Yesterday was “senior Sunday” at Highland — as it probably was at many churches. We honored and challenged our 48 seniors who’ll be heading out — a few to work, most to ACU, and some to other places (Tech, A&M, Pepperdine, Howard Payne, UT, and the Air Force Academy were the ones I heard).
A few reflections.
First, a few years ago, we quit announcing all their high school awards and accomplishments when we read their names. Those accomplishments are wonderful and important — but they tended to make church one more place where people without all the honors and awards felt second-class. At church, we value you not because of your all-district awards or your GPA but because of the person you’re becoming in Christ.
Second, I love that the seniors are asked about the people at Highland who have influenced them the most. Their answers remind us that our words of encouragement are vital to the development of deep faith. It’s evident from their answers that the huddle leaders — this year it was four couples — had been spiritual uncles and aunts who had profoundly influenced them.
Third, when students are asked what activities at Highland have been the most important to the formation of their faith, the answer that always rises to the top is the summer trip to Mexico. Something about traveling together, having fun, working hard, being exposed to poverty, meeting brothers and sisters of another language, and envisioning yourself as a person used by God in his kingdom work that shapes you forever.
So to these 48 seniors from Highland and to all the others at your churches — may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest on you!
Hey — no fair posting about Boston over the weekend!
I agree!! This is why we don’t have a car here — and we’re much more physically fit because we walk everywhere — and we’re doing our bit to help save the environment.
Go Sox!
Congratulations to all the seniors. We’ll have a bunch of high school students here this Thursday from Harding Academy who are on a chorus trip and will be seeing a much bigger world here in the city — and there is a group of high school students coming from Atlanta in June to expand their horizons working with community representatives on social justice issues. Being a part of a GROUP while having experiences that make STORIES is always amazing — and creates community. What wonderful opportunities our “young people” have a chance to experience these days! I’m glad you highlighted that aspect of community life at church yesterday!
I remember my Senior Sunday at Highland back in May 1998. It was a day that I looked forward to a long time, primarily because I saw it as a chance to say thank you to all of those who had helped me along the way. And, yes, my huddle leaders, Scott and Julie Brown and Alan and Anna Reynolds, were amazing. And, that breakfast from the elders was a great thing too!
We don’t have a “Senior Sunday” at our church here in Grand Rapids. I can remember a “Senior Sunday” at about half of the churches we’ve attended during our moving about.
One thing they do here that I’d never seen before is have a “Open House”. The parents prepare a big finger food spread (usually served in the fellowship hall) and people stop by and give gifts to the graduate and snack. Sometimes a slideshow of digital pictures will be playing on a TV. Anyone else familiar with this?
These Senior Sundays are getting harder and harder for me. The seniors we honored yesterday were 7th-graders when we moved here. “Sunrise, sunset…”
Mike — we honored nine seniors yesterday. I bet we were at Luby’s long before you were!
Mike,
I appreciate your article today. As a former youth minister and now minister. I remember having kids in the youth group that weren’t in sports, band, NHS, had no major accomplishments in High School, but there thing was youth group. I agree with you completely on the idea of making those kids feel as 2nd class Christians. Becomming like Christ is what it is all about. It is amazing not just aunts and uncles and families play in shapping a child but individuals in the church who may never had know the difference that they had made: Bible class teacher from a young age, elders, deacons, old widow lady who gave a you encouragement, the church plays a important role in faith
development. It is encouraging to hear how the church has help shapped that faith and relationship with God. Just as community builds faith among adults, community builds faith with teens as well. Mission trips are wonderful way to build community and faith. It is wonderful to hear that Missions Trips made a differnce in there life. Let’s keep our all graduating Seniors in your prayers. Also pray for youth ministers around the world that they will understand how important their ministries are for our teenages.
Those comments about Mexico and seeing high schoolers’ growth in just one week are what keep us going back each year. We look forward to it all year.
Joyce:
Welcome to Michigan! The graduation Open House is a long-standing tradition in this state. It takes some getting-used-to for newbies. I’m not sure how widespread the practice is in the rest of the upper Midwest, but in Michigan, it’s huge.
But Open Houses and Graduation Sunday at church are not mutually-exclusive. Our church in the metro Detroit area has Senior Sunday (coming June 11 this year) It’s one of the most anticipated days of the year for our church family.
Mike, your words to the seniors yesterday were perfect.
The first thing on my plate this monday morning is getting everything ready for our Sr. Sunday next Sunday. I had several say just yesterday that Sr. Sunday is their favorite Sunday. Your blog Mike confirms my decision several years ago not to honor the kids for all their awards, etc. Although they are things to be proud of, the world honors those things enough and secondly, I realized that many of the things I was recognizing and honoring were the things that were pulling them away from God. They were the things distracting the teens hearts that Jesus taught in the parable of the sower. This year is going to be really wierd, my son is one of the graduates! I don’t think I will be able to make it through talking about him. We’ll see! May we honor our Seniors as we send them to another level of Kingdom work!
Mike,
I agree with Julie! Perfect send off for our seniors!
Thanks to the sound ministry’s telephone patch, even though I was unable to attend in person, I worshipped with y’all via the phone patch. What a blessing that ministry is to those of us that have to miss every now and again.
