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New Year, New Teen?

You did it! You have supported your high schooler through their first semester of a new school year at PCA! I imagine there were hard days, late nights, lots of words and maybe even more silence…but what I know is that you have been called to PCA for this time, for a great purpose!

Each December, I have the privilege and blessings of visiting with our graduates as they come home from college! I love that they flock back to their alma mater, wanting to reconnect with their former teachers, counselors and administrators. They can’t wait to share all that the Lord is doing in their life, their mountaintop moments and their seasons in the valley. They still seek wisdom and place value on this place and these people! What I have noticed throughout years of having these conversations with PCA graduates is that they all, no matter their level of academic ability, come back to say that PCA prepared them well for college! The very courses you might hear your high schooler grumbling about at home this semester are the very courses our graduates say have prepared them the most for college! And they are so thankful to have had the foundation they received. Don’t you just love those full circle moments!

  • As we prepare for a new year, I encourage you to dream a little with your teen! Get curious about what they’re learning and how it is shaping their faith and worldview. Spend time while you have a slower pace to sit around the table and spark some conversation! Here are a few conversation starters to get you going;
  • When you think about this past year, are there experiences you hope to repeat? What about things you definitely don’t want to try again?
  • What would have to happen for 2023 to feel like a success for you?
  • What are your short term goals for this semester? What are your long term goals for college/life after high school?
  • How can I help you achieve those goals?
  • What are the ways that we can pray together for the new year?

As you take time to learn about what’s important to your teen, what hasn’t gone so well, and what they see in their future, I pray you will connect in new ways! That your connection will be a place of safety, refuge and security when the next storm comes…let’s be honest, we know it’s coming! And that each of these moments would point you back to our own need, and our teenager’s need, for a savior. Emmanuel, God with us! He is our source of hope, our great deliverer, and all we need through the teen years and beyond! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!