Daniel will serve as the location pastor for Terra Nova in Saratoga as well as the Discipleship Pastor for all Terra locations.

Please welcome Daniel and Lea.

If you would like to be added to the email list to keep you up on all the news related to the launch of Terra Nova in Saratoga Springs, please email saratoga@terranovachurch.org.

We are humbled to be joining the pastoral team at Terra Nova. The other elders suggested Nicole and I share a little about ourselves for those who might not know us.

We both grew up locally – myself in Middleburgh and Nicole in Voorheesville. My parents accepted Christ when I was very young and my memories are filled with watching my parents transparently grow in their faith and lead our family. It was their reflection of Christ, along with my own experiences – most notably at Bryan College in TN – that shape my faith journey, along with the irresistible presence of God in my life. Nicole came to know Christ through the witness of high-school friends and soon began growing in her faith at Westerlo Baptist Church’s teen group. Before long, Nicole’s family began to call Westerlo Baptist home as well.

Nicole and I met in a Westerlo Baptist small group in 2003 and were married in May of 2005. After our wedding, we moved to Brunswick and for the next several years Nicole finished her degree at Albany College of Pharmacy while I continued my work at First Niagara Bank in the Corporate Banking group. 2009 was a big year for us. We purchased our first home in Eagle Mills and Nicole graduated with her Pharm D, and began her career at Albany Memorial Hospital.

We owe our introduction to Terra to the Mooradian’s who encouraged me to attend Theology at the Taproom when it first launched in 2006. It didn’t take long for Nicole and I to find in Terra a community that we loved and were committed to serving. We immersed our selves in New Tribes, Imago and Poiema, serving in the monastery on teams like the Backline Crew and outside the church on meal teams at Joseph’s House. Over the past decade I was fortunate to become a licensed CPA and finish my MBA, but was routinely feeling a call to use that knowledge and experience for more than corporate gain. Through conversations with key folks in my life, including the elders at Terra, that call was being affirmed and as a result – the eldership process began in early 2008.

A common question we receive is – ‘What role will we be filling at Terra Nova?’ It is a good question – with an answer still in process. I am thankful for a group of elders that allows calling to mature and