Members of Becker churches and Clearwater’s Rejoice Lutheran Church gathered May 30 to honor local 2019 graduating seniors and send them off to the next phase of their lives with blessings from their community.

 

Hosted by Grace Lutheran Church, the theme verse for the interdenominational baccalaureate service was Romans 12:2, “Do not conform but be transformed,” an inspirational message befitting the occasion.

 

Similar to traditional graduation ceremonies, the service began with the procession of the 2019 graduates. Pastor Dave Johnson welcomed everyone and led the opening prayer.

 

There were many heart-felt moments during the evening, which included seniors Morgan Luberda and Hannah Bengtson reflecting on their faith journey, and seniors Grace Klapak and Amber Vogl performing a skit entitled The Chisel that talked about how everyone is God’s masterpiece.

 

As a mentor many kids look up to, Nate Bucher also gave a message during the service.

 

Music for the service was chosen and led by the worship team, Maci Salvevold, Amber Vogl, Grace Klapak, Abby Becker, Liz Moeller and Emma Tweten.

 

One of the evening’s highlights was the foot washing ceremony, where the seniors thanked their parents and mentors for always being there to “wash their feet” over the years, after which they returned the favor and spoke a blessing of thanks and appreciation over them.

 

A video montage showcasing the seniors’ discipleship throughout the years at their individual churches was played during offering, which is given to the beneficiary of the seniors’ choice each year. This year the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was chosen as a remembrance of classmate Brianna Bertram, who would have been graduating this year if she hadn’t passed away from the disease in 2014. 

 

The seniors stated that although Bertram wasn’t there to help them celebrate graduation they still felt her presence, and their goal was to raise awareness of cystic fibrosis in the hopes that one day C.F. will instead stand for ‘cure found.’

 

The service concluded with a blessing from Pastor Johnson, followed by the recession of the graduates.

 

The evening was planned by a group of seniors along with the direction of their youth leaders. Refreshments and fellowship followed.