The mission of the Middle School Community is to journey with students and families as they connect to God personally, connect to God’s people and connect to God’s purposes. We desire to walk with parents and partner with trusted adults in affirming students as they discover a God who deeply loves them, a community who values and accepts them, and a purpose that invites them to faithfully follow Jesus and passionately serve His Kingdom in a way that inspires others to do the same. 

Our vision is for every Middle School Student to enter into High School with an identity taking root in Christ, a Christ-centered group of friends and adults with whom to “do life together”, and life-giving practices that equip them to be faithful so that they can passionately pursue opportunities to serve and share the Kingdom of God within their circles of influence. 

A Parent's Role

Parents are encouraged to partner with us by following along with the weekly curriculum, continuing the conversations at home, and inviting their middleschoolers into their discipleship journey. We also partner with parents through the Milestones program. At each of a student’s key transitions and spiritual milestones, we offer instruction in raising a Jesus-loving generation.

Throughout the week, we invite students to connect to God personally through worship, spiritual disciplines and Christ-centered teaching relevant to their lives. We encourage students to connect to God’s people by having fun together and experiencing life-giving relationships in their small groups (organized by grade and gender). We help students to connect to God’s purposes by giving them age-appropriate opportunities to use their gifts to serve the Church, their peers, their communities, and the world! 

During the school year students and leaders meet online on Friday nights via Zoom. Throughout the week, we connect with one another using our Discord server. 

Parents are invited to join our Facebook Community to connect with one another through dialogue, explore relevant and helpful content, and engage in discipleship together as a community of parents. 

For those local to the Arlington, MA area, we host smaller in-person gatherings called Highrock Hangouts, primarily on the weekend (Friday and Sunday afternoons). These gatherings take place at various Highrock family homes or at one of Highrock’s Gathering Circles (Located at the Highrock Arlington, Highrock Metrowest, and Highrock Lexington campuses). 

NB: Families must complete a registration and waiver form (once per semester) and RSVP (to each event) in order to participate in a Highrock In-Person Gathering. 

The Lent Family Box is full of fun age-specific activities that correlate to the Kidsrock and Middle School curriculums, opportunities for family connections, and parent encouragement. The 2021 Lent Family Box has sold out but you can still access all of the material online.

Please contact Jill Swilling (jills@highrock.org) with any questions related to any of the Family Boxes. 

For students who are beginning 6th grade, we offer a three week class called “The Church” each year. This class is designed to help students understand their role in the larger body of Christ and prepare them to engage in worship with the congregation. We follow up this class by having small group leaders check in with students to hear how they are doing with worshipping and serving at Highrock.

All middle school students are invited to a 6-session class that is designed to empower students to engage with the Word of God in a way that connects them to God personally, to God’s people and God’s purposes. We interact with the Bible through study, devotion, and conversation. These classes take place in the Fall and Spring semesters. 

For students in seventh and eighth grade who desire to learn together what it means to be servant leaders in youth group, their schools, with their families, and in their social circles. All in all, Christ in Action is for those who want to take some next steps in their faith in a community. 

This collective gets together bi-weekly on Sunday afternoons over Zoom beginning in Mid-October. 

For middle school students in eighth grade who are looking for deeper ways to connect with God personally, God’s People, and God’s purposes. These initiatives will take place quarterly beginning in Spring 2021 and will involve discipleship in areas like race, technology, sexuality, friendships, and more.