Nathan Neighbors
Follower of Christ, Husband, Father, & Youth Pastor
The Big Tent Revival Youth Campout at Optimist Acres this weekend was great. I hope you all had a great time and had some quality time with the Lord and your friends. As you think about the weekend – remember the litmus test of your heart. Where are you and the Lord? Don’t be lukewarm in your walk with Christ – be on fire – hot and sold out to being fully devoted followers of Christ. Enjoy the photos!
This past Friday, Ashley and the boys and I made the trek over to Lancaster for the Spartan High vs. Lancaster football game. It was a rainy and messy night, but a great opportunity to see our students play. On this night we had students on both sides of the ball.
Ashley and I used to serve at First Baptist in Lancaster and one of our former students, Tyler Outen, is the center for the Bruins. He played an awesome game and was very excited to win in triple overtime after the disappointing loss last year to the Vikings. Tyler is a great young man and he’s dating another one of our awesome girls, Katie Roberts. We also got to see Heather Miles in the homecoming court.
On the other side of the stadium we had three football players (Patrick Esposito, Chase Bahnmuller, and Evander Thomas) as well as three cheerleaders (Janna McClure, Kaylie Hyatt, and Lindy Hyatt). I know that it was a tough loss for them, but they played an awesome game and should be proud of their effort.
Though we pushed the stroller through the mud and sat on damp bleachers, it was all worth it to spend time watching two teams we love with students we minister to. Both teams played a great game of football. God bless you Bruins and Vikings in your last regular season game this coming Friday night!
Recently I’ve made a commitment to read more, especially as it relates to ministry. I spend a lot of time (not as much as I would like) reading God’s Word and I spend time reading blogs, emails, and the occasional article, but I’ve been slack in my book readings.
So, I’ve started back. I picked an awesome one to start with. In the midst of my busyness I read a book ironically called Simple Churchby Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger. Gustaw, the head of the Polish Baptist Union and our contact in Poland, suggested it to me on our recent mission trip to Poland. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve read The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Drive Youth Ministry and a dozen other church leadership books – but this is one of the first that has been so crystal clear about the importance of streamlining ministry and programing to be only the essential things. And that those things should all be moving someone along in the process of becoming a disciple. Finally, a book that’s not suggesting new or more programs, but offering solid statistical evidence for a “less is more approach.” Check it our some time. It’s a good read.
Nathan Neighbors 