From the Home Place

March 5, 2026

Today, I will travel back to Casper to cheer for our young ladies and men as both groups play in the state finals! No, I’m not related to any of the athletes, but I do feel responsible to attend their games if possible. You might ask “Why?” Because Miss Deb and I both feel it necessary to encourage the youth of our community.

You see my friends, in my opinion, for an area to have a real sense of community, the local school is of primary importance. Miss Deb and I attend sporting events, plays, graduations, and concerts at our school whenever possible.

We feel our being present in the lives of the youth is of great value to our community and to the ministry of our home church. As members of a community church, we are to connect with the people who we live among, and it seems that the local school events especially provide that opportunity.

I have seen it play out in many different towns, the church that is involved in the lives of the young people of the community, is most often the church that has the most impact upon those young lives. If we want them to attend our church services, we need to attend their events as well. Not only are the young people more likely to attend church with people they are familiar with, but so are their parents and siblings.

There is one other reason Miss Deb and I invest time and money into the local school. We have watched too many towns lose their local school through consolidation. Sometimes such a move cannot be helped, but it always robs the heart of a small town to lose its local school. So many towns lose their school, and for whatever reason, the community mindset of the town seems to follow.

In my opinion schools and churches need to be good neighbors. So, may I encourage you to be involved in the events of your local school. It is not vital that you have relatives attending said school, but it is vital that those who attend your local school know that you care about them as if they were relatives. It would appear to be a wise move to let the young people of your community know that you care about them!

Besides, watching an event at the school almost always pays better dividends than another evening of watching television does. Get out of your house, and into your community, please. God seems to grow His kingdom in a variety of ways. As the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Staying involved in the community with you, Neal

Go Tigers!