Shoreline welcomes a new pastor

Published 12:23 pm Thursday, August 28, 2008

Shoreline

While attending graduate school, Rev. Neil Trainer learned he really wanted to help others avoid potential life problems. That discovery led him to explore pastoral counseling and ultimately receive his Doctor of Ministry at George Fox Evangelical Seminary in April 2007.

“I still, like lots of folks, ask the question, ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’” he said from his new office at Calvin Presbyterian Church on Aug. 21. “It’s all part of the journey and a process.”

Trainer, 39, began his work as pastor of the Shoreline church on Aug. 17. He served as the associate pastor for nine years at the Marine View Presbyterian Church in Tacoma. Trainer first learned about a pastoral opening at the church last year and took the job description home for his wife, Kristi, to read.

“I can still remember standing in the kitchen with my wife and after she read it she said, “They’re looking for you, they just don’t know it,’” he said.

The Pastor Nominating Committee at Calvin Presbyterian agreed.

“When we first got his resume we were very impressed by the quality of his writing and his depth of knowledge,” Nancy Bowerman, committee member said. “He has a way of putting people at ease; he’s just very warm and kind. We were impressed by his Christian character.”

His first three sermons at Calvin Presbyterian Church examine the church’s mission, “Faithful to Christ, seeking and receiving His call,” according to Trainer.

“Vision statements can be these nice lofty ideals that we never really pursue so I want to start out by affirming the great work that the leadership of this church has already done and then also see if we can’t interpret that past vision for the future,” he said.

The church has a history of being very involved in global mission work and would like to become more active locally, according to Trainer. He encourages members of the congregation to think, “If Calvin Presbyterian Church closed its door today would neighbors notice?”

While he believes “church is where we take God with the greatest of seriousness,” he added that he is continuing to learn to laugh at himself.

“I think part of that is remembering I don’t have to be all things to all people,” Trainer said. “I’ve watched too many other pastors try to do it all and I don’t think it’s ever meant to be that way. We want to practice what we believe and that’s that God asks all of us to be involved and equips us to do that to make a difference.”

In the coming months, Trainer said he looks forward to visiting the area’s local coffee shops, continuing to meet people in the church congregation, fellow area pastors and community members as well as helping his family, including his 10-year-old daughter, Meghan, and 7-year-old son, Micah, transition into the community.

“I can’t wait until on a Sunday morning when I can just walk around and not only know people’s names but a little bit about who they are,” he said.