LEADERSHIP RESOURCES

5 Talking Points To Help Your Students with Post-High School
by: Ryan Miller

I know it’s coming and yet somehow each and every year it blindsides me. High School graduation – the day that 12th graders magically go from being students to “real” adults. I find myself sad that our time together has ended. Anxious that I didn’t say or do enough to help them continue in their faith. Grateful for the time and memories we have created.

Let’s face it for 7 years (if you’re lucky) you have poured life out into these kids. Hoping and praying that you did enough to show them Christ and they hold on to it for the rest of their lives. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves with our students. Some of it justified, much of it not, but it’s taxing none the less.

This past May I graduated my first group of students. What I mean when I say this is that this is the first group that I got to walk with from sixth grade through twelfth grade, at the same church. The groups before were special to me too, but this one had a lot more attached to it. Reflecting back on the 7 years that I was able to be their pastor caused me to think on the things that I said and did with them and evaluate what I could or should have done differently.

Ultimately here’s what we know, each student is going to graduate and become an adult and we can try and avoid it, but we are not helping them by doing that. We can and should be intentional about our conversations as we help them prepare for a life, post youth group and post high school.

5 Talking Points To Help Your Students with Post-High School