Ministry: 2018 Reflection

Long story short, I started working at Ecclesia because Ian Graham frequented the coffee shop in which I was a barista. I poured him cup after cup of single origin Ethiopia while we talked about the lack of connection or passion I had for the work I was doing. Sure, I love coffee—that’s why I took my turn serving up decent lattes with dreadful latte art. But I quickly came to realize that my love was actually for drinking coffee, not as much about making it for others.

More importantly, I wanted to employ my seminary education beyond the capacities of a barista. I was called to spend my time serving a church. So, when Ian asked me to join Ecclesia as a pastor-in-residence, I knew that God had ordained the crossing of our paths. This was one of those “this is why God sent me to Princeton Theological Seminary” moments: I was intended to work at Ecclesia. Neither Ian nor I had an exact understanding of what it meant to be a pastor-in-residence or what the job would entail; Ian hadn’t had any prior Ecclesia employees, and I had never worked for a church in a capacity beyond that of an intern or volunteer. Sure, I had preached, led bible studies, and dealt with church administration, but this was the first time I would have “pastor” attached to what I did.

I took the job with curiosity and confidence, believing that this was the right thing for Gabrielle and me. My first day as Ecclesia’s pastor-in-residence was Monday, September 24th, 2018.

We—collectively, a group of about fifteen who called ourselves the Ecclesia launch team—held our very first “Preview Service” the following Sunday. We rolled out a rug, set up some chairs, borrowed an old sound system that crackled every time I strummed the guitar too hard or sang too loudly, and held a Sunday service for upwards of forty people. Preview Services happened once a month: September 30th, October 21st, November 25th, and December 16th. The first and second were held in a very long and skinny windowless room with a bright blue, rubbery floor at the Boys and Girls Club in Lawrenceville. The third and fourth were held off the main street in downtown Princeton at the Garden Theatre, where we sat in movie theatre seats with bags of buttery popcorn in hand and worship lyrics stretched across the big screen.

When we weren’t holding a Preview Service, the Ecclesia launch team would meet in a conference room in Pennington to sing a few worship songs, pray, take communion, and plan how we would plant a church in 2019. In addition to these meetings and Preview Services, Ecclesia held a number of additional community-building and culture-setting events. For example, we held a worship night in the Pennington conference room and a “Meet the Team” night at an On the Border Mexican Cantina.

My favorite Ecclesia event of 2018 was called “Theology on Tap.” Once a month, we met in a Princeton brewery for dinner, drinks, and discussion. I thoroughly enjoyed these evenings, for I value the importance of espousing holiness and hobby. In my case, this meant work, calling, and recreation were merged in rich conversation about Jesus at a table littered with pint glasses.

Discernment defines Ecclesia’s infancy. We were prayerfully considering where it was that God wanted to plant us while we held church-related events across central Jersey, including a coffee shop, a conference room, an after-school facility, a movie theatre, a brewery, and a restaurant. Sure, the season had its challenges. But I look back on 2018 with utmost delight! Love was fostered in this motley crew that came together to form something that did not exist a year earlier. Hope was found in the spiritual and relational values to which we aspired. Joy was felt when we met Jesus and each other at the table. And peace flooded our hearts with faith that God was going to plant us in the right place and at the right time.

That wraps up my reflection of 2018. Next month, I’ll reflect upon the rest of my time as a pastor-in-residence through September 2019. Thanks for reading!

If you would like to learn more about my work with Ecclesia Church, please visit our website.

Blessings, Tom Dearduff