For the past ten years, the Otterbein community has benefited from the Church of the Master's (COTM) Monday Morning Coffee (MMC) ministry. Between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., anyone is welcome to step through the red doors and grab a donut and a cup of coffee. The team is always ready to serve outdoors or indoors, depending on the weather.
The Church of the Master has been dedicated to serving the Otterbein community since 1851, just four years after Otterbein was founded. The Otterbein community has benefited greatly over the years as COTM has provided community outreach, various ministries, covenant meetings, worship services, pancake and spaghetti dinners.
Leading COTM's on-campus ministries for the past four years, Pastor Lucy Kelly recently became the Associate Pastor for Church of the Master. "Everyone's welcome, when we are outside, when families are walking by with their kids and dogs, we invite them to come on up," said Kelly.
Sam Dorff, an MMC veteran volunteer of over eight years, added, "The administrative ladies over here [pointing towards Clippinger Hall] stop in most Mondays. We even get the professors in here."
Pastor Kelly added, "There are professors that come in that really need a chance to talk, so they’ll come in and they’ll chat for five minutes with us. You can just tell their week has just been loaded and they really enjoy coming in and telling us anything and everything. So, they appreciate it."
What started out as coffee, tea and hot chocolate a decade ago has grown into a full-blown breakfast served to the community. Kelly makes sure that everyone, even those with dietary restrictions, can start their day a little brighter. Gluten-free snacks are offered alongside the donuts - Schneider's is a student favorite.
Judie Salyer, a 1963 Otterbein Alumna, has been here since day one. Salyer and Bev Pancoast started the MMC ministry 10 years ago. "Four or five years ago we started serving donuts and we were going through only four or five dozen back then, now we are up to nine. Donuts are paid for and supplied by the MMC team."
Elizabeth Foster, a musical theatre major, looks forward to seeing the MMC team on Mondays. “I have 8 a.m.'s every day, so it helps me get out of bed. They are always just so kind to me when they walk in and always have a smile on their faces."
"We gain as much from this as the students do, maybe even more. It’s nice that we can actually provide this ministry. We are open doors here, and we are all about inclusivity, and in that all are welcome. That is a big part and aspect of our ministry," Kelly said.
