Fifth Grade Isn't the Finish Line. It's the Beginning of Leadership.

Kristen Patton sits down with Brad Smith to talk about one of the biggest opportunities every church has: walking with parents through a fifth grader's transitional year to help build faith that actually lasts.Kristen and Brad dig into why fifth graders start checking out of typical kids ministry activities, and why that isn't a sign they're losing interest in church. It's a sign they're ready for more responsibility than a sticker chart can offer. They talk through what it looks like to invite kids into real ministry rather than just teaching and entertaining them, what a church risks losing if it misses this window, and how investing in a fifth grader's faith shapes their entire family.In this episode, you'll learn:- Why fifth grade is one of the most pivotal years in a kid's life, with real physical, mental, and emotional change, and why it's easy for a ministry to let that year slip past unnoticed- Why fifth graders start checking out of typical kids ministry activities, and why that disengagement is usually a sign they're craving more responsibility, not less interest in church- Why fifth graders don't need more crafts, stickers, and goldfish. They need real opportunities to lead, like teaching a devotional or a Bible study to younger kids- How Jesus modeled inviting ordinary, unfinished people into real ministry, sending out his disciples before they had it all figured out- What it means for a church to help a fifth grader meaningfully belong instead of just attend, and how that shift changes a kid's whole relationship with the church- What's actually at stake if a church misses this window: bored kids, disciplinary issues that trickle down to younger kids, and the loss of a future leader, missionary, or minister- Why the real risk isn't losing a fifth grader. Their parents still bring them to church. The real risk is losing the moment a child realizes the church needs them- How investing in a fifth grader's faith can ripple out to their entire family, illustrated by a recent baptism story from Brad's church- The endgame of teaching fifth graders to lead: not a better fifth grade year, but a stronger church full of disciples who go on to reproduce themselves in othersMeet the GuestsKristen Patton is a Children's Minister at The Church at Station Hill, where she disciples kids and partners with their parents to help build a faith that lasts well beyond kids ministry.Brad Smith is a Children's Minister at Brentwood Baptist, where he equips kids to take on real leadership and service opportunities long before they age out of his ministry.