to the 8th grade class of 2024

Dear Wonderful, Fierce, Compassion, and Imaginative 8th Grade Class of 2024, 

On August 22, 2021, we welcomed you into the MSM and promised you that Adventure is UP here. I hope we have kept that promise to you.

You could say it was finally a school year that was starting to feel normal. We had a fall kickoff  on Sept. 15, outside with lots of wild games that probably made you question why in the world would my parents drop me off here and trust me with these people?

Over the last three years you’ve shown your commitment to showing up, to growing, and to serving others. You have even cheered each other on even when times got tough, when struggle after struggle showed up on your front door step, when doubts and questions about your faith and if this is all worth it started to roll around in your mind and heart. It can be so easy to stop showing up, to give up on following Jesus, but you have continued to show up and do just that even when it’s messy and weird…just like an MSM game.

Our prayer for you has been that The Basement would be a second home to you. That on your hardest Wednesdays and your best Wednesdays, your heart’s desire would be to come to The Basement, even if you weren’t “feeling it.” That this is a place where you would know to the core of your being that you are loved, you matter, and you belong. That it oozed out of every adult that you encountered here. That it was more than just ‘feelings’ but that it was true and you knew it was true.

I’m guessing one of the #1 reasons you kept coming on Wednesdays is this: your youth leaders. The ones who have texted you, called you, had you hang out at their house for small group, cheered you on at a concert or game. 

This fall, when you move up to HSM, I am going to miss seeing you  together, watching you walk off to Small Group Together. You might not be here in MSM, but these people, adults in the MSM will still be here for you. I know this, because the leaders in our ministry care about you. I want you to know that we will do our best to make sure that you always have trusted adults in your life to help you through some of the things you’ll face in high school and beyond.

Thank you for trusting us and sticking with us.

A disciple of Jesus actively follows Him and loves people.

Will you keep doing that? Will you keep coming home to Jesus and then going out there to turn the world upside?

Even when you doubt all these truths you’ve learned, will you come back to knowing that you are so loved by the Creator of the Universe?

Will you keep inspiring me and other adults to get out there and love people instead of arguing about how it should be done?

There are more moments than I can name when you’ve inspired me to keep going, to keep following Jesus, to keep turning the world upside down. It’s because of your light, your influence, your impact that I’m still here today.

We hope that you have come to see the church as a place where you can ask questions.
Because we don’t mind your questions.
We do mind when you disappear.
So when life gets busy–keep coming back.
You’ll never regret the time you spent following Jesus.
Jesus is worth it because he is the best.
I want you to know that we are paying attention to you, we are still watching you, we are still here for you.
Even though you’re moving on from one ministry to the next.
We aren’t moving on from you.

We want you to continue to grow together, connected to disciples of Jesus.
This fall, you will take a big step into the high school world.
We may not be at your locker every day.
But we will be cheering for you and available.
If life is overwhelming, if you didn’t make the A squad, if a friend stabbed you in the back, if you have doubts, if you have questions, or if you’re confused or hurt.
We’ll be here. Don’t be afraid to text or call.

My hope is that you’ll turn the world upside down.
Actively following Jesus and loving people.
Finding your identity in Jesus alone.
Living in community with other disciples of Jesus.
Being for people, being for your city, and loving people wherever they are.

We welcomed you into The Basement by telling you adventure is UP here. As you begin to close the chapter on this adventure in MSM, I pray that the words you have learned from us here and outside of these walls (and hopefully made visible in our lives) will continue to sink deep into your hearts. That you’ll be able to reach for them when you need them most and offer them with others need them most.

There are so many more adventures coming your way. I don’t know what each adventure will look like, but we know the one who’s planned the adventure.: Jesus. Stick to him. He’s sticking with you. Expect that God will do immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine.

Shock the the world by turning it upside down with the love of Jesus.
Show them what you’re made of.
We’ll be right here–turning the world upside down with you–one step at a time.

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
― Steve Jobs