Neptune Starts Media Ministry Company
By Xuan Huynh
Lemke Ledger Staff
With graduation looming and students unsure of the future, Bobby Neptune is paving his own path instead.
Neptune, a senior from Bartlesville, Okla., created Echolite Media Group (http://www.echolitemedia.com), a media production company operating in the United States and worldwide.
The heartbeat of the organization, Neptune said, is its ministry in the mission field. The nonprofit side of Echolite focuses on bringing glory to Jesus Christ by serving those in need. Echolite Missions promotes awareness of social causes and fundraising for organizational support by providing Web sites, pamphlets, photo and video.
The media ministry provides cost solutions to missionaries in the field or mission organizations in need of cutting-edge media but unable to pay the standard industry rate.
“We help set them up for success by providing tools for fundraising. We aim to raise the level of connectivity between the mission’s source of support and the mission field,” Neptune said.
Neptune said Echolite Missions’ showcase work is Sponsor a Child Africa (http://www.sponsorachildafrica.com). He and his crew traveled during the UA winter break to support an organization with a vision for the orphans, abandoned and dying in Mozambique. The “I Have a Future” campaign showcases the potential of kids in the program who are in need of sponsors to fulfill their dreams.
Neptune’s vision for Echolite Missions is to recruit and send out media minister teams. He wants to watch God at work, he said. Neptune said he wants to be a blessing by using his God-given talent to spread the Gospel.
Neptune began his career during his freshman year at UA by shooting wedding videos. He would have his friends come together to work on shoots and production in Northwest Arkansas for various individuals and groups.
“The original purpose was to make money, to buy cool things,” Neptune said. “What good was this purpose we have? But last year, we had a shift.”
Neptune began doing missionary work with Christian Surfers International in Mexico during the summer of 2008. He built relationships with surfers in Puerto Escondido, using digital media as a bridge to be a Christian presence and witness to the world surfing community.
Neptune worked in Che Roga, Paraguay, for an orphanage in April, and he was in Honduras in May. There are several future projects ahead for Echolite Missions, including Niger, Kenya, Nepal, Peru and El Salvador.
In the United States, Echolite Media operates as a full-service media agency. The for-profit side of Echolite creates and provides video, audio, photography, Web sites and digital art for organizations and social events. He says all of the profits go directly to fund Echolite Missions.
Neptune will be moving to Jacksonville, Fla. in July to work with partner and friend Brian Hill. He has domestic projects lined up for the next six months.
“This has been a full-time deal the past three or four years,” Neptune said. “I’ll just be doing the same thing, just with no school to worry about.”
His advice for graduates? Pray. Trust. Go.
“What do you want to do?” Neptune said. “Are you one step closer to doing it? Whatever it is, run hard and run fast. Don’t look back. Be faithful with what is in front of you.”