“The shining moment for the pastor is the sermon, and he’s willing to put that aside,” said Mulder.
The compassion service is part of the church’s larger goal of encouraging its congregants to minister and not just worship.
“We encourage them to think beyond themselves,” said Terry A. Richarde, one of the founding members of the church.
The focus on service is appreciated by its Harvard congregants.
“Truth is important but it doesn’t matter unless you live it out,” said Benjamin T. Littauer ’03.
The Future
Running a startup church on the donations of college students is no easy business, but Schlecht manages to get by.
“It’s month by month,” Shlecht said of the church’s finances.
He recalled one month when the church was short of next month’s rent, due the next Monday.
Shlecht prayed with his friends and that Sunday, enough came in to keep the church afloat.
Shlecht is not sure what his future will hold, but he is sure of one thing—that it will include Harvard.
“We’re supposed to be here for Harvard,” he said. “I’m here for good.”
—Staff writer Andrew C. Campbell can be reached at acampbel@fas.harvard.edu.