Graduates

I remember back in the 80s when we were teaching in Arkansas that the school district quit having their annual baccalaureate service. Don't remember why, but the result was that we decided to do one at church. So on a designated Sunday night each spring we put together a service to both honor and challenge our graduating seniors. As a gift to those seniors, the other youth workers along with VJ and I would throw a cookout for the youth group. It was a fun time each year... usually with a pick-up basketball game in the driveway sometime before dark.

When we moved to Houston the Sharpstown (later Sugar Grove) congregation had a standing tradition of the Senior Tea. We usually introduced the seniors and had a special message in the morning, and the Junior moms would decorate the fellowship hall and arrange the eats for the evening festivities. When the church gathered that evening for the Senior Tea, we usually had a video of their growing up pics, set to an appropriate song, followed by sort of a roast of the kids... sharing humorous and usually embarrassing stories provided by the parents. I remember being totally blown away at our first Senior Tea by the generosity of the church... lots of gifts for each senior... it was a real party. As far as I know they're still doing it that way... each year the Junior moms set out to match or outdo the effort of the previous year... what a tradition.

When we came here to Eastside we were introduced to yet another way for a church family honor their graduates. The festivities happen Sunday morning and include both a special service and a potluck in honor of the grads. One of our elders, Brad, takes time to talk about the kids... he's a good story teller; Ruth and Virginia collaborated on the video this year. It was a special time for our six graduates... and for their church family. This is our third time to be part of this tradition. It looks a little different than either of the other two... but it's still a church family surrounding loved ones to honor and encourage.