ALUMNI
DALE SHAW
Heritage alumnus Dale Shaw ('76) and his family
G
od’s calling on our lives appears in ways we cannot anticipate, and we often have to hold those callings with open arms. Heritage Christian alumnus Dale Shaw (‘76) is an example of one who holds his calling loosely and lives by faith to see God shape his ministry. He attributes his time at Heritage as one reason he understands the truth of living by faith. “I’d gotten into some trouble at my old school,” said Shaw, who came to HCS as a sophomore. “I needed a fresh environment. But I left Heritage with a much different perspective than from when I came in.” Shaw credits much of his growth in high school to Al Leinbach, then his teacher and varsity basketball coach and now the Alumni Relations Coordinator. “He really helped me understand the reality of living by faith.” At Heritage, Shaw got involved in pretty much everything, including starring in theatre, editing the Heritage Herald newspaper, lettering in track, and playing on the varsity basketball team—which won the Midwest Christian Conference Championship his senior year. Shaw’s diverse portfolio foreshadowed a trend of flexibility and change that carries on into his adult life; he even says that it’s part of his calling. After high school, Shaw attended Cedarville University, where he ran cross country and track, majored in elementary education, and met his wife Sarah. Longing to stay connected to Heritage, Shaw taught third grade in the 1980's and coached cross country in the 1990's. He and Sarah sent their two youngest of four children, Molly (‘06) and Kimber (‘09), to Heritage for middle and high school. Shaw discovered his adaptability and his ability to kickstart projects once he found his home at College Park Church. The
Shaws attended College Park on its very first Sunday in 1985. Shaw felt guided through many church ministries, so much so that he eventually decided to become an ordained minister. This year, he will celebrate his 20th anniversary on the College Park staff. “God’s helped me realize that I’m good at rallying people to start new initiatives,” said Shaw. “I have tended to start initiatives and, once they get up and running, to have someone else come in and take it to a higher level.” Shaw’s ability to gather people and his heart for urban renewal moved him to serve the Brookside neighborhood, an underprivileged area on Indy’s Near East side that College Park has been serving since the 1990s. The church’s work there focuses on building five pillars for a healthy community: Jesus-centered churches, economic development, education, safe clustered housing, and relational placemaking. The Shaws became so involved in building bridges between College Park and Brookside that they moved to Brookside in 2014. Since then, 12 other College Park families and singles have moved there. Shaw credits his time at Heritage as one reason for his passion for Christ-centered communities. “Heritage taught me the importance of being in a community of people who share the same values when it comes to who Christ is and what he’s done for us,” he said. Shaw’s influence in Brookside and at College Park is apparent. But it is God’s work in his heart and Shaw’s willingness to be flexible that demonstrate the truth of Gospel.
SPRING 2019 HERITAGE MESSENGER
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