Dave Newman is a hands-on kind of guy who likes to work with tools and spend time serving others. He attributes his desire to serve to his upbringing on a farm in Illinois, his experience as a shop teacher, and his thankfulness for family and God’s grace.
When Dave’s congregation, Zion Lutheran Church in Helotes, began the Stephen’s Ministry program many years ago, he found the training to be a wonderful discipleship course that prepared him for other leadership opportunities. After serving as a Stephen’s Minister for some time, he was elected to his church council and even served a term as president of the congregation. One day his pastor invited him to become a Stephen’s Leader so he could train others to serve as Stephen’s Ministers. Dave says the training event he attended was like, “sticking your finger into a spiritual outlet.” He came back to his congregation with a stronger sense of call to serve and a greater confidence that God works through people in unexpected ways.
His experience and training with Stephen’s Ministries blossomed into other impact in his life. Dave was recruited to connect congregations throughout San Antonio with trained Stephen’s Ministers. It also led him to become an active leader in his congregation’s Lutheran Men in Mission group where he grew to enjoy bonding with other men while working side by side on service projects like Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, Dave was appointed director of networks and communication for the national Lutheran Men in Mission organization. Dave says “Thank God I’m a Lutheran. We’re saved by grace and all called to serve even though we’re not perfect.” God has been surprising him throughout his life with a growing network of relationships and an expanding calling as a lay leader in various ministry organizations.
Your mission support of the Southwestern Texas Synod helps to connect the ministry of local congregations to the faithful work of local and national organizations like Stephen’s Ministry and Lutheran Men in Mission. Together we are investing in the development of lay and rostered leaders so that seeds of God’s surprising grace can continue to blossom into impact far beyond our expectations.
