“We don’t have to look very far to find people in our lives. Our classmates, teammates, neighbors …even our families …are already in place. All we really have to do to find good friends and be good friends is pay attention, and participate. Are you ready for this?” “Friends With Everyone …Tween Small Group Study.”

When writing my book, “Friends with Everyone,” I began to notice the early signs of friendship struggles in the lives of my tween daughters. In an effort to provide a safe and fun place to learn and talk about friendship, I wrote and hosted a small group study at my home. We talked about everything from bullying and mean girls to forgiveness and kindness. It opened my eyes to the world our young people are trying to navigate. A very connected, but simultaneously isolated, society, full of issues my generation didn’t have to face at such a young age.

The best way to understand tweens is to meet them on their level and allow them the opportunity to share their experiences and perspective. Encourage them to ask questions! There, we can meet them with truth and love, equipping them to spread it around their generation like wild-fire. I’m offering this study FREE! So, share it on social media and in your communities. Feel free to email me with any questions/concerns. We’re in this together parents, caregivers, and ministry leaders!

Study Set Up/Guidelines:

*Keep the group small to allow time for deep discussions, and aim to bring similar age groups together.

*Does it have to be Mother/Daughter? The group will work with or without the mother daughter element. If your small group is tweens only, provide parents and caregivers with the discussion questions at the end, or a small take-away of encouragement each week.

*Tween groups can be tricky, but through years of ministry and parenting, I have found that 4th & 5th graders usually work great together, but 6th, 7th, and 8th work better separated by grade. There’s a huge difference in each milestone year of junior high, and the group will go better if they are all navigating the same part of it at the same time.

*There’s a lot of good video content out on the web. Try to find one or two to go along with each week’s theme. It will help grab and keep attention.

*Make it your own. The activities in this study are just a springboard. Meet tweens where they are at by providing an activity or a craft that is popular right now.

*Supply donations: When starting the group, tally up the activity costs and divide it amount group participants. Or, leave a clearly marked donation jar out each session.

Session 9: “Keeping Friends.” Download