05.30.08 | 
4 Comments I made the following post on the discussion boards at Youth Ministry Exchange:
Is it theologically appropriate to recognize graduates in the way we do?
Every year we have a breakfast for our high school seniors and then honor them in the service, have a slide show, and they wear their cap and gowns during the service. I see this as both positive and negative:
- Positive: These youth have worked hard (well, maybe), they have accomplished something, this is an important time in their life, and we need to celebrate that with them. It’s a great transitional time in life and the church should be there in the midst of the transition. It also encourages younger kids to strive for the same thing.
- Negative: Are we limiting ourselves by placing such a high emphasis on education? What about people who don’t graduate high school? Granted, 99% of the students in our groups might graduate, but is that because our communities’ attitudes towards education are unwelcoming to high school dropouts? Are kids who drop out ashamed to show up in our churches? Are we sending a message that the only people who are valuable in our churches are those who are “successful” and educated? If we do continue to celebrate graduation in this way, how can we remain open to dropouts?
And, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t go to our kids’ graduation parties and ceremonies, but asking if it is appropriate to communally and/or in a worship service recognize this (what some would call) privileged demographic in our society. Your thoughts?
I think there is great value to aspiring to excellence in education and celebrating it publicly. At the same time, each year I struggle with putting said emphasis in a church service. I don’t know where else it belongs… as I like celebrating them publicly… but I don’t know what it adds to a worship service.
I feel your pain. There is a fine line between recognizing and celebrating what God has done through these students lives and honoring them too much. After all… we all know HS graduation is cool, but it’s not a life-changing event.
What about those who don’t graduate? Eh, there are benefits of celebration for those who complete something. I don’t think it should be equal. Kids who don’t graduate because of their own poor choices… there is a lot of healthy stuff in them feeling the failure.
I always struggle with what should be in the worship service and what we should not do. Do things distract from the purpose and are we ’shunning’ individuals who are not part of the celebration.
I think that I am at the place that we are family and we should be more about community and celebration; thus this should be a part of our life.
i am right there with you. i am trying to understand a proper theology of recognizing these graduated seniors.
by the way any good graduation presents for the seniors?
Jeremy - If you do books, Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne is a hit for a lot of high school students.