Christ’s Place Founder Becoming Pastor To Pastors
- BOB REEVES/Lincoln Journal Star
In his nearly 30 years as pastor of Christs Place Church, DaveArgue experienced the joy of sharing Gods word and seeing ittransform peoples lives. He also experienced the stresses ofministering to a large and growing congregation, stresses that ledto some serious health problems.
Beginning next month, hell be ministering in a new way, asdirector of pastoral care for the Rocky Mountain District of theAssemblies of God. Ill be helping other pastors throughout atwo-state area , he said.
As a pastor to other pastors, Argue will be a listening ear andprayerful confidant to ministers who may be going throughdifficulties. It can be an opportunity for pastors to just pourout and know they wont go anyplace, Argue said. The new position will offer a type of counseling and assistance toministers that wasnt available before.
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Argue, 59, came to Lincoln in 1971 as a campus minister at theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln and other Nebraska colleges. It wasthe era of the Jesus Movement, and a number of UNL athletes werevery open about their Christian faith and sharing their faith withothers, Argue said.
They had big meetings in the Student Union with 100 to 200people attending, he said.
Some local pastors were very pleased about what was happeningin the students lives but were concerned it might go in the wrongdirection, Argue said. So they brought in Argue, a young ministerwho had been serving a church in British Columbia, to help guidethe students religious growth.
Students were fired up about the Gospel and participated inBible studies and campus fellowships, but it was hard getting theminto churches on weekends, he recalled.
Gradually, however, he helped organize a church with theinnovative name Christs Place, based close to campus and withoutthe trappings of a formal place of worship.
In 1975, the church began meeting in rental space at the CotnerSchool of Religion. We started with dinner we had a big familymeal and the service afterwards, Argue said. The service usednon-traditional music with piano and guitars, but we always had avery focused time of teaching in the Scripture. They got a prettygood feeding of the word of God. After the service, we oftenwent to the park and played volleyball.