#1 | Baby Blessing |Newborn-23 Months|Committing our children to God.
Baby Blessing is the first Family Milestone, designed to equip, bless, and celebrate parents throughout the infancy and toddler phases of life, and encourage our church body to build relationship and build community.
The milestone includes a Parent Equipping Workshop and Dinner, Baby Blessing Ceremony, and Celebration Reception for families with newborns through age 23 months.
- The Parent Equipping Workshop provides tools that empower parents as the primary faith trainers of their children. Moms and dads are provided with practical resources in understanding the needs of children in this phase. Led by an OHC elder couple, parents receive wise counsel in the primacy of prayer, and in raising and spiritually training children.
- The Baby Blessing Ceremony is presented in the worship service. During the ceremony, parents, and babies are invited onstage, parents respond with verbal affirmations to commitments spoken by an Oak Hills Church elder and participate in a time of prayer and blessing over their babies.
- The Celebration Reception honoring parents and children occurs following the blessing ceremony. Family and friends are invited to attend.
Baby Blessings occurs twice a year, typically in January and June. Attendance at the workshop is required to participate in the ceremony and reception.
#2 | Pathway to Kinder | Pre-Kindergarten | Preparing our preschoolers for independence and learning.
Pathway to Kinder is the second Family Milestone, designed to equip, bless, and celebrate parents and their children in the preschool phase of life, and encourage our church body to affirm families beginning elementary school.
This milestone includes a Parent Equipping Workshop, Kinder Blessing Ceremony, and Celebration Reception for families with a child entering kindergarten in the fall.
- The Parent Equipping Workshop provides parents with practical resources in understanding the needs of children in this phase of life. Parents are also encouraged and inspired to pray with their children, value the Bible as their guide for living, and discover the significance of blessing their child.
- The Kinder Blessing Ceremony is presented in the worship service. During the ceremony, parents are invited onstage with their kindergarteners, they receive a charge given by an Oak Hills Church elder and participate in a time of prayer and blessing over their child.
- The Celebration Reception honoring the parents and children occurs following the blessing ceremony. Family and friends are invited to attend.
Pathway to Kinder occurs once a year, in the spring. Attendance at the workshop is required to participate in the ceremony and reception.
#3 | Agape Trail | 5th Grade|Bringing our fifth graders into a greater understanding of who they are in Christ.
Agape Trail is the third Family Milestone, designed to equip, bless, and celebrate parents and their children in the elementary phase of life, and encourage our church body to affirm families transitioning from Bibleland to Student Ministries.
This milestone includes monthly Parent Equipping Workshops, monthly Student Classes, and a Student Retreat.
- The Parent Equipping Workshops, led by OHC leaders, help encourage and equip parents to be the spiritual leaders of their children.
- The Student Classes, monthly Bible lessons, September-April, remind students of the love that comes from Jesus, their parents, and their church. Students learn important virtues and Bible truths to strengthen their faith and beliefs so they can withstand the upcoming social pressures of middle school.
- The Student Retreat is the culmination of the milestone, with three-days of teaching, fellowship and fun to bring students closer together knowing they have the love and support of family and friends.
Agape Trail parent workshops and student classes are offered monthly from September to April. The Agape Trail retreat occurs once a year, in April. Attendance at the student classes are required to participate in the retreat.
# 4 | Challenge 8 | 8th Grade | Challenging 8th grade parents and students to grow in their relationship together.
Challenge 8 is the fourth Family Milestone, designed to equip parents and their 8th grade student with communication skills and conversation topics that will cultivate and strengthen their relationship through their next life phase.
This milestone includes a Parent & Student Equipping Dinner and a Parent & Student Retreat.
- The Parent & Student Equipping Dinner helps families learn effective communication skills, setting the stage for the milestone retreat, and equipping parents and students for future life conversations.
The Parent & Student Retreat is the culmination of the milestone. Parents and students attend an overnight retreat together where they laugh, play, learn, and serve together. This is a great opportunity to pause, share experiences, and strengthen relationships as they move into the high school years. The retreat ends with a time of blessing.
- The Parent & Student Retreat is the culmination of the milestone. Parents and students attend an overnight retreat together where they laugh, play, learn, and serve together. This is a great opportunity to pause, share experiences, and strengthen relationships as they move into the high school years. The retreat ends with a time of blessing.
Challenge 8 events occur in the winter and spring.
#5 | Senior Celebration | 12th Grade | Celebrating accomplishments and preparing to follow Christ as they leave the home.
Senior Celebration is the fifth and final Family Milestone, designed to equip, bless, and celebrate parents and their children in the high school phase of life, and encourage our church body to affirm families with graduating seniors.
This milestone includes a Parent Blessing, Senior Testimonies, Senior Celebration Banquet, Senior Blessing Service and Senior Summit for families with a child graduating high school in the spring.
- The Parent Blessing is a fall gathering of parents with incoming seniors. Parents receive prayer, a blessing for the year ahead, and a gift Bible for their senior. Parents are encouraged to acquire notes of blessings, favorite Scriptures and words of encouragements in the Bible, which is presented to the graduate at the Senior Celebration Banquet.
- The Senior Testimonies provide an opportunity for a graduating senior to share their testimony, encourage their peers, and give advice to the next generation of students at Oak Hills Church.
- The Senior Celebration Banquet is the formal send-off dedicated to honoring our graduates and their families. A noted speaker offers a message with a final challenge to seniors and their parents. Parents, extended family members, and friends are given time to bless and pray with their graduates.
- The Senior Blessing Service is presented in the worship service. During the service, seniors are invited onstage and receive a blessing and prayer from the church body as they launch into adulthood.
- The Senior Summit is a surprise event for the seniors. The day is designed to give the graduates a special send off and blessing from the Student Ministry team.
Senior Celebration events occur in October and May.