You made it! You graduated! You have crossed a major milestone in your life, one that propels you forward into a new arena of adulthood, full of new opportunities and responsibilities. You did this, in a unique and unpleasant set of circumstances. You involuntarily sacrificed many of the happy events that conclude high school—you may have complained, you may have cried, you may have questioned why—but you’ve accomplished this too. You are experiencing that life goes on, you are learning that all suffering is temporary, and you have shown that you can adapt, compromise and persevere—and you should be proud!

While you’ve been home, you’ve probably seen a commercial or two-- or two million, that use some phrasing like “in these uncertain times.” “In these uncertain times, you can buy this product from insert company name because we LOVE you (and your money),” or something like that. These commercials have gotten annoying and seem a bit out of touch, but the point of uncertainty isn’t wrong. This period of time has been very uncertain and still is. So, while we are all wallowing in uncertainty about when things will open and events can be rescheduled I want to remind you that we serve a God who is in control and that there are still many things that are certain.

Graduate,

1. It is certain that you have a future ahead of you

No matter how it feels to be a graduate now, which for many of you it may seem lackluster. There is still a strong and bright future for you to pursue. God is sending you out whether it be to further your education or join the workforce, your life is shifting forward to a new phase, full of opportunity, and new potential. It is okay to be sad and sorry about the recent past and present, but do not lose the hope you have in your future and the exciting things you are setting out to accomplish. In doing so, you can point others to your ultimate hope in Christ.

2. It is certain that you have a God who loves you

Fear, anger, sadness—all of these are emotions that you may have experienced recently in the wake of your situation. All of these feelings are valid and understandable. However; we want to anchor ourselves in God’s love. That we do not stay swimming in these feelings that drag us down, but remember that we have a God who loves us and is working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). When more and more things are stripped away we have to remind ourselves that God is and always has been enough.

3. It is certain that God wants to use you

One day, all of this will be a distant memory. It will be a story you tell. It may become a part of your testimony. Remember that all that is to come from this point forward, you are still being sent out to where God has for you to be. Your future ahead of you, loved by God, reveals that you still have much to do. You have hope to share, love to show, and a Gospel message to present to others who are lost, confused, afraid, and hurting. Graduate, you have a unique perspective, and therefore a unique message, to reach those around you and who will soon be around you in a way that no one else can.

Church, we need to be praying for our graduates. Pray that they, like all of us, will cling to our certainties, know that God is in control, and remember the mission has not changed.

Imagine with me…it’s early June, it finally happened, school is out for the summer. Your student comes home and throws their backpack to the back of their closet to not be seen for months. They plant themselves on the couch, swiping through their phone, their head full of dreams of sleeping in and weeks full of freedom. Now, while there is certainly room for that on every summer break—wouldn’t it be great if there was something more for your student this summer? Well, there is. I’d like to encourage every family to send their 6^th-12^th grade student to Crossings Camp and our North Cincinnati Mission Trip (registration for both is open online!)

Our students, like a lot of us, will often default to the easiest option—which for a student on summer break, is to fill those ten weeks with a whole lot of nothing. However; I want more for our students and I know you do as well! While I don’t want to say forced…let’s just say “highly encouraged…” here are some reasons why I believe your student should be “highly encourage” to go to Camp and the mission trip this summer!

1. Jesus—always the right answer, but both of these trips offer an intentional opportunity for our students to grow in their relationship that matters most! In a week of camp, they are saturated with worship, preaching, small groups, and quiet time—away from all of their modern at-home distractions, to listen and let God speak to them. The unique spiritual environment of camp lets our students grow in ways they wouldn’t anywhere else!  The mission trip provides students the opportunity to serve like Jesus and share the Good News of Jesus with others. There are few things we want more for students then to put them into opportunities where they can be selfless—and the North Cincinnati Mission Trip is a perfect opportunity for that! 
2. Fellowship—students are lacking interpersonal opportunities. Significant face to face interaction is invaluable and both of these opportunities allow for students to grow in their friendships with one another, make new friends, and be mentored by adults that care about them and their spiritual growth.
3. Fun—both of these trips, while there is work done, and serious moments had, are still fun! Throughout camp, students are tearing it up with a few hundred other teenagers doing a variety of things, from jumping off lake inflatables, shooting paint at each other, dominating people in nukem and gaga ball, and a bunch of other activities (Link-- https://gocrossings.org/2020-jonathan-creek-camps/)!  During the mission trip, while we are there to serve first, our days are still full of fun and memorable events. While there, we have the opportunity to hang with the Clarkson family (our church plant partners) who are always down to have a barbecue or share an urban myth of Carlisle. We also fill our free time with fun activities and end our trip with a rest day—this year we’re planning on a return to King’s Island!

This is just a brief look at what could be in store for your student’s summer! However, sometimes students just need a little extra “encouragement” to go (or just, like, make them go, if you have to.) If you’d like even more info, call or email Alec--636-327-8696 or .