Coming Home: Dan's Abiding Story
Having grown up in the Lutheran faith, Dan felt most at home attending his local Lutheran Church. One Christmas Eve he noticed Abiding Presence when driving by and how close it was to his house. He and his wife, along with their toddler, attended worship that evening and felt an immediate connection. “People were so accepting and welcoming of us and our 2 year old son and so patient with us as a young family,” Dan recalled. “Pastor Bailey had a warm, welcoming, and humble presence and we started attending weekly worship services,” he shared. When their daughter was born in 2000 they had her baptized and became members.
Dan and his family got to know people through Wednesday night gatherings. “We were both working,” Dan shared, “so we weren’t involved in a lot of activities but we always made an effort to bring the kids on Wednesday nights.” Recalling his father working in the restaurant business, Dan would volunteer in the kitchen cleanup crew alongside other members.
The next stage of parenthood saw their children growing up, and Dan and his wife found more time to come to church. “When the pandemic hit I thought the seamless way Abiding Presence transitioned to online church was done well,” Dan shared. He said, “It gave us an anchor during the early part of the pandemic and our family really looked forward to weekly worship together.” Dan especially connected with the meditative music devotions shared by Dave Chávez and what a sense of normalcy they provided when everything else seemed uncertain.
In July 2022 Dan retired and with more time during the week, felt called to help set up the twice monthly Food Pantry and Produce Hub during the week. “Nothing makes my heart hurt more than to think about a child not having something to eat but our Food Pantry brings dignity to this unfortunate situation families find themselves in,” Dan shared. “When we began offering fresh produce I saw three young children eating fresh peaches on the tailgate of their parents’ car looking so happy and it reminded me of that simple joy from my youth,” Dan recalled.
When we welcomed an Afghan family into the parsonage in March 2023, Dan felt called to support them with his time and expertise. “Initially I was a friendly face and helped them learn how to walk to the library, locate stores, and rode with them on the bus teaching them which routes to take,” Dan shared. He was also instrumental in preparing resumes, practicing interview questions, and driving them to interviews.
Dan has transitioned through various phases of life at Abiding Presence but always found a part of the ministry relevant to him where he could get involved. “This is the one place I can always come and feel comfortable and I appreciate how Abiding Presence continues to be a welcoming place of continuity for everyone regardless of challenges at home, in school, or at work,” Dan shared. “I think the pastors’ focus on service and servanthood is a continuous theme that we all can be God’s hands, arms, and feet in the world,” Dan said.