RELIGION
Saturday, March 31, 2013 • 8
TROY DAILY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM
BYU-bound Emery off on mission trip at 18 ALPINE, Utah (AP) — Nick Emery a three-time Utah state champion and two-time state high school player of the year was courted by college basketball super-powers UCLA, Kansas and North Carolina. But the 6-foot-2-inch point guard spurned them all, and won’t be playing basketball anytime soon. Emery is just weeks away from starting a two-year Mormon mission to Germany. The Brigham Young University-bound Emery is not the first elite Mormon athlete to put his career on hold for a mission, but he is among the very first who will leave right after high school at 18 under new rules announced last fall by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
By lowering the minimum missionary age for men to 18, from 19, Emery and other Mormon college athletes can navigate around the cumbersome path generations of Mormon athletes who came before them had to maneuver. The age for women was dropped to 19, from 21. Until now, Mormon athletes had to play or redshirt for one year after high school until they turned 19. After a two-year hiatus, they come back to complete their careers. By being able to go on a mission first, Emery said he will start his BYU career more mature and with better leadership skills. “Two years is a long time to mature and really figure out who I am,” said the 18year-old Emery. “This is a big
bonus. You can go straight out and get those two years done and then you have four straight years in college.” The change in the minimum age, the first since 1960, already has sent ripples across Mormon culture, affecting college enrollments, and likely how young people date, marry and start families. The effects are most evident in Utah, where 1.9 million Mormons live and the home of the church’s worldwide headquarters. It completely alters the landscape for Mormon college athletes, giving them another option as they consider their own physical and mental maturity and try to optimize playing time. Five months after the surprise announcement
from LDS officials, BYU basketball coach Dave Rose said it appears that most basketball players will go straight on a mission out of high school. The change will lead to some extra juggling of the roster at BYU in the coming years, but should reap long-term benefits for the Mormon-owned university in Provo, Utah. “The continuity of them coming in and being here for four or five consecutive years will hopefully help us manage our roster a lot better,” said Rose, BYU head coach since 2005. Though the church lowered the minimum age, LDS church leaders emphasized that each person should carefully assess his or her situation. That’s what BYUbound Eric Mika did before
he ultimately opted to stick to his original plan and play a year before going on mission at 19. Rose said Mika made a good decision. Not only will he have a chance to play right away with several BYU big men graduating, but he will benefit from another year of competition after sitting out his junior season due to having transferred high schools. For Emery, though, going early was an easy decision and one that Rose said will benefit him. BYU already has several talented guards on next year’s team, meaning playing time would have been difficult. After the Emery announcement, quickly set into motion a plan to graduate early. He’ll
enter the Missionary Training Center on May 1, and head off to serve in Frankfurt, Germany, about six weeks later. That puts him back home in May of 2015 six months before the start of basketball season. Under the old rules, the only athletes able to go on a mission straight out of high school were those who were already 19, meaning they almost always had August or September birthdays. That brought them back from their missions in the fall and made it difficult to get in basketball shape for the next season. Rose predicts most players will follow Emery’s lead and go in the spring, which should make the transition back into college basketball much smoother.
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St., Tipp City. Admission is free and a free will offering will be accepted. For more information, call (937) 667-6586 or visit welcome@TCNaz.com.
Share-A-Meal upcoming
and Cossack marches, a medley of Australian folk tunes, a tribute to Ray Charles, and a major work by Peter Graham titled “Windows of the World.” Also featured on this afternoon’s performance will be the band’s euphonium soloist, Francis Laws, performing the Irish fantasy, “Dublin’s Fair City.” The OVBBB was founded in February 1992 by Francis Laws and the late Ed Nickol, and since January 2009 has been under the leadership of music director Michael Gallehue. The 45-member ensemble is comprised of professional musicians, active as well as retired educators at the secondary and collegiate levels, students, and lay people from the Miami Valley. The band’s mission is to perform a variety of worthwhile and engaging literature while providing an opportunity for the area’s finest brass players to participate in a quality musical ensemble. Since its inception the OVBBB has played extensively throughout southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky, including featured performances with the Cincinnati Pops and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestras. The OVBBB has also performed for the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Development Conference, the American School Band Directors Association State Convention, and was the keynote performing ensemble at the Wisconsin Brass Band Festival in Oshkosh, Wisc. Over the past 20 years the OVBBB has been joined by guest performers of local, national, and international acclaim, including trumpet virtuoso Allen Vizzuti and John Philip Sousa IV, great grandson of the famous American composer and bandmaster. The band plays a variety of musical repertoire, appropriate and suitable to its audience, including marches, overtures, show tunes, light classics, popular music, and patriotic selections.
