional together every morning with them, or having a regular time together like going out for chips and salsa or getting ice cream once a week or once a month. The point is to clearly mark this new season for your child and then intentionally walk with them to prepare them for adulthood. For more ideas and explanation on what this looks like get a copy of The Intentional Father by Jon Tyson. The book applies to mothers as well. 

CLCC RESOURCES


“AT HOME” QUESTIONS FOR FAMILIES

Pick up a copy from your child's Sunday School teacher each week, download using the QR code on the bulletin each week, or get a link in the weekly children's ministry and/or youth ministry newsletter for parents.

BIBLES & Devotionals

  • The ESV Study Bible was designed to help you understand the Bible in a deeper way. Created by a diverse team of 95 leading Bible scholars and teachers―from 9 countries, nearly 20 denominations, and 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities―the ESV Study Bible features a wide array of study tools, including extensive study notes, 200 full-color maps, 40 full-color illustrations, charts, timelines, articles, and introductions, making it a valuable resource for serious readers, students, and teachers of God’s Word.

  • by Sergio Cariello

    The Action Bible presents more than 230 fast-paced narratives in chronological order, making it easy to follow the Bible’s historical flow and building up to the thrilling climax of God’s redemptive story.

  • A powerful mobile app! Keep the Word of God at your fingertips throughout the day. This app not only has the full version of the Bible in multiple versions, but use the daily reading plan, stay accountable with others, and take advantage of the daily devotional readings as well.

Parenting Books

  • by Andy Crouch and Amy Crouch

    Drawing on in-depth original research from the Barna Group, Andy Crouch shows readers that the choices we make about technology have consequences we may never have considered. He takes readers beyond the typical questions of what, where, and when and instead challenges them to answer provocative questions like, “Who do we want to be as a family? How does our use of a particular technology move us closer or farther away from that goal?” Anyone who has felt their family relationships suffer or their time slip away amid technology's distractions will find in this book a path forward to reclaiming their real life in a world of devices.

  • by Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin

    Pastors Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin have made it their mission to help you develop a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship focused in three key areas: time, moments, and milestones. Filled with suggestions, sample plans, and Scripture references, this book begins with the end in mind―equipping you to create a unique plan for your family as you raise your children in the love and fear of the Lord.

  • by Paul David Tripp

    Paul Tripp shows parents how to take advantage of their children's teen years, drawing on practical, hopeful strategies shaped by God's Word.

  • by Christopher Yuan

    Dr. Christopher Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality--chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage--in a practical and relevant manner, equipping readers with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. Whether you want to share Christ with a loved one who identifies as gay or you're wrestling with questions of identity yourself, this book will help you better understand sexuality in light of God's grand story and realize that holy sexuality is actually good news for all.

  • by Stormie Omartian

    Stormie Omartian and her husband, Michael, spent 20 years raising their children...and more than 40 years praying for them. Now, in 32 short, easy-to-read chapters, Stormie shares how you can pray through each stage of your child's life, from early childhood to adulthood. Learn how to put your child's life in God's loving hands.

Books for Kids

  • by Andrew Peterson

    In a cottage near the edge of the cliffs above the Dark Sea of Darkness live three siblings: Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby. The trio unknowingly hold the secret to a lost legend and the Jewels of Anniera. But across the Dark Sea lurks an evil tyrant who plots the destruction of the land. To survive, the Igibys must flee their home and travel through deadly forests, dark cities, and frozen wastes, pursued relentlessly by monsters (hungry!), the venomous Fangs (poisonous!), and a multitude of villains (scoundrels, trolls, horned hounds, and the like). In this epic battle between good and evil, the intrepid heroes must confront danger and cling to one another in order to fight back the looming shadows that threaten to overtake everything they love.

  • by C.S. Lewis

    C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia has captivated readers of all ages for over sixty years, enchanting them with fantastical talking creatures, epic battles between good and evil, and magical doorways into new lands.

  • by J.R.R Tolkien

    "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language—Tolkien's prelude to The Lord of the Rings. Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, The Hobbit is one of literature's most enduring and well-loved novels.

  • by Jonathan Rogers

    Aidan Errolson, comes from a long line of storied adventurers, but he never has any real adventures of his own. That, he believes, is the one great injustice of his otherwise happy life. All that will change the day he hears the bark of the bog owl and meets Dobro Turtlebane. Dobro is one of the Feechiefolk-a tribe of half-civilized swamp dwellers who fight too much, laugh too loud, cry too easily, and smell just terrible. But another meeting will change Aidan's life even more profoundly. Bayard the Truthspeaker arrives with a startling pronouncement about the coming of the Wilderking, the long-prophesied wild man who will emerge from the deep reaches of Corenwald's forests and swamps to lead the kingdom back to its former glory.

  • by N.D. Wilson

    What dangers are locked behind the cupboard doors? Henry isn’t brave, but when he hears a thumping and scratching on the other side of his bedroom wall, he can’t ignore it. He scrapes off the plaster and discovers mysterious doors—cupboards of all different shapes and sizes. Through one he sees a glowing room and a man strolling back and forth. Through another he sees only darkness and feels the cold sense that something isn’t right. When his cousin Henrietta boldly travels into the worlds beyond the cupboards, it’s up to Henry to follow her. Now that he’s opened the doors, can he keep the evil inside from coming through?

  • by Helen L. Taylor

    Helen L. Taylor took John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and simplified the vocabulary and concepts for young readers while keeping the storyline intact. The result was a classic in itself, which has now sold over 600,000 copies. It's both a simple adventure story and a profound allegory of the Christian journey through life, a delightful read with a message kids ages 6 to 12 can understand and remember. A new look and fresh illustrations for today's children enlivens the journey to the Celestial City.

ONLINE Media Resources

  • We build lifelong faith by helping parents and caring adults talk with their kids about what they otherwise wouldn’t, one conversation at a time. No matter where you are on your parenting journey, the Axis community is a place for you. Whether you are facing a tough conversation with your child and don’t have the words to begin or you’re getting a jumpstart on the teenage years ahead, Axis is for you. We invite you to learn more about how to have better conversations that last a lifetime.

  • The New City Catechism is a modern-day resource aimed at helping children and adults alike learn the core doctrines of the Christian faith via 52 questions and answers. Available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, The New City Catechism mobile app makes it easy to take all 52 questions and answers with you wherever you go. The free app also includes suggested Scripture readings, short prayers, and devotional commentary, as well as kid-friendly songs designed to help children memorize each question and answer.

  • Using visual imagery and animation to teach biblical truth.

  • We believe the mission of the church matters. And we’ve seen how God can change lives through video resources. That’s why we developed RightNow Media. Now, every person in your church can access over 25,000 biblically-based videos for small groups, families, students, leadership development, and much more. We hope to help you equip and disciple the people of your church.


    SIGN UP FOR A Free ACCOUNT

  • We see your hard work to raise a kid with faith and character, and how much your kid matters to you! That’s why we created the Parent Cue app.

    We’re here to equip you with simple ways to make the most of the everyday moments you have with your kid—and hopefully, make the work of parenting just a little bit easier! Get curated content and cues that make it easy to connect with your kid while helping them grow in faith and character.

  • Got questions? The Bible has answers. We’ll help you find them. Whether you are seeking guidance, looking for answers, or are curious about spiritual matters, we are here to serve you, support you, and share the profound truths of God’s Word with you. We provide biblically based answers to spiritually related questions through multiple different venues: personal Q&A, articles, translations, audios, videos, apps, social media, podcasts, and Bible studies.