When Scott Lorimer graduated from high school and college, there was a baccalaureate service for students both times.

Later, when he worked as youth director of a Presbyterian church in Pittsburg, it was traditional for pastors to organize a baccalaureate each year for graduating high school seniors.

So it came as a surprise to Lorimer, when he came to Lawrence in January to start his job as youth director at First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway, to learn that the city didn’t offer any baccalaureate services.

“I asked (his fellow pastors in town), ‘Do we need to start getting on this?’ I kind of got some looks at first,” Lorimer said.

That’s because there hadn’t been a baccalaureate service for graduating high school seniors in Lawrence for at least six years, possibly more.

Thanks to Lorimer’s urging, a group of the city’s pastors determined they would bring the tradition back.

“We decided if no one else is going to do it, we think it’s important that youth see that faith and graduation are intertwined. This is a turning point in their lives, and their faith in God is not set apart from that,” Lorimer said.

In February, an ad hoc group of Lawrence pastors began planning a baccalaureate service for graduating seniors from Lawrence and Free State high schools, an opportunity for young people to connect their spirituality with this milestone in their lives.

After months of preparation by pastors and students, a baccalaureate service will be held at 7 p.m. May 24 in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church.

All graduating seniors, their families and friends are invited to attend the service, which will feature student participation in special readings, prayer and music.

“Graduation is a huge time for a lot of youth, and it’s also a time where churches can celebrate with them on this accomplishment. I think that’s kind of where we’re coming from,” Lorimer said. “We’ve had a lot of excitement, feedback and good suggestions for which directions to take (at the service). I think everybody’s really excited.”

Prentice Gautt, an associate commissioner of the Big 12 Conference and a member of First Presbyterian, will be the keynote speaker.

The service will be ecumenical, embracing a spectrum of Christian denominations and traditions.

“The thinking of the group (of pastors who planned the event) is that our desire would be to find ways to make it an interfaith occasion, but we couldn’t pull that off this time,” said the Rev. Lewis Hinshaw, associate pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt. “We would like this to be a joint Jewish, Muslim, Christian event, recognizing that there are students of those faiths in Lawrence high schools. It just won’t happen this year; we couldn’t pull it together. The vision is for this to be a kind of event that welcomes everybody.”