Grad/Parent Dessert Night

Something that our church does every year for the students graduating high school and out of youth is a Grad/Parent Dessert Night.  This is the first time for Matt and I to be taking part in in this, but it is just a special time to congratulate and acknowledge the students for being part of the group and for graduating high school and to send them off into the next chapter in their lives.

This year we made special invitations for each grad and mailed them to their home.  We also encouraged on the invite to dress in formal attire.  In the years past, the students wore their grad/prom dress and suits or tuxes.

During the night we will be serving different desserts (you can either buy desserts from Costco, a bakeshop etc… or ask some people at the church who you know love  baking to donate some of the desserts – avoid asking the parents of the grad student as this is a special night for them too).  This year we are going to be having a chocolate fountain to make the evening a bit more special.  Since it is a formal event, we try to dress the room up as much as we can with round tables, a nice tablecloth and even a centerpiece.  We have also played with the idea of having a red carpet for the event.  Last year, as they entered they had a set of pictures for each graduating student (this could be a grad pic that you ask for ahead of time from their parents) on a stand up frame, or you could dress up a table and put the pictures in frames.

For the program, you could have a picture slideshow presentation using Animoto of baby pictures for each student.  Or you can even make this into a “Guess Who” game.  You could invite musical guests, such as a student who might have a band, or ask for a special number… etc.  We will also be showing a video presentation of what happened throughout the year.  This would be the perfect time for a message from the group’s Youth Pastor or even the Senior Pastor (or any special guest you would like) to say a few encouraging words to the grads.  Be as creative as you like with the evenings programs!

It would also be nice to have a parting gift for each grad, such as a devotional, a personal note from their group leader or something of that nature that the student can take home. This may also be a chance to write that book for students that you have kept up in your mind for all these years…  In years past we have given a copy of “My Utmost for His Highest – Student Edition” which hopefully gives the grad an opportunity to seek God after high school.

Definitely keep in touch with the parents about this as not all student will communicate this events with their parents.  Also, this is a good opportunity to follow up on the grade 12 students that you have not seen throughout the year and to let them know that you are proud of them.

If you have a Young Adults Pastor, it would be very beneficial for them to be in attendance and maybe for him to be introduced during the program so that the grad and their parents can be connected with him.  Definitely send your students off with lots of love!

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