What We’re About

YFNT Ministries, formerly Your Friendly Neighborhood Theologian Blog, exists, simply to Retrieve Christian Spirituality. There is much richness to be found in the Trinue God and we want to seek him and find him together through ancient and historic Christian spiritual practice and solid Christian theological reflection.

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Statement of Faith

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Basic Christian Faith

God is triune, Father, Spirit Son. This is demonstrated by the entirety of the Holy Scriptures, found in the old and new testaments as recognized by millions of Christians for thousands of years. All things were created by God out of his own good will and joy.

Holy Scripture is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, written down by man, and inerrant in all they aim to teach and communicate. Holy Scripture is our primary authority on all things and cannot fail because it is living and active, due to the activity of the Holy Spirit today and forever.

The Church is not only local, but is the body of believers across the globe. We should have common Christian love and charity for our brothers and sisters around the world, in our own neighborhoods and beyond. It is right and good to attend and be a part of a local church. To love the church is to love like Christ who died for the church.

Salvation by grace through faith is a gift from God, due in full to the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. This gift is extended to all but not all will accept this good gift.

Humans are originally sinful. All sin in thought and deed. This is a deviation from the Lord’s original and good intent for mankind. Sin has created barriers between us and God. The work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son, and second person of the Trinity, who died and rose again makes way for our reconciliation with God, should we put our trust in him.

Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead. Those who trust in him will live eternally in the presence of God and inherit the new heavens and new earth. Those who deny Christ, rejecting his gift by their own choosing will receive that which is owed to them, that which they themselves happily choose - eternal torment in hell.

The Scriptures are full of these great mysteries and many more. All are encouraged to search them and test them, for in them is truth.

The Holy Spirit indwells believers today and is active in the world, bringing the gift of faith, leading us into all truth, as promised by Christ.

YFNT Ministries is not a church but exists to aid the church in its mission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Meet Ethan

A trained spiritual director & theologian, Ethan is committed to helping Christians notice where God is in the many seasons of life. Ethan is firmly rooted in the historic Christian faith & is active in his own church with his wife & son. Ethan is firmly evangelical & broadly reformed in belief & practice, meaning that he is firmly committed to the truth that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Ethan Van Buskirk is the founder of YFNT Ministries, formerly, Your Friendly Neighborhood Theologian blog site. We became a ministry when we added spiritual direction services.

For spiritual direction, Ethan is certified through Grafted Life Ministries and the Christ-Centered Spiritual Directors’ Association

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Ethan is Colorado-born and raised, originally from Pueblo, Colorado. Growing up in the family of God, Ethan has seen it all - great consolations, deep desolations, friends leaving the faith, friends and family finding Jesus for the first time. Ethan realizes that life can be messy. But God is good through it all.

Ethan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Colorado Christian University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Theology degree at Kairos University, where he also completed his Training in Spiritual Direction: Listening People to Life Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction.

When you meet with Ethan, you can be sure that he will be present with you, listen, and help you remain grounded in the good, true, and beautiful things of God, no matter the season of life you happen to be in.

"Grace and peace to you as you discern what the Lord is doing in your life."

-Ethan Van Buskirk