Senior Sundays always touch my heart and give me hope as I look upon those precious young people about to embark on their next phase of life as a “grown-up.” I like the idea of having them share about the people at their congregation who have influenced them. It reminds all of us that whether we realize it or not, we are models for our children. Congratulations to all of them!
Wow 48 seniors?!!!! Make me realize how small our congregation is. We had Senior Sunday yesterday too and there were 3.
I am worthless on Senior Sundays. I spend the entire service choking back tears, only to lose it when someone like Taylor Hill says the person who influenced him the most was his late and little brother, Brody.
I think I’d be happy if our kids stayed 9, 7, and 4 forever.
I’m with Grant…during our whole senior Sunday slideshow yeasterday I kept thinking “That will be Kolby in 10 years.” Oh my! Makes me realize how short and precious this time with our children is! Does it make me sound old to say it is all going by so fast? Love Sr. Sunday!
I’m the proud parent of one of our six seniors from Senior Sunday yesterday. I do agree with Mike that reading off the exhaustive list of each senior’s accomplishment can get a bit overwhelming for some - particularly of you had 48 of ‘em. I’ve seen all methods to promote SS - but we had a great one last night - a wonderful-themed dinner; an absolutely hilarious skit where the underclassmen give us their best senior impersonations, a tear-jerking music/video/photo-recollecition of each senior with their voice-overs, and, a Bible presentation to each senior. Congrats and onward and upward to ACU!
Thanks Mike your right and it’s good to hear who influences are kids.
Mike,
My daugther was one of the seniors honored yesterday morning at Highland. Her and my other daughter live in Abilene with their dad and I attend Highland with them when I’m in town to visit. I really appreciate all of the wonderful christians who have influenced both of my daughters’ lives and I’ve grown to love Highland myself!! I finally had a chance to meet you yesterday and I just want to say how much I appreciate you and Diane’s influence on my daughter, Brittani. Brittani mentioned Diane by name as the person who has influenced her the most at Highland and that really means a lot to me!! I don’t live in Abilene and can’t be there daily to be with my children and it really does my heart good to have strong Christ-filled people who influence their lives!! Thanks!!! I read your blog often and I really enjoy it.
When I first read your title, I thought the ‘Senior Sunday’ meant a tribute to all the wonderful retired folk you have at Highland. God sure has raised a group of mentors in that bunch throughout the years! Shows how ancient I’m getting in my perception!
It’s great you have so many kids, and have had such a spiritual impact on your youth. I was blessed years ago to have that encouragement from Highland. It is so wonderful to know that the church there is continually developing and growing its ministry to the youth and their families. And the mission trips have always been a hallmark of that process.
May he bless your encouragement in the lives of these kids who are stepping out on their faith journey with him in new adventures.
Tami:
Are you the Tami that roomed with Gayle and Polly at ACU back in about 1980?
NOT THE OPEN HOUSES! Joyce, we just moved to Texas from Michigan about 18 months ago and I remember being SO overwhelmed at all of the open houses! I never understood the true meaning behind it since so many parents felt like it was a ‘must do’ for this child and not a ‘want to’.
I’m so glad I’m not about to graduate high school and enter that next stage. What a scary time! And it seemed like we all knew everything about everything, too. God bless all those know-it-alls!
thanks, mike for your encouraging “charge” to the seniors about being letters from GOD, not written with ink, but with His spirit. you made the message come alive as pictures of these young adults flashed on the screen, first as young babies, and then to see how they have grown into young adults. it is such a blessing to know that our church family stands with these seniors as they are “launched” into the world.
After one more year where we honored seniors that never darkened our doors after they got their own cars, we now only announce honors when they are connected to church, mission, and kingdom work. No GPA’s or sports letters are given. We wanted to give precedence to those who continued faithful throughout their high school years.
I experienced Senior Sunday from a different perspective this year. I vividly remember my own Senior Sunday just three years ago. It feels like yesterday! And yet on Sunday, my little brother was the first to walk onstage and receive his Bible. It doesn’t seem possible! Maybe I’m too young to have that “Kids grow up too fast” mentality, but it’s true! I feel old having a baby brother who’s graduating!
The neatest thing to me about Senior Sunday this year was the way that two seniors who have experienced significant losses in their lives were able to honor their loved one, Taylor by mentioning Brody as an influence on his life (Is there a life in this church Brody has not influenced??) and Kimberly by using a baby picture of her and her dad. It was very touching. I love this tradition!
Mike,
We also try to honor our seniors for who they are in Christ, not their GPA. Some years back we introduced a follow up Wednesday night event called Senior Celebration where we ask our senior parents to bless their seniors in the context of our church family. Over the years it has been a most moving experience to hear the written blessings our parents give their sons and daughters. (We ask them to write it so that the seniors can keep it for years to come.) It is a great “faith ceremony” that our church has come to value and look forward to.
Greg Sallas: Yes!!! It’s me!! I live in Gainesville, TX now and I got remarried last Sept. Where are you and Polly now?
Tami:
We are in Montgomery, Alabama. Good to hear from you. If you will click on my name in the blog responses, it will take you to my agency website in which you can e-mail me. You can also go to grace-pointe.com and find Polly’s e-mail and send her a note. she is the children’s minister there. We look forward to conversing.
The Lord bless.