2022 LCMS Youth Gathering Sessions. Bigger. Faster. Stronger. Calling All Athletes!

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To be early is to be on time! Practice how you play! Dig deeper! 2nd place is the first loser! These are some of the mantras ingrained in Pastor Billy’s mind from his time in competition: Football, Track, Diving, Swimming, Baseball, Cross Country, Basketball, and Cycling. As athletes, you work hard to be better all of the time. When you really think about it, your job is to learn how to suffer physically in such a way that you can still focus longer, run faster, maintain precision, and of course win! What happens when the suffering is mental, emotional, and spiritual? When you aren’t good enough in competition, are you good enough at all? Spoiler Alert: Christ is in all things…especially the suffering! Pastor Billy wrestles with the impact of our faith in athletics, taking a look at the one who knows how to suffer the best.

Bio: Billy Newell serves as the lead pastor of Trinity Lutheran in Bloomington, IL. He is a husband to Kristen, a dad to Josiah, Addison, Naomi, and Evelynn, and a follower of Jesus Christ! Born in Houston, Texas, Billy did not grow up in the church. Using a few high school friends, Jesus chased Billy down and invited him into a life serving others. God saw fit to prepare Billy through a Business Administration degree at Concordia University, NE (Go Bulldogs!), a Master of Divinity at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and a fair bit of the school of hard-knocks. If you were to run into Billy on a random day, he would probably be listening to Lecrae, riding his gravel/mountain bike, or watching one of his kids achieve amazing goals! Sometimes all three at once! Today, Billy is grateful to share the love of Jesus that others so graciously shared with him!