In this IBAM Kingdom Impact Summit conversation, Steve Adams interviews Dave Pavlin and Scott Wead from City Serve about the powerful role local churches can play in meeting community needs.
Dave shares his journey from the business world, where he and his family built one of the largest durable medical equipment companies for hospice patients in the United States, to helping launch City Serve after selling the company in 2016. He talks openly about the sense of emptiness that can follow business success and how his operational background now supports City Serve behind the scenes through entities, finances, HR, and organizational structure.
Scott shares his path through nonprofit leadership, church planting, and pastoring in Orange County before joining City Serve. What drew him in was City Serve’s heart to support local churches. Along the way, he began writing grants, starting with a pilot project that won five out of six grants for about $9 million. Since then, the National Grant Center has approached major fundraising impact.
Together, Dave and Scott explain how City Serve helps churches collaborate, become practical distribution networks, serve vulnerable people, and explore partnerships that can expand ministry impact. They discuss Farmers to Families, needs-based evangelism, transitional housing, after-school programs, marriage and family initiatives, recovery, prevention work, and the importance of helping churches become grant ready.
This episode is a practical, encouraging look at what can happen when the local church is supported, equipped, and mobilized.
- 00:00 Introduction
- 00:24 Dave's Background
- 02:15 Scott's Journey
- 06:17 City Serve's Role
- 10:05 Innovative Projects
- 16:01 Conclusion
5 Takeaways
- Local churches can become powerful “last-mile” partners because they already have direct relationships in their communities.
- City Serve exists to support churches that are serving on the front lines, especially smaller churches with limited resources.
- Grants can open major opportunities, but churches need to be prepared to receive, execute, report, and stay accountable.
- Practical service — food distribution, housing, after-school programs, recovery, and family support — can create meaningful doors for ministry.
- Business and operational skills matter in Kingdom work, even when they happen behind the scenes.
Watch full episode on YT - https://youtu.be/g3B-dyV7MYE
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