Lead Elders Shawn and Chapa Ginder
Shawn and Chapa Ginder are the lead Elders of Impact Ministries. Shawn moved to Vienna in 2005 as a missionary from Lititz, Pennsylvania, to serve as the director of the Vienna Christian Center (VCC) discipleship school.
He later moved into various leadership roles and responsibilities. Shawn met his wife, Chapa, at VCC. They married in 2006 and have served in full-time ministry together since 2007.
In 2017, Shawn and Chapa stepped into the lead role of a new satellite campus site for the VCC International Fellowship, where they faithfully served until 2022.
Chapa’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of faith. A Sri Lankan, she was raised as a Buddhist and studied in Australia, graduating with Bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Music. Her career as an opera singer brought her to Vienna in 1999. In 2002, she found a relationship with Jesus through a close friend at Vienna Christian Center. Her acceptance of Jesus as her Savior marked the beginning of a discipleship journey that included various classes and mentorship by small group leaders and pastors.
Shawn and Chapa obediently responded to the Lord’s call to transition from VCC, unaware of what would come next! After serving faithfully for 17 and 20 years at Vienna Christian Center, they had a final farewell service in June of 2022. As they took steps of obedience towards the new calling, the Lord began to clarify the vision to launch Impact Church one year later, in 2023.
Impact Ministries maintains its spiritual covering through the Worship Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Shawn was raised until he was sent out as a missionary in 2005. Worship Center is the sending organisation for Shawn and Chapa, and they are both ordained ministers with the Worship Center Minister’s Network.
Impact Ministries has aligned with DOVE International’s vision by coming under their apostolic leadership through their House to House Church network. Shawn and Chapa are pioneering the House Church network in Vienna, Austria, through IMPACT MINISTRIES with the mission to expand DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS throughout Austria and beyond. DOVE International is a worldwide family of believers in Christ involved in churches and ministries located on six continents. DOVE’s calling is to labour with the Lord to build His church from house to house, city to city, and nation to nation.
Shawn Ginder
Chapa Ginder
Advisory Elders
These elders serve as an advisory leadership team who supports the vision and mission of Impact Ministries.
Brian and Kim Zimmerman: ADVISORY Elders
Brian and Kim Zimmerman have been married over 35 years and live in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Together they have pastored Shift Church since 2011, and they serve as the Apostolic Leaders of the Oversight Team for the House-to-House Micro Church Network which is connected to DOVE USA.
In 2007, Brian and Kim started a non-profit ministry, City Gate Lancaster, a ministry of prayer and mission rooms. They have now expanded to other cities. As directors of the City Gate Prayer Rooms, they build leadership teams at each location.
Brian and Kim have a heart to serve leaders and teach on leading as husband and wife. Kim and Brian have daughters: Meagan married to Caleb, & Breanna married to Skyler, and 3 grandchildren, Owen and Kinsley and Thea.
Brian and Kim Zimmerman
Gavin Farley: ADVISORY Elder
Vice-President, European Network of Communities
Gavin Farley, was born and raised in South Africa. He married Edith in 1993 and they have three grown daughters, Laura, Linda and Sarah.
Together they have been involved in developing discipleship programs, forming leadership teams and starting new communities. Gavin leads the Apostolic teams within the European Network of Communities and is currently a vice-President. He has been serving faithfully over the last 30 years in Austria.
Gavin has helped to establish ACTS Teams which are Apostolic teams which help to build and support communities. He has developed the Community Building Blocks which helps communities to be well built on solid foundations. These ACTS Teams help build, train and consult with the establishing and building of communities.
Gavin and Edith together also serve in Family seminars where they teach on Bringing Blessing Back into the family and Bringing Blessing Back to the different church traditions.
Gavin Farley