Nine Northeast Nodaway Students Celebrate Baccalaureate

Nine Northeast Nodaway students celebrated Baccalaureate Friday night in preparation for graduation Sunday. Graduating are Korey Adwell, Dallis Coffelt, Max Giesken, Shelby Linville, Mikeala McCoy, Talina Nelson, Allie Runde, Jill Spire, and Peyton Weir. The tight-knit group got together at the Ravenwood Christian Church.

Pastor Justin Briney spoke at the church and said that despite being 40, his senior skip day didn’t seem long ago. He talked about the paths his life took. “I never set foot in church until I was 21, until a friend invited me,” he said. He vowed to leave if the church service was about rattlesnake handling, which was the only exposure to Christianity that he got. He said that he got mad as a hornet, but went home, got his own Bible, and came to find that it was true and came to know the meaning of John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

“I did a lot of things I was ashamed of,” said Mr. Briney. He told the seniors that if they were in sin, “stop digging.” In college and the world, he said they would be exposed to a lot of different philosophies. “Don’t be wise in your own eyes,” he said. “Don’t take my word for anything, go and find these things out for yourself.”

He quoted Proverbs 3:5-7:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.[a]
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.

He also read Colossians 2:8:
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.

He said that he had an uncle who saw a tornado on TV strike a church right during Sunday worship and kill some people; he concluded there was no god. Briney said that he didn’t take the uncle’s word for it, but sought the truth for himself and found there was a god.

He said that on December 28th, 1997, he gave his life to Christ and was immersed in baptism. He said that surprised a lot of his friends, who thought he was the type most likely to still be hiding in the library from the teachers.

Travis Dimmitt opened and closed with prayer. He is the campus minister at the Wesley Center at Northwest, located in the main brick building right before entering the campus from the south. He was previously one of three ministers serving six area congregations, including Sheridan and Grant City as well as the North Nodaway principal.

Cookies and punch were served to the group after the short service. There were about 50 family members and well-wishers for the small group.