By Paige K Slighter
We want to honor graduating seniors! Learn how at the end of this story.
High school graduation is a significant milestone for many young people. Some students spend their whole high school careers looking forward to commencement day when they’ll walk across the stage with their friends and peers, receive their diplomas and throw their caps off in celebration. Unfortunately as we all know, this year typical commencement ceremonies and traditional senior festivities have been cancelled and replaced with virtual stand-ins. To say this situation is a major bummer would be putting it pretty lightly. Riley Ebener, a senior in our Echo youth ministry, said she’s in a mourning period: “What I’ve been working for since kindergarten is being ripped out of my hands.” So, what can we do to encourage and celebrate Woodland’s class of 2020?
Echo honored their seniors at the last service of the school year on Wednesday with a virtual award ceremony. Echo staff and volunteer leaders presented special awards to each senior and showed their appreciation through words of encouragement. They acknowledged that the current situation is especially difficult, but there is hope for the future. It’s hard not being physically together, but Echo is still a community that cares. They shared highlights from the past year and gratitude for the time they had together. Danny Churchill, one of the Echo staff, wrapped up the evening with a special Kingdom blessing. He reminded the seniors of their unique strength and perseverance and challenged them to bring their whole hearts into adulthood.
Another way we’re planning to celebrate graduating seniors is through a slide show during our live streamed service on Sunday, May 31. We’re asking for photos from high school seniors who would like to participate and parents who want to honor them. The photo can be an official senior picture, a cap and gown photo, or just a nice picture they like. We’re also inviting podrishioners to participate! Please include the first name of the student, along with the city and state they live in.
If you have a graduate and would like for them to be included, email us at info@whchurch.org with the picture you’d like to use, the student’s first name, city and state. We need photos by Thursday, May 28.
Thank you for helping us lift up these amazing students. We’re excited to give them some special recognition under these unfortunate circumstances!
Good luck Seniors. It truly takes a village to raise, help raise, a Senior. The learning, the showing, some telling, assisting, being their, driving and organizing,friendships, great new music, that you have all show us and shared with the church in many different ways in noticed. While we silently sit in our chairs and watch we learn how you will be changing our futures by just being the future, and some changes certainly need to be made. So here is a tribute to our up and coming new leaders who we expect will make this world a better and kinder place. Good luck and remember GOD in all you do. We expect great things from this GREAT group. Congratulations Seniors of 2020.