Blog | When and Why (or Why Not) to Split Up Your Middle and High School Ministries

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Middle school and high school might be generally categorized as “youth” but anyone who works with students knows that there’s a big difference between an 11-year-old sixth grader and an 18-year-old high school senior. For youth pastors, one of the most pressing questions you face is whether or not to split up your youth ministry between middle and high school students or whether to keep them together. While there is no right or wrong answer, here are some things to consider to see if making the split— or not— is right for your particular ministry.

Reasons to Combine, or Stay Combined

Many youth groups start out with a combined middle and high school youth ministry. When you have smaller numbers and fewer volunteers and resources, combining is often the most efficient way to serve everyone.

There are also quite a few benefits from keeping the age groups together. For one, the body of Christ is made up of diversity and it’s important for youth to learn how to interact and learn from people both younger and older than them. Even though middle schoolers might annoy high school students on occasion or middle schoolers might feel intimidated by the big seniors, the youth group is a safe space for students of all ages to learn to love and support each other regardless of age or life stage.

Reason to Split

It seems that most ministries, as soon as they are capable, will split middle and high schoolers. There are many reasons why this is a popular approach.

It’s no secret that middle schoolers and high schoolers think and learn differently. Younger students often require a little more thorough teaching, while older students can often piece things together without having everything directly explained. Energy level also differs between the groups, and organizing your meetings to help squirmy middle schoolers express their enthusiasm in productive ways might not be the ideal scenario for high schoolers.

Similarly, middle schoolers and high schoolers might not feel comfortable expressing themselves completely around each other. High schoolers are probably aware of the mentorship role they play to younger students. They know they are being watched and listened to by younger eyes and ears and might not feel comfortable being real and vulnerable about their struggles for fear of how that will impact the middle schoolers. Middle schoolers, on the other hand, might feel intimidated by older students and hold back for fear to avoid embarrassing themselves in front of the high schoolers. This might also discourage kids from either age group from inviting their friends.

Also, middle schoolers and high schoolers, in many ways, are experiencing different stages of life and could benefit from teaching, structure, and support that is tailored to their particular needs. For instance, a relationship series might be appropriate for your high schoolers, but not for your middle schoolers. Or, your middle schoolers might really benefit from a longer games and activities period than your older students. Splitting up your groups allows you to serve and love your students in the way they best need it.

Of course, inter-age-group mingling is important and healthy. A great way to still incorporate that into your youth ministry could be inviting your older students to volunteer as leaders for the middle school group or scheduling activities like hikes, amusement park excursions, or service projects that all of the youth, both middle and high schoolers, can attend together.

I Want to Split, but am I Ready?

Splitting up middle school and high school youth groups means double the meetings, double the teachings, double the volunteers, and double the snacks. Sometimes, even if you want to split, you might not have the resources to make it happen. So how do you know when you’re ready? Here’s an acronym, RARE, to help you assess:

• Room: Do you have a space that is big enough to host your students? Is it a place with a great atmosphere, or a place with potential to make it warm and inviting? For middle schoolers especially, is it big enough for them to run around and burn off some of their energy?
• Adults: Do you have a core of committed adult volunteers that can attend your groups? Students, both middle schoolers and high schoolers, depend on adults they can trust and consistency is one of the most important elements for gaining that trust. If you don’t have volunteers you can count on weekly, it might be better to wait until you do.
• Resources: Do you have the time, energy, and resources to create two separate experiences for high school and middle school? If you split based on age, it’s worth it to tailor each group to that age group. Afterall, why would you split if you’re just going to recreate the same experience twice?
• Enthusiasm: Do you have a heart for both high school and middle school ministry? Not every age group is a great fit for everyone, and that’s ok. If you find yourself favoring one age group over the other, it might be worth looking into finding either a volunteer or another pastor to help share the load.

I hope these reflections help you consider whether splitting or combining is the best choice for your youth ministry. Of course, every youth group is different and what works for one church might not work for yours. Hopefully, with prayer and planning, you can continue to build a ministry that serves the youth in your community, no matter how it’s structured.