MILESTONES 
High School / College Ministry

My son and I recently went on a camping trip where we practiced using a compass. The comforting thing about using a compass is knowing that it is always oriented towards true north. This allows one to always know the direction where they are headed along their journey. In one’s spiritual compass, true north would be God and it is our goal to have our journey always oriented towards God. 

When our children reach the High School years they have for the most part established most of their beliefs and values. Our goal as parents with High School children should be to encourage a solid spiritual and ethical heritage of continued growth towards Christian maturity. Our role moves from teacher to coach. Just as a coach of a ball team nurtures and encourages the talents and skills already present in the player, so should parents nurture their High School children in making wise decisions in their own spiritual growth as they move from childhood to adulthood. 

There are two key milestones for High School students – the Rite of Passage and the Blessing.

The Rite of Passage corresponds with the beginning of the High School years and the Blessing corresponds with the close of the High School years. “Passage” implies a journey – a journey from childhood to adulthood. This is not a point in time but rather a duration of time. The Rite of passage should not be confused with specific events such as receiving one’s driver’s license, being able to vote, or eligible for military service. These are events, not passages. The passage or journey involves a destination, a plan on how to get there, and lessons to learn along the way.

The role of coach that parents need to serve during these years with their High School children is essential because children are testing their spiritual beliefs and values during these years. Children still have to choose to follow Christ daily. We cannot do that for them. Our role moves to one of empathetic listening and low-key wisdom giving. The Rite of Passage is a duration of time and is a mark of spiritual maturity. This time is best recognized in the 9th grade or around the 15th birthday as it is a significant time when one moves from the Middle School years to the High School years. 

The Rite of Passage should be an educational and encouraging time by learning about the qualities or priorities of a godly man or woman. These qualities or priorities include the spiritual disciplines of God and marriage; family and ministry; the world and relationships. In I Timothy 4:7, Paul encourages Timothy to train himself to be godly and to make Biblically informed decisions. Paul was a mentor to Timothy as Barnabas was a mentor to Paul. As parents of High School children we need to seek out spiritual mentors for our children during these years to challenge them, equip them, and hold them accountable in their spiritual growth. That is our challenge in the Rite of Passage milestone.

The Carmel High School/College Ministry will assist parents in the Rite of Passage years by providing spiritual mentors who love, challenge, and care for High School students. These relationships will be nurtured in a variety of settings from Bible Studies to Youth Group meetings, retreats, camps, mission trips, and fellowship opportunities. The ministry will also provide curriculum and resources which can be utilized in the church and the home during these important years.

The Blessing  is an intentional spiritual marker where the parents write a blessing for their child as they near High School graduation and prepare for life on their own as an adult.  Genesis 49:28 indicates that the parents asked God to help their child live a life for Him according to His purposes and filled with His blessings.  This blessing is conveyed in the context of parents having equipped their children with a strong Christian worldview.