Honoring Your Seniors by Bekah Politano

Your graduating seniors have been part of your youth group since
middle school and they are about to leave. They have grown up in
your ministry and now it is time to let them go out into the world.
But, before that, wouldn’t you like to do something to honor them,
something that shows how much you love them and would allow
you to set an example of God one more time. I talked to one
youth pastor about what special thing he does to honor his
seniors...

Lee Ziegler is the youth pastor at Brainerd Baptist Church. He told
me about what he calls a “Blessing Service”. This service is
modeled by Jesus’ last night with his disciples, where he washed
their feet and prayed for them. The service is a very deep and
meaningful time for Lee and his seniors. The service begins with
dinner where they spend time in fellowship and Lee explains the
service to come. The youth leaders, parents, seniors and other
church members all participate. After dinner, they take the seniors
in a room where there are chairs in front for them to sit.
Everyone enters the room and the seniors sit as Lee begins to
wash their feet while explaining the significance behind it. After
their feet are washed Lee and the seniors take communion
together and Lee prays over each senior. They each then receive
a gift. The church families follow with communion and prayers,
then the youth staff and finally the parents of the seniors. Lee
explained what power and amazement there is when parents pray
over their child. They finish the service by singing a song, as Jesus
and his disciples did. This service signifies servanthood, love,
respect, encouragement, all things that the seniors will take with
them. It is also a way of letting the seniors know that they will be
missed and that they are significant. All in all, this is a very
emotional and intense service honoring these seniors.

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but
that You should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) Jesus
asks this for his disciples from His Father as you do for the
students in your ministry. I would like to encourage you to think
and pray about a way to honor your seniors before they head out
into the big world.