"We make a big deal about the 12th year of life in J12. We don't have big birthday parties for every tween who reaches this milestone but we do celebrate the fact that at around this age things start to change. In western culture the 13th birthday is the big gateway into the 7 teen years to follow. One of the catch phrases we throw around a lot in J12 is '12 not 21!' I follow the phrase with a comment that goes something like this, 'The world will take you seriously when you're 21, but the Lord will take you seriously at 12. It's 12, not 21!' Western culture has the numbers backwards - it's one-two not two-one! We need a new paradigm, we need to switch our focus to those who are younger than twelve if we really want to reach a generation before they need to be rescued. 12 not 21! Make it a part of your conversation to parents, leaders and tweens alike!"
- Excerpt from J12 Starter Pak
Gregg Johnson