Fort McKinley Campus

Plan Your Visit

Visiting a new church can be pretty intimidating! We know because we’ve all been there. We’ve designed this page to help you prepare for your first visit to the Fort McKinley Campus so that you’ll know exactly what to expect.

On a typical Sunday morning at the Fort McKinley Campus you’ll find a generous mix of people on different parts of their faith journey. You’ll rub shoulders with the rich and the poor, and learn to see people as people. To be loved regardless means that you also love…regardless.

Everyone’s Invited

Meet your neighbors and make new friends.
Join us for breakfast every Sunday morning before worship!

Worship Time

  • Sundays at 10:30am

Location

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Karl Penn 1 Fort McKinley Campus Lead PastorKarl Penn 2B

Meet Karl Penn

LEAD PASTOR AT FORT MCKINLEY

Pastor Karl serves as Lead Pastor of Fort McKinley Church. Karl is working on his Masters of Divinity at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and has a strong focus on the liberation, unity and wholeness of our Church community. Karl is married to Shannon Penn, his childhood sweetheart he grew up with in Youngstown, Ohio, and he has been living and working in Dayton Ohio since 1996.

First Time Guest FAQs

Designated handicapped and single parent parking is available across the front of the building. Additional parking is available (west) across the lot along the back of the Boost Mobile store, and on the (north) side of the Church. We also partner with the Talecris Plasma Center to accommodate overflow parking behind their building.

Look for the glass double doors to enter straight into our lobby or use the wheelchair ramp to enter through the Worship Center. We currently do not have an elevator, which means access to the Community Room and Worship Center loft are only accessible by stairs. Once inside, our Connection Center is straight ahead. Enjoy some free coffee and a conversation with a guest services volunteer. Identify yourself as a first-time guest; they’ll have a special gift for you. To the right are the stairs to the Worship Center and Community Room. To the left is the kids wing.

The kids wing is to the left as you enter the front door. Look for the orange check-in station. At each worship time, your kid(s) will experience a safe and fun environment where they can experience community with kids their own age, learn about God’s plan for their life, hear a Bible story and enjoy age-appropriate praise and worship. With their small group leaders and friends, your kid(s) will start to create memories and build relationships that will last a lifetime.

We take the safety and security of your children seriously. All of our ministry volunteers have been screened and background checked for safety. By checking your child in and out of our Fort Kids environment, you can experience worship worry-free.

Should you ever have any questions, any member of our staff or any of our volunteers will be happy to help you! Also, if you have any questions about Fort Kids before attending a service, please contact our family ministry coordinator by emailing fort@ginghamsburg.org.

Of course! We believe that the best method of worship for your family is the way your family wants to worship. However, if your kid needs space to be a kid, our kids ministry is much more than “childcare.” We intentionally structure our kids ministry to help children get to know God and learn the Bible and how it relates to Jesus in an age-appropriate way. The lessons are fun and approachable and taught by committed volunteers and staff who serve Jesus by serving you and your kids. Trust us, your kids will love it and learn a lot! But we get it…sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Keep them by your side until they’re comfortable trying kids church on their own.

Our in-person worship celebrations typically last about 60 minutes.

  • The celebration will begin with a rotation of slides promoting upcoming events, before a three-minute countdown alerts you to find your seat. Next, you’ll be welcomed into a time of music led by a live band. The words of the songs will be displayed on large TV screens. Many people will sing along and you can too. Participate as you feel comfortable. We use music as a way to express our love for God and appreciation for what God has done for us.
  • There will likely be a few times that one of the leaders will pray during worship. You might be asked to sit or to stand up during those prayers. We’ll always make sure you know exactly what to do and we won’t leave you guessing.
  • At some point during worship, a live or on-video host will highlight details of upcoming events or share a cool story. There will also be an invitation to support the ministry and mission of the church.
  • One of our pastors will teach a lesson from the Bible. Our goal is to help everyone understand the Bible and to apply it to their lives. The teaching will be practical and challenging, and hopefully will inspire you in your personal pursuit of God.
  • On some occasions we host baptisms. Other times we celebrate communion or welcome new members. At every celebration, we’ll have a host who will explain what’s happening during worship so that there are no surprises.
  • We like to celebrate holidays with special focus…join us on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr weekend, back-to-school time and other culturally poignant holidays, as well as our favorites: Christmas and Easter. Expect something a little different on these special Sundays.

Our attendees come in everything from shorts and flip flops to dresses and slacks – so come in whatever you’re comfortable wearing! We’re just excited for you to join us! You’ll fit in no matter how you dress.

You’ll never be asked to stand up, identify yourself, do the hokey-pokey, or anything else that might make you feel uncomfortable. But don’t stay anonymous for too long. Let us help you take the next step.

As our guest, we don’t expect any money from you. We have an offering time during worship, but we encourage you to let the opportunity to give pass you by. The offering is a way for the Ginghamsburg Church family to respond to God and join the mission of the church. If you’re new, we don’t expect you to give. Our time of worship is a gift to you.

We believe that money follows mission, not church budgets. Therefore, we will never be shy to ask for money destined to help people. Whether that’s funding our counseling center, filling our food pantry, constructing water yards in Sudan or distributing medicine in Jamaica… you can’t out-give God.

If you do consider Ginghamsburg your church home, thank you for prayerfully considering a regular contribution. You can give by check or cash during weekend worship, or you can set up an online giving account on our Give page.

Offering boxes are located in the lobby as you exit the Worship Center.

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Get to Know Us

One thing our church is known for is actually doing something with our love for Jesus. We believe we are the only hands and feet, and the only bank account God has. This is evidenced by the wide-ranging expressions of community partnerships born out of the passions of our people, and the millions of dollars invested in the lives of people all over the world. We’re also not shy about our focus on intentional diversity, using media and storytelling to advance the gospel and our desire to see every kid within our reach go to bed with faith, family and food. It all starts with family, and empowering the leaders of every household to guide their loved ones into a richer relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our ultimate goal is for everyone at Ginghamsburg Church to take faith at their own pace. It’s a place to heal. It’s a place to influence healthy family change. It won’t be boring. Your kids can fart and be free! But more importantly, we’ll help your kids figure out what they’re good at so that they and their friends can change the world.

About Our Music

Music at the Fort McKinley Campus mirrors much of what you might hear on contemporary Christian radio, but bends toward gospel. Our style features a band with guitars, drums, keyboards and a team of vocalists. Our musicians are talented, but performance is not the intention. Our style is familiar, well-rehearsed and easy to follow. We like it loud, but watch our decibel readers to keep it safe. Ask our hospitality team for disposable ear plugs if it’s too loud for you.

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Any Other Questions?

Use this form to send us your questions or schedule your first visit. We’d love to give you a tour!