Lauren and I are excited and enthusiastic about joining the family at NPC! There is a special kind of community here that is felt right when you walk in the doors. What do I tell about myself? Or maybe it should be how well can I sell myself? I am a product of ’98 and trying to make a good name for Gen. Z. I grew up in several different states, but I call Dallas, Texas my home. Whether it is playing golf, hanging out with friends, or beginning a project with great optimism and quickly realizing I might be in over my head, I love to be active. I love coffeeshops and reading. I have been a big soccer fan my whole life (shout out to Liverpool) and have recently picked up a growing passion for Ole Miss football. I am passionate about the church and about doing life with people. I am excited to do life with everyone at NPC, in big and small moments.
I envision a lot of great things for the student ministry at National Park. The first thing I envision is helping students develop as apprentices of Jesus. I want to show teens the value and confidence they can have in their relationship with Jesus. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you know the struggles that are associated with this faith journey. There are twists and turns that are never expected. However, I hope to help each student develop a faith in Jesus that is their own that they feel confident owning themselves. I want to foster an internal desire for each of the students to strive to be in the presence of God and better know and understand the God we serve.
The next aspect that I envision for NPC’s student ministry is creating a community of belonging. For generations coming up, this is a huge part of our value system and is what we find important. Where do I belong? Do I feel welcomed here? Is this a community that includes me without judgement? I hope to create an environment with our students that can answer all these questions with a resounding “YES!” I want to foster the mindset that the student ministry at NPC will meet people where they are. I also hope to foster an environment in which students will be opened minded to the idea that the church is not made up of specific types of people.
Lastly, because of the two previous aspects, I hope to build confidence in the students to share Jesus with the world. This can be, and often times is, something that is really scary. By helping the students build a personal relationship with Jesus and knowing a community of other Christian students have their back, this will create a boldness for Jesus. I want to give students the tools they need to talk about Jesus by simply knowing a starting place can be inviting their friends to be a part of NPC’s student ministry.
- Ethan Myers
NPC Youth Minister