“For I know the
plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for
calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
This Sunday we will recognize the
graduating seniors from our congregation AND welcome our new High School
Student Minister, Jim Garner. In a
way it is a Sunday of endings and beginnings. Strangely, for our students, it is both. While they are completing a course of
study and a chapter in their lives, they are beginning a new one.
The very concept of graduation is
to transition upward. While the
directions each student will take will vary, they will all be moving forward to
new challenges and places in life.
There are many decisions to be made in the weeks and months ahead.
North Side Baptist Church is a
church that highly values education.
This year, two of the WISD Teacher’s of the Year came from our
congregation. We are proud to have
many educators in our fellowship who stand alongside students to help negotiate
the halls of school and paths of life.
For many of them this is a time to catch their breath and prepare for
the coming year. For others there
are classes for continued education or preparation for their own graduation to
a new level in education.
Scholarships are being provided by NSBC members to assist qualified
students of any age to further their education. Many have been blessed by the support.
As we celebrate with the families
of our 2012 graduates it will be a time to think back to how we have done with
these young people and their parents over the course of their education. Have we prayed enough, counseled
enough, listened enough, shared enough, etc? The real question is, have we prepared them spiritually for
the dangers that await in the world?
Challenges are coming to their faith and values like they have never
experienced before. Hopefully they
are ready.
Jim Garner is on the field and on
the run. Mission trip is right
around the corner, camps are coming soon and the new student center is opening
for business. Work will begin very
soon on the Jr. High Student space.
Things they are a changing!
You might take a moment o see if
you can recall the time of your high school graduation. It may seem like a lifetime ago. Many things have changed radically and
yet there are still those things that remain the same and will forever. It’s those things you may remember the
most; love of family, encouragement of friends, hope for the future, and joy in
your accomplishment.
Now watch these young faces as
they come across the stage this Sunday.
Do you see the same in their faces? There are some things that never change and the hope and
dreams of a young man or woman striking out on their own is one of them. Pray for these precious students as
they step into the future.
Scripture to Claim:
Commit your
works to the LORD and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3
