This Sunday many churches will be celebrating college and high school graduates who have sat in their church pews for years as part of their congregations. Graduating and completing education is an achievement that should be celebrated and supported, especially when the futures for so many graduates are daunting and full of unknowns. Finding faith and trusting in the Lord during difficult times after graduation is an important role of your church in your community and we want to help you do everything you can to help recent graduates.

But first, we want to help you celebrate graduates’ achievements. On graduation Sunday, you’ll probably have an inspiring sermon about graduation and life’s big changes — but don’t stop there! You can use your church pews to show graduates you’re proud of their achievements and that their church community is always there for advice. You can do this with special decorations for your church pews on graduation Sunday.

Flowers are always a great option for special church pew decorations but it’s not always in the budget. Instead, you can make a lasting memory for graduates that reminds them of how the Lord is always with them in life. Gather together members of your church before graduation Sunday and have them write meaningful messages to graduates and put them on church pews. As you gather together on graduation Sunday, you can lead a special procession of graduates down the aisle and ask them to gather up the messages on your church pews. You can read these messages as part of your sermon to show that the community’s support and advice is always there for graduates, no matter how far away they may go in life.

We know that young people are the lifeblood of so many churches and bring youthful exuberance to your church community. They’ve grown up in your church pews, from when they were small enough to be just a baby fussing during the service in mom’s arms at the back of the church to when they colored pages on the seat of the church pew. We’re proud to be a physical part of bringing up children in a Christian community.