STUDENT MINISTRY: Graduating Seniors
It’s that time of year. In just a few weeks (or less), your high school seniors will be hitting one of life's major milestones here in the US. They will walk across a stage, have their name called and become high school graduates. Parents will cry. Students will rejoice. And we, as the local church, should be there to celebrate with them. Does that mean that you need to go to those painfully long ceremonies? It depends. If you are a youth pastor or have been directly involved with that student, you should do your best to be there. However, there are different times and ways to celebrate them. Here are a few suggestions for celebrating your seniors as a church:
• Honor them during a Sunday morning service. Carve out a time to recognize your graduates. Share how they have been involved in the church and some of their plans for the future. While we want to celebrate them, it should still be a time to honor how God has been at work in their lives. Let that shape what and how it is said. This is a great time to present them with a Bible or some other tool to help them as they seek to grow in their faith.
• Have a reception/meal after a service. There is nothing quite like sharing a meal as a church family. This provides church members the opportunity to share gifts and words of advice. If money is an issue for a meal, simply make it a potluck. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be impactful to your students.
• Have a card shower. What do graduates really want as graduation gifts? I think there are two things. One, they desire words of affirmation. They need to hear what you think of them and your belief in their ability. Two, they want money. I know that sounds a bit materialistic, but face it, they are trying to figure out how they will pay for books in the fall or gas. An envelope with some kind words and some money can be a very welcome gift.
• Pray over your graduates. We often say that our students are the “church of tomorrow.” The truth is, they are the church of today. Many of our students serve. At Calvary, we have students serving in children’s ministry as well as on our worship team. It hurts when they graduate because their availability may change. We want to pray that they will continue to serve in whatever community they end up in.
There are lots of ways to celebrate your graduates. I hope you will take some time to think it through and not let it slip by. Our culture makes a big deal about it, and our churches should be leading the way. It provides a milestone toward adulthood. Connect with us in our Facebook group (Facebook.com/groups/StudentMinistryMattersCommunity) to share ways you celebrate the graduates in your church.
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Dan Carson
BMA Youth Department Director Dan Carson writes a weekly column titled, Student Ministry Matters, through which he inspires, challenges, and informs BMA of Arkansas churches and church staff about all things pertaining to student ministry.
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