WESTGATE STAFF:

Dave Larson
Care Pastor

dave@westgatechurch.org

Vitals
Dave has lived in the Bay Area so long he can remember when this valley was mostly cherry and apricot orchards. Growing up in a Christian home he accumulated Bible knowledge that made him a dangerous opponent in a game of Bible Jeopardy, but that same knowledge didn’t translate well into his everyday life where he struggled to assimilate with the other kids in the neighborhood (learning to spit and swear helped with the transition to Jr. High). In his 20’s Dave experienced his “wilderness” years with God, similar to the Israelites after Moses lead them out of Egypt. The church of his youth no longer seemed relevant, work was willing to pay time + 2/3 to workers on Sundays, and the 49ers finally had a team that was fun to watch. It was a perfect storm of cultural relativism that led to justification and rationalizations for doing life “my way”, without God. Ultimately this resulted in questioning the existence of God. “Was God real or was this just something my parents had pushed on me?” In the wilderness Dave discovered that God was real, that the relationship God desires with each of us was deeper than the Bible knowledge of his youth. To walk with God through the joys and sorrows of the last 20 years truly has been the abundant life.


Dave is married to his beautiful wife, friend, and spiritual partner, Felicia, and together they have three mostly wonderful children Drew, Chris, and Amanda. In December 2008, Dave graduated from Boise State University with a BA in Interpersonal Communications, 31 years after starting college (perhaps this can serve as an encouragement to other parents).


A Few of My Favorite Things

Books – “I love to read and grew up with the novels of James Michener, John Steinbeck, and James Clavell. I’m drawn to authors that can make me laugh and cry in just a few pages. A few books that resonate with me are: Bryce Courtney - “The Power of One”, Brennan Manning – “Abba’s Child”, Henry Nouwen – “The Road to Daybreak”, Alexandra Fuller – “Don’t Let Go the Dogs Tonight”, Donald Miller – “Searching for God Knows What”. While not all these
books or authors are “Christian”, I still find great value in the aesthetic beauty of a good book.”

Music - "I like to listen to rock, jazz, or classical music (just don’t ask me to dance to it). I have zero musical ability, so I appreciate those that do."

Sports - "I like volleyball and baseball when it comes to team sports. I enjoy getting outdoors, either biking or hiking, and finding different ways to get from point A to point B."

Movies - "My taste in movies has been referred to as “off-beat”. If a movie has been nominated for an Oscar, I probably haven’t seen it.”


What If’s
What if you weren't in ministry?
"I’d probably be at school or in Africa. I have really enjoyed going back to college later in life and there are a lot of classes that I’m still interested in taking. My heart’s desire is to end up back in Zimbabwe for an extended period of time."

What if you could spend time with any famous historical person?
"I love adventures so I would enjoy spending time with Lewis and Clark or David Livingston exploring unknown places (at least to the western world). There is something awe-inspiring in seeing things for the first time. The apostle John intrigues me because he writes so passionately about the “real life” found in Christ."