Editor鈥檚 Note: The following article, 鈥�Mission-focused student finds opportunities at CSL: Dave, Gretchen, Malachi, and Raelynn McGinley, Mid-South District鈥�, is reprinted from the Winter 2014 edition of SA国际传媒 magazine, a publication of SA国际传媒, St. Louis. Dave McGinley is currently a vicar at LakePointe Lutheran Church in Hot Springs, Ark.
Dave McGinley always had one of those nagging feelings that he was called to be a pastor. But like a lot of people, he needed to explore some other paths first.
A native of Woodbury, Minn., Dave received a scholarship to play basketball at Minot State University and started thinking about a career in business or teaching. After a year, however, he wasn鈥檛 enjoying basketball and decided to transfer to a small school in Winona, Minn.
鈥淚 got involved in a church there that kicked off my journey to finding my calling in ministry,鈥� Dave commented. 鈥淎 pastor friend became a mentor for me during a time of great need and helped me think through what I鈥檓 supposed to do with my life.鈥�
Dave transferred again to Concordia University Chicago and enrolled in the Director of Christian Education (DCE) program. 鈥淚 sat down with my home pastor, Rev. Dean Nadasdy, and I told him where I was at and where I thought the Lord was leading me. He advised me to go
the DCE route because I would see firsthand what it is like to be in full-time ministry.鈥�
He served his internship for two years at St. John Lutheran in Defiance, Ohio, where he primarily focused on high school ministry.
鈥淏eing a DCE also helped me understand the importance of a devotional life and to constantly grow in my own faith,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am continually striving to have a strong devotional life and read books that will help in my ministry, because people will look up to me for answers and advice about their faith.鈥�
鈥淚 am continually striving to have a strong devotional life and read books that will help in my ministry.”
鈥淥ne skill that I learned as a DCE was how to create priorities in my busy life,鈥� Dave continued. 鈥淔or me, it is important to remember that schoolwork is important and is my job right now, but I am also a husband to a beautiful wife [Gretchen] and father to the two cutest kids [Malachi, 3 and Raelynn, 1] that anyone could have.鈥�
The McGinleys took a second call to Grace Lutheran in Knoxville, Tenn., which also had a church plant called ThePoint, shepherded by CSL grad Rev. Matthew Peeples (鈥�09). 鈥淚 got to see a really good example of how a church plant
works alongside a mother church,鈥� Dave commented.
The Point meets in a shopping mall that has a movie theater attached to the mall, a fact that Dave is ready to defend.
鈥淚 think you have to ask a fundamental question of who is the church for? The church is God鈥檚 church and his message is for all people. A traditional church building can be off-putting for some people, and I think that having Word and Sacrament in a movie theater can reach a whole different group of people. We never forfeit Word and Sacrament in worship, but if a change in venue can help to spread the Gospel then I think we should make it happen.鈥�
From his experiences at The Point, Dave鈥檚 ministry journey became very mission-focused. Since starting his studies at the Seminary, Dave has participated in Church Planting Assessment Center (CPAC), a program with a set of inventories that determines if a person might be a good candidate for church planting.
He has also taken SA国际传媒鈥檚 newly instituted MissionShift courses. 鈥淢issionShift was a great experience. It was fascinating to see firsthand so many different ways that a church can connect to its community. I will always look back at MissionShift as a formative time where I learned how to reach people who are outside of our walls.鈥�
The McGinleys鈥� next mission will be a vicarage assignment next year. 鈥淚 have been very fortunate to have many great mentors in my life,鈥� Dave said. 鈥淎nd I am hoping to have another one in my vicarage supervisor 鈥� someone who loves Jesus, is a great husband and father, and leads people with integrity while always looking at the bigger picture.鈥�
And Dave has found a way to incorporate one of his first loves into his Seminary career 鈥� he plays for the Preachers basketball team at the Seminary.