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Easter services at First Lutheran
History Channel), and the final unique sermon series “Journey From Darkness to Light.” TROY — First Special music and Holy Lutheran Church, 2899 W. Communion also will be Main St., will celebrate offered. Easter Sunday at both An Easter breakfast the 8 and 10:30 a.m. serv- will be from 9:15-10 a.m. ices with exclusive with activities and an licensed video clips from Easter egg hunt for chilthe TV mini-series “The dren ages 3 through fifth Bible” (seen on the grade from 9:30-10 a.m.
Children’s choir to perform TIPP CITY — The Children of the World International Children’s Choir will perform at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Tipp City Church of the Nazarene, 1221 W. Main
Church Service Directory
All proceeds will benefit TCN Kids Ministries Spring VBS
EASTER WORSHIP SERVICE 10AM
Troy Church of the Nazarene 1200 Barnhart Road, Troy
Corner of W. Rt. 55 & Barnhart Rd.
937-339-3117 - www.troynaz.net
The Living Word Fellowship Center 947 North Market St., Troy
Pastors Gilbert and Phyllis Welbaum
EASTER SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 10:45 a.m. Worship
2379200
EASTER BREAKFAST 9AM
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TROY — First United Church of Christ’s ShareA-Meal will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 6. The meal will Easter set feature breakfast brunch casserole, hash brown at First Brethren potatoes, fresh fruit and beverages. Share-A-Meal PLEASANT HILL — is a program to reach out Easter services will be to the community by prooffered at the First viding nourishing meals Brethren Church, 210 N. to anyone wishing to parChurch St. Sunday will begin with ticipate while giving an a 9 a.m. continental break- opportunity to socialize with others in the commufast of doughnuts, coffee nity. and juice. At 9:30 a.m., a The monthly Share-Acommunity time with Meal Program is on the small groups for all ages first Saturday of each will be offered. month at First United Church of Christ on the Egg hunt planned corner of South Market at Abundant Life and Canal streets, Troy. Use the Canal Street TROY — The Troy entrance where we are Abundant Life Church, handicapped accessible. 6661 N. County Road 25-A, Come join us the first Troy, will off an Easter egg Saturday of each month. hunt from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Awakening set at The event also will include children’s activiCenter Friends ties, such as cookie decoWEST MILTON — rating, face painting and Center Friends Church, balloons. The egg hunt will 8550 W. State Route 571, begin around noon. will hold its annual For more information, Awakening, with guest call 339-4769. speaker Gary Wright, at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. April Chicken, noodle 7 and 7 p.m. April 8-10. Wright is the founder dinner upcoming and president of World PIQUA — Bethel Renewal International, a United Methodist Church church planting mission will host a chicken and organization headquarnoodle dinner from 4:30-7 tered in Greenfield, Ind. p.m. April 6 at the church, WRI has a staff presence 2505 E. Loy Road, Piqua. in more than 20 countries The menu will include and has served in more chicken and noodles, than 50 countries. WRI mashed potatoes, green has planted more than 200 beans, salad, choice of pie churches and started and or cake and beverage. maintains two orphanages Donations will be $7 for in Haiti, Northeast adults, $3 for children 5-10 Seminary and and free for those under International School, age 5. Carpina, Brazil. Th church is handiElementary through high capped accessible. schools are a part of many of the churches started. Spaghetti WRI serves child feeding programs in Brazil, Haiti feast set and Kenya, Africa. WRI also ministers to more PLEASANT HILL — A than a dozen countries of spaghetti feast will be from 4:30-7 p.m. April 6 at the Arab world. First Brethren Church, Brass band Pleasant Hill. The meal will include spaghetti, bread sticks, salad, dessert at St. John’s and a drink. Meals will be TIPP CITY — The Ohio $5 for adults, $3 for chilValley British Brass Band dren 12 and younger and will make its third free for those 5 and appearance at St. John’s younger, up a maximum of Catholic Church in Tipp $20 per family. Proceeds City for a special performwill go for children to ance at 3 p.m. April 7. The attend church camp. band has selected a program of international music representing a variety of styles and world cultures, including music native to England, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Russia, France, Africa, and Australia as well as 35 S. County Rd. from the United States. This performance features 25A, Troy the premiere of staff I-75 at Exit 69 arranger Tad Stewart’s setting of the Welsh folk 335-0068 song “Calon Lan,” German
Church plans trip to see ‘Noah’ TROY — The First United Church of Christ in Troy is planning a trip to Lancaster, Pa., to see “Noah,” May 16-18. The price will be $329 per person based on double occupancy and will include a deluxe motor coach, two nights lodging, five meals and a ticket to see “Noah.” Step-on guides four touring the Lancaster and Hershey areas and gratuities for prepaid meals and the driver also are included. For more information, call 335-6831.