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 Born to Fred and Luella Zillinger and the fourth of four boys, his older brothers dubbed him “Gregory” on the way to the hospital. Greg grew up in the farming community of Phillipsburg, Kansas, where he was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church and attended the local public schools.
He left home to pursue his higher education at Kansas State University but soon decided that a vocation in theology would be more fun than one in astrophysics and mathematics. At the urging of his pastor and other mentors in the faith, Greg transferred to Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, where he majored in Theology and minored in Chemistry and Mathematics. At Concordia, Greg was a member of the Concordia Singers choir and took voice lessons for four years. In the time he had left after studying two Biblical languages, singing, working at the library, and playing Nintendo, he met and wooed a sweet little girl from the big city of Denver, Colorado. After a dating and courting period (Sara adds “he finally got around to putting a ring on my finger”), Sara Senechal married him on December 28, 1996, in a worship service in Littleton, Colorado.
In 1996, Greg graduated with his B.A. from Concordia and moved on to the next Concordia in his life – Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. At Seminary, Greg sang with the American Kantorei choir, continued working at the library, and studied hard! Sara supported this endeavor with her Lutheran Teacher’s Diploma and Special Education certificate by teaching for the Lutheran Association for Special Education in St. Louis. She taught at Lutheran High School South, Holy Cross St. Louis, and Lutheran High School – St. Charles County. Greg vicared at Trinity Lutheran Church in Troy, Missouri, with Rev. Tom Larson, which allowed Sara to continue teaching at LHSCC.
At the Call Service in 2000, Greg accepted his call assignment to St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, North Dakota, which is “not so much a town as it is a crossroads.” In Hannover, Greg and Sara increased the population by bringing home five new blessings – Joshua in 2000, Noah in 2002, Jaina in 2004, Elijah in 2006, and their latest edition, Keira in 2007. Greg was very active on the board of the North Dakota District Lutheran Camp (Shepherd’s Hill at the Crossroads), and with the circuit youth as well as the church youth group – including leading District Junior High Youth functions. He served as Secretary for both the Circuit and the District Conference and led Vision and Goal Planning for several North Dakota Lutheran congregations and Martin Luther Elementary School.
In December of 2008, Greg accepted the Divine Call to be associate pastor here at Shepherd of the Hills. He was installed on March 1, 2009. Special areas of his ministry at Shepherd of the Hills include: Youth (all ages), Confirmation Education, and Family Ministry.
Despite the excitement of pastoring an active congregation and parenting five active children, Greg makes the time to pursue his favorite hobbies – role-playing games, World of Warcraft, collectable card games, video games, and anything Star Wars related – most especially comics and Legos, a passion he has passed on to son Josh. Greg has also recently taken up the guitar and has played for youth events, services, and VBS. And he still enjoys singing in church and in choir. He also supports Sara as she teaches piano lessons, works as a consultant for Creative Memories, and is a stay-at-home parent for their active home and children. The family enjoys camping, hiking, vacations, movies and visiting relatives.
Born to Fred and Luella Zillinger and the fourth of four boys, his older brothers dubbed him “Gregory” on the way to the hospital. Greg grew up in the farming community of Phillipsburg, Kansas, where he was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church and attended the local public schools.
He left home to pursue his higher education at Kansas State University but soon decided that a vocation in theology would be more fun than one in astrophysics and mathematics. At the urging of his pastor and other mentors in the faith, Greg transferred to Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, where he majored in Theology and minored in Chemistry and Mathematics. At Concordia, Greg was a member of the Concordia Singers choir and took voice lessons for four years. In the time he had left after studying two Biblical languages, singing, working at the library, and playing Nintendo, he met and wooed a sweet little girl from the big city of Denver, Colorado. After a dating and courting period (Sara adds “he finally got around to putting a ring on my finger”), Sara Senechal married him on December 28, 1996, in a worship service in Littleton, Colorado.
In 1996, Greg graduated with his B.A. from Concordia and moved on to the next Concordia in his life – Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. At Seminary, Greg sang with the American Kantorei choir, continued working at the library, and studied hard! Sara supported this endeavor with her Lutheran Teacher’s Diploma and Special Education certificate by teaching for the Lutheran Association for Special Education in St. Louis. She taught at Lutheran High School South, Holy Cross St. Louis, and Lutheran High School – St. Charles County. Greg vicared at Trinity Lutheran Church in Troy, Missouri, with Rev. Tom Larson, which allowed Sara to continue teaching at LHSCC.
At the Call Service in 2000, Greg accepted his call assignment to St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, North Dakota, which is “not so much a town as it is a crossroads.” In Hannover, Greg and Sara increased the population by bringing home five new blessings – Joshua in 2000, Noah in 2002, Jaina in 2004, Elijah in 2006, and their latest edition, Keira in 2007. Greg was very active on the board of the North Dakota District Lutheran Camp (Shepherd’s Hill at the Crossroads), and with the circuit youth as well as the church youth group – including leading District Junior High Youth functions. He served as Secretary for both the Circuit and the District Conference and led Vision and Goal Planning for several North Dakota Lutheran congregations and Martin Luther Elementary School.
In December of 2008, Greg accepted the Divine Call to be associate pastor here at Shepherd of the Hills. He was installed on March 1, 2009. Special areas of his ministry at Shepherd of the Hills include: Youth (all ages), Confirmation Education, and Family Ministry.
Despite the excitement of pastoring an active congregation and parenting five active children, Greg makes the time to pursue his favorite hobbies – role-playing games, World of Warcraft, collectable card games, video games, and anything Star Wars related – most especially comics and Legos, a passion he has passed on to son Josh. Greg has also recently taken up the guitar and has played for youth events, services, and VBS. And he still enjoys singing in church and in choir. He also supports Sara as she teaches piano lessons, works as a consultant for Creative Memories, and is a stay-at-home parent for their active home and children. The family enjoys camping, hiking, vacations, movies and visiting relatives.
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