Austin Pease • Derry Member

I was born into the church. Baptized at a young age, I can hardly remember a Tuesday afternoon I didn’t spend at Derry during my grade school years. Church gave me many of my fondest memories, and helped me develop many of my proudest character traits. 

Derry gave me a lot, and I tried to give back. I contributed to helping the A/V team, I shared my worship and prayer, and joined in joyous music. However, this all came to a sudden halt when COVID hit. My parents moved to a different church, and I joined them there, but it just wasn’t a fit for me. So I decided to come back to Derry, but I was afraid. It had been well over a year since I had gone. Would I recognize anyone? Would anyone still remember me? Would I be alone in the pews? 

My fears were strong, yet they were no match for the overwhelming love I felt from Derry upon my return. Countless members came up to me to share how overjoyed they were to see me. But this love wasn’t exclusive to those who recognized me. Some didn’t recognize my long hair, my patchy facial hair, and still came up to me with kindness to share with me.

There was so much love that I knew I couldn’t keep it all to myself. I needed to take this love Derry gave me, and share it with the congregation, the community, and even the world at large. I made myself a more active member, working at the A/V desk again, and joinin the youth group on any service events I could attend. And still, Derry kept showing its love for me. Members continued to notice my contributions, and would continually come to me with praise and adoration for even the smallest of things. So I kept contributing as much as I could. I volunteered at VBS and worked as an A/V intern over the summer. 

And still, my cup runneth over. I was able to go to Ireland in June with the Youth Group due to the church’s love for its youth, and its contributions of time and money. There, I was able to help share the word of God, and work on my own personal and professional development. This unrelenting cycle of unconditional love from church to member to community started long ago. I was born into the church, and that was the greatest act of love I can imagine. At a young age, I didn’t realize it, but the love and joy that makes Derry so special was all around me. To middle school Austin, this love actualized itself in the chicken nuggets and mac and cheese at Terrific Tuesdays and I shared my love and joy with the congregation by asking absurd and hilarious questions during the conversation with children (or so I’m told). 

Today, my cycle of love looks very different, and sadly involves less chicken nuggets. But, I hope that my story, and my life, is proof that sharing God’s love for God’s children is a domino effect that can lead to a greater congregation and community, and can even have an impact on the whole world.