GateWay Ceremony

Last night was the culmination of an intense year for these boys, and the first ever GateWay* Ceremony!

While the boys were away doing some camping and hiking in the wilderness earlier, the room for the ceremony was being transformed through the work of several creative women....

 .... food was bought, prepared, and laid out (and maybe sampled)....

.... and about 60 family members and friends gathered together to celebrate.

Then, the dads drew swords....

 ....and the boys entered for the ceremony!

We heard about some of the things the boys have done all year and the 10 character traits they have discussed (and hopefully, developed).

We saw pictures from the various events, interspersed with video clips by each of the boys telling about some of their favorite skills they learned.

The boys were each presented with a custom-made plaque with symbols representing many of the elements of the year.

 There was also a video montage of each of the fathers speaking about what they have seen in one of the other boys (not their own sons), encouraging them to continue to grow in certain areas.

Each of the fathers had an opportunity to speak a blessing over his son, pray for him, and give him a key symbolizing the "Gate" the boys were ready to go through.

 (Future GateWay participants were looking on.  :)  )

One of the boys' youth leaders took the time to challenge the boys with some things as they enter a new stage in their journey.  He had us all laughing, but also presented a lot of wisdom that I hope the boys soaked up!

Finally, we went outside for a Torch Ceremony.  Apparently one or two of the boys were rather apprehensive ahead of time that this would be "too cheesy," and some of us adults were rather apprehensive when the flames grew higher than we had anticipated.... but overall, I think it was a meaningful, and memorable time!

All of the men gathered on one side of the courtyard, and all of the women and children gathered on the other.

A.W. Tozer has said:

The most critical need of the church at this moment is men, bold men, free men. The church must seek, in prayer and much humility, the coming again of men made of the stuff of which prophets and martyrs are made.

To represent this boldness of manhood, the men all passed a flame down their side, the final man holding a torch.

 Then, the 6 GateWay guys, standing first on the women-and-children side, brought their torches forward to be lit by the men's flame:

 Together they all lit a bonfire in the middle (almost burning more than we bargained for -- thankfully a water spigot was nearby).

The 6 boys now crossed over to the man side. I was both happy and tearful at the same time!

Thus ended the ceremony.  It was (finally) time to eat!



We were so blessed to have so much support from the people who attended the ceremony and have invested in the boys over the year.  In addition, working with the other 5 families in the group has been an encouragement to Pete and me.  It has been wonderful to see how the various gifts and abilities of the other parents all worked together to shape and form both the teaching throughout the year and this final ceremony.  Our son has benefited greatly from the efforts of so many giving, talented, and kind adults!   We are so very thankful.

When Strider got home, he found many letters from other relatives who could not be here.  Words of wisdom and advice from his cousins, uncles, and grandparents were printed out for him to save for years to come.  What a treasure!  He also received a few "manly" gifts to commemorate this new stage of life.

We're proud of this guy and are excited to see what God continues to do with and through him!

*More explanation about the design and purpose of GateWay is here and the implementation of it, here and here.