Hello Friends,
My name is Don Vanderlip. I am the Youth Minister at Hilltop United Methodist Church. My hometown is Reading, Pennsylvania, which is about 45 minutes northwest of Philadelphia. Being a huge Philadelphia sports fan, my teams are the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Sixers. I grew up in 
an American Baptist Church where, at age 13, I was baptized along with my younger sister and brother. Being baptized didn't make me feel like a Christian though, because I didn't really take the time to follow Jesus. One summer on a mission trip with the church youth group a profound evangelist had a huge influence on my life. Billy Wayne was the evangelist who had a way of presenting the saving grace of Jesus Christ that made me start thinking about the way I was living my life. At the end of the trip Billy had a service of dedication for all the youth groups that were present. Billy said "Anyone who wants to turn their life over to Christ, come down to the cross and lay your life down in front of Jesus." Hearing those words, I was convicted and went to the cross to give my life over to Jesus. It was at this point of my life that, for the very first time, I considered myself to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I was sixteen years old when I made that commitment to Jesus.
Through the rest of high school I did a lot of questioning about what I was to do with the rest of my life. College was definitely part of it, but where that was going to be was the next issue. On a youth retreat in Colorado was where I found out about the University of Sioux Falls. I applied my senior year, was accepted and came for a visit during the winter of 2001. WOW!!South Dakota winters are cold compared to Pennsylvania winters, although now I guess I am getting used to them. During the visit to USF I felt in my heart that this is the place where God wanted me to be. At USF I was a Resident Director, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) president for a year and I played baseball for three years. I still lead an FCA group which meets at Edison Middle School on Friday mornings from 8:00 to 8:30. I came to USF wanting to major in the ministry field. In 2005 I graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Theology.
During college I started helping with the middle school youth group at Community Reformed Church here in Sioux Falls. Kelli Hilbrands, one of the girls in the youth group, had an older sister who was my age. I asked Kelli to introduce me to her sometime. Well, to make a long story short, Kelli, who is now one of youth leaders, introduced me to Kristi who is now my beautiful wife of six and a half years. Kristi and I were married July 23, 2005. She is an elementary teacher in the Sioux Falls School District.
In May of 2009 I graduated from Sioux Falls Seminary with a Masters of Divinity degree. It is great being able to focus whole heartedly on Youth Ministry now that seminary is done. One of the many joys I have in my position at Hilltop is that I am able to see God doing so many amazing things in the lives of our youth. Over the past five years God has allowed me to lead 45 people from Hilltop to different parts of our country and the world to do mission work. Some of the places we have gone have been; Tennessee; Mexico; Alaska; Mission, South Dakota, and this year I will be leading a trip to Maine. One of my favorite parts of ministry is mission work. There is nothing better than bringing the good news of Jesus Christ through service projects and word of mouth.
One exciting that has happened to my wife and I recently is the birth of our first child Madisyn Ann on November 18, 2011. Madisyn is a beautiful little baby who has blessed Kristi and I beyond belief. We are grateful to be at a church where people have been praying for us and our little baby.