If you had to describe 2025 in a few words, how would you do it? Perhaps it was “fun and exciting,” or “chaotic and messy,” or even “difficult and stressful.” Regardless of how this last year played out, God is constantly at work. His sovereign and loving hand is consistently over His children - and what a privilege it is to have Him as our Father. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” God has called us His own; we belong to His family; we belong to Him. What a precious gift.
As I reflect on the past year of Junior High ministry and look ahead to this one, I have become convinced that what our students need to know more than anything right now is the answer to the question, “Who am I?” In a world of confusion surrounding identity, we must be providing our students with solid footing to navigate their lives based on what God says about them - not what the world says.
In the Early Church, key questions of doctrine centered around the nature of Jesus Christ and the Trinity. In the Protestant Reformation, the hot-button issues were concerning the authority of Scripture and the doctrine of justification by faith alone. But in today’s world - the world of digital media and endless content - the most important questions being asked have to do with biblical anthropology: Our understanding of what it means to be human.
Genesis 1:26-27 states, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
There is much to learn from even just a few short verses here. Let’s think for just a moment about a few things that would be helpful to remember as we minister to this generation of Junior Highers.
First, we are made in the image of God. What this means is that all people-yes, ALL people-bear God’s divine likeness. What this doesn’t mean is that we’re sinless. What it does mean is that we have value and dignity in the eyes of our Maker. So many students today struggle with self-image, whether that manifests itself in eating disorders, shame, isolation, comparison, pride, or you name it. What we need to remember is that we are all made in God’s image, and that’s an amazing truth to hold onto. God values our junior highers - and so should we.
Second, we have been given responsibility. Part of being made in the image of God is that we now have the calling to “image” (verb) God in our lives. We don’t just inherit the image of God as humans; we are stewards of that divine image for the glory of God and the good of our fellow man. God has revealed His Will for our lives in the Bible, His self-revelation. God has given us all we need to live according to our design. It is our job to take hold, by faith, of the grace of God required to live it out daily. Our Junior High students must know that with great dignity comes great responsibility (sorry, Uncle Ben - I like this line slightly better than the classic).
That is just scratching the surface of what it means to be human - we didn’t even touch on what it means to be ‘male and female’ - which is quite the controversial statement in 2026.
As we kick off the new year in our Junior High ministry, I will be walking through a series called “Who Am I?” with our students on Wednesday nights to explore these, and many more, facets of our being. I am hopeful that the studies will stir their faith in God’s Word and a desire to live out God’s design for them.
I also hope that you, as parents, will take the time this month (and beyond) to be intentional about having Gospel-centered conversations with your students as they form their identity. Middle School is a formative time. Kids are beginning to figure out who they want to be - so take advantage of this opportunity to shape them with God’s Word.
I encourage you to check out this page for helpful resources, coming events, and to keep up with what your kids are learning!
Blessings,
Julian Marcel | Pastor of Junior High | Hessel Church | julian@hessel.org
The Family Discipleship Podcast is a great resource that features tons of great conversations all about how to raise and disciple children and youth in our crazy world. This particular episode pertains specifically to the junior high age group, and highlights the particular developmental changes, opportunities, challenges, and strategies pertinent to them. I'd highly encourage you to take a listen and seek to learn a thing or two!