You ever go to a ministry training conference in another city and fall in love with that city - well I did. The city was Atlanta, Georgia (Alpharetta to be exact). Alpharette reminded me of home (San Fransico Bay Area, CA) . Not because the cities were exactly alike, Alpharetta isn't even near the ocean. No! It was the similarities that I felt in the atmosphere, the buzz, Starbucks being real close and the malls had a Gap store and more importantly, an Apple store. Similarities bring us comfort when we are in a new city, new house, new school, and new areas of ministry. For many preteens, leaving the Children's ministry that they have known for over four years or even for some, since they were a baby, can be exciting, but also very overwhelming. That is why those of us who minister to preteens, need to provide an atmosphere that is not only new and exciting, but also with some similarities from the old area of ministry they just came out of. We need to do this, so that we can help them make the transition from kiddieland to the world of preteens, and close the gap that so many of them fall into and never return!

Joe