DUPO - A wonderful Baccalaureate Service was held Sunday, May 31st with First Baptist Church of Dupo hosting the event. The processional was led by Kellie Kloess, ushering in the Class of 2009. Pastor Dennis Dawson of First Baptist Church welcomed everyone and then gave the Invocation.

Derek Carter read the scripture reading taken from Proverbs 3: 1-12 (The Message) translation: Don't Assume You Know It All ^1-4Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands.They'll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people. ^5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.

Aaron Kollack gave the “Prayer of the People” followed by a poem “Dream Big” read by Brianna Nadler. Another scripture reading was read by Brittney Ragsdale taken from Romans 5: 1-8 (The Message) translation: ¹ By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us ”set us right with him, make us fit for him€”we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. ² And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand€”out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. ³ There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, ⁴ and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. ⁵ In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary”we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! ⁶ Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. ⁷ We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. ⁸ But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

After the scripture reading Derek Carter provided the special music singing and playing the guitar. Former pastor of First Baptist Church of Dupo, Rick Lay brought the message entitled “You are Loved ... More than you can Imagine.”

Closing remarks and blessing was given by Jamie Carter (Class of 1979).

The closing of the service was highlighted by the introduction of the girls softball team, those seniors present, who are on track to becoming State Champions. We wish them well and good luck, and congratulations for coming this far.

Class of 2009 Processional

Invocation by Pastor Dennis Dawson

Scripture reading Derek Carter

Prayer to the People - Aaron Kollack

Brianna Nadler reading a poem

Scripture reading by Brittney Ragsdale

Special Music by Derek Carter

Rick Lay giving the message

Closing remarks by Jamie Carter

Senior girls softball team