Happy Father’s Day + Camp Week Is Here 🙌

Happy Father’s Day, dads.

Before anything else this week, I want to stop and honor you. Day after day, you carry weight that most people never see—leading your families, serving this church, showing up faithfully when there’s no applause and no spotlight. The world has a way of shrinking the role of a father, treating it like an afterthought. We don’t. Here at Church at the Grove, we see you, we thank God for you, and we are grateful for the godly men He has placed in our family. Today, we celebrate you.

Now, a quick personal word.

Our family got away for a little vacation these last couple of weeks—and it was such a gift. Rest. Laughter. Slow mornings. The kind of margin you don’t even realize you’ve been missing until you finally have it. And yes, I’m aware my weekly emails went quiet. I’m sure you grieved deeply. (Wink, wink.)

But honestly, stepping away does something for the soul. Life moves fast, and if we’re not careful, the noise and the hurry can keep us from ever stopping long enough to catch our breath—to reflect, to process, and to notice what the Lord has been doing all along. I needed that pause. And I’m grateful for it. But I’ll tell you what I’m just as grateful for: being back home this morning with our church family. I love this church. I love getting to be your pastor.

Finally, I want to put something at the top of your prayer list this week.

Tomorrow, our student ministry leaves for summer camp. About 100 students and around 25 leaders are heading to North Greenville University, Monday through Saturday. Camp has always been one of the great pillars of our year—God shows up there. And this one is personal for me: it was at a church camp nearly 25 years ago that I first met the Lord. So I know firsthand what He can do in a week like this. We’re praying our students don’t just have a fun week, but a real encounter with Jesus—one that marks them for the rest of their lives.

Would you join us in praying for:

safe travel there and back

strength and unity for our leaders

open, ready hearts in our students

and a powerful, unmistakable move of the Spirit all week long

And don’t put your prayers away just yet—because our kids ministry is right behind them. Our 3rd–5th graders head to Centri-Kid Camp this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s going to be a blast, but I believe it’ll be far more than that—life-changing for so many of these kids. And I’ve got skin in the game on this one: two of my own boys are going. So I’m praying bold prayers and expecting big things.

One more thing before I go—a summer reading recommendation.

Thanks for praying, church. It’s good to be home.

Love you all,

Nathan

If you’re looking for a great read this summer, let me point you to a book I can’t recommend enough: Theo of Golden by Allen Levy. It’s a beautiful, moving novel about a stranger named Theo who quietly arrives in the city of Golden—and slowly begins to change everything and everyone around him. Now, it isn’t an overtly Christian book. But the way Theo lives—the way he notices people, loves them, and gives himself away—is one of the clearest pictures of the gospel I’ve come across in a long time. If you’ve got a little margin this summer, do yourself a favor and pick it up. I think it’ll stick with you.