In my little community, graduation was this last weekend.  Yes, on Mother’s Day.  It’s usually that way; almost a sure thing most years.  We had several graduation parties to go to this year, and it’s had me thinking about the nature of graduation and what it means to the Youth Worker.  A great deal is written each year on what graduation means for those that are graduating, and there’s a fair amount written in fear and anxiety about whether your graduates will keep the faith through college.

All that aside, very little is written on the impact that graduating seniors have on youth groups, and almost nothing is written on the impact on leadership teams.  I think this needs to change.

So, what does graduation mean for you?  What fears and anxiety do you have?  What changes does graduation bring about for you, the youth program, and even more pertinent to this blog, your leadership program?

Graduation has always been a bittersweet time for me.  I imagine it’s the same for you, as well.  We look on with pride as student’s we’ve known for years walk across a platform and rotate their tassel, symbolically entering a new stage in their life that will be a reality in just a couple short months.  Without that group, your youth group will never be the same.  No matter what batch of seniors is graduating, that’s true.  Each class of students brings their own energy, their own personality, and their own flavor to the youth group.  When they leave, there’s a hole.

Sometimes we don’t know how the incoming class is going to carry themselves.  In the case of smaller youth groups, you may even have a considerable age gap between the outgoing and incoming students.  Twice during my tenure as a youth worker I watched a class graduate and was left with a youth group of mainly 8th graders.  I’m sure it’s happened to you as well.

One year, after a sizable and committed group of seniors graduated, I had to totally retool the youth program because the students that were left were young and not as committed.

Things can change even more in a leadership team when a group of dedicated seniors leave.  The personality and character traits that develop in a youth group are magnified in a leadership team.  After a group of graduates leaves, things may seem lost, even broke down for a while.

Sometimes we just overlook these things and keep on plowing away with our head down.  Sometimes we can.  But a lot of us, especially those of us with smaller youth groups, can’t just fake a business as usual attitude after we lose a group of Seniors.

Here’s a few things to think about as you ponder what changes you may need to make to your youth group and leadership team as you lose your seniors to graduation, career, and college:

 

Celebrate those Leaving and those Remaining

Make sure that as you celebrate the graduation of your seniors you also celebrate the students that are left.  Because we’ve spent a lot of time with the seniors and probably have good relationships with them, we will often carry on as if they are the most important aspect of your youth group or leadership team.  Your younger students may feel put out by this.  Help them celebrate graduation and understand that they are stepping up into the leadership that the seniors have left.  Celebrate all of your students.

 

Know that Things are Changing

We can’t stick our heads in the sand and pretend like everything is going to be the same when we have a group of Seniors graduate.  Things will be different, even if only slightly.   Sometimes we want to put our head down and keep going because of the loss we feel, or the changes we know we need to make but don’t want to.

Step up, acknowledge the changes that are coming, and prayerfully meet them head-on.

 

Consider Changes Carefully

There’s no need to change just for change’s sake, nor should you rush into changing just because you’ve lost a good amount of seniors.  Ask yourself the following questions:

How will the loss of seniors change the dynamic of the group?

Is the group more or less spiritually mature after you seniors have left?

Is there a marked difference in the average age of your students now that the seniors have left?

Changes could be something basic like new curriculum, or it could be something major like an overhaul of your whole program.

 

Implement Changes with Maximum Communication and Efficiency

Always, always, always communicate changes you are making in a youth program.  Students, parents, and church leadership are going to want to know why you’re changing things up, and you’d better have good reason.  Changes can also be disruptive to younger students in an already disrupted environment.

Start broadcasting that change is coming as soon as you’ve nailed it down and have a plan.  Involve students, parents, and church leadership in the planning and implementation.  Remember, ownership comes from being in on all phases of change.

When you start to implement changes, make it as painless and seamless as possible for your students, and for you.

 

Transition Younger Students into Leadership

When Seniors leave you have a gaping hole in your leadership.  You can’t leave it empty, and there’s no time like the present to start identifying and transitioning your younger students into the leadership roles that were vacated by your seniors.  As with all leadership transitions, have a plan for identifying, recruiting, and initiating younger students into your leadership team.  Begin team building exercises immediately and make sure the transition is as smooth for everyone as possible.  Your leadership team will be the same as your youth group as a whole:  Change is coming.

 

Every year we do this; some years better than others.  Some years graduation has a more significant impact than other years, but one thing is for sure:  Change is coming.  Our youth come and go.  This year, be prepared for the coming changes and prayerfully meet them.

This blog is dedicated to Jake, Brit, Colette, and Lindsey, who four years ago graduated into a bigger world and this year are graduating college:  They are married, getting married, getting into careers, and most importantly, serving their Savior – I’m proud of all of you, and am honored to be a part of your lives.  I can’t wait to see what God will do through you.

And to Kailyn and Taylor, who are graduating High School this year:  May God continue to guide you as you go to college, our prayers and best wishes are with both of you.