Congratulations To Our High School Graduates

Sam, Deborah, and Joey.

Joey shared the following...

Good morning church! I’ve always wanted to say that.

I want to start out by saying thank you to God for every person in this church. You have all blessed me, but I would like to talk about just a few really pivotal people and ministries that have got me through my high school years.

Firstly church, know this; I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like half of you half as well as you deserve.

Secondly, I’d like to talk about the two youth-oriented ministries that have really been helpful to me as a youthful man going through his youth. Youth group and youth mentorship. Despite our unoriginal naming standards, these two ministries have been worth so much to me. Sometimes I struggle with thinking that I am alone in my sin, which I know is wrong, yet I still think it. But, youth group has been great to see other christians my age struggling with the same sins that I do, but even more than that, seeing how God is shaping them through it all. It is always joyful, jolly, jubilant, jovial, and Jesus-centered. A huge thank you to Mrs. Blackman and David Christensen for organizing all of it and serving us throughout it.

Youth mentorship. What a weird idea, right? Young high-school students getting together with slightly less young college students to go through just one short book of the bible at a time. What a weird idea, but let me tell you, it was a good one. I’d like to thank my mentor, Dylan Sohie, for putting up with my rambling while somehow guiding me through the books we studied. You’re a pretty cool guy, I guess. Often times, studying these books helped take the importance of me out of the equation, and has shifted my focus onto a much better dude. The best dude, you could say.

Lastly, thank you, church, for displaying the love of Christ. Your prayers have certainly not gone unanswered, nor are they unappreciated. I pray that you never slow in your efforts to help the youth of the church, ‘cause trust me, we both need each other.

I’d like to end with a verse that’s meant a lot to me and the rest of the youth through tough times.

"He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, ‘Go up you baldhead! Go up you baldhead!’” 2 Kings 2:23

Hold on, wrong verse.

Here’s the real verse I want to end on, so listen up all you youngins. 1Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

Thank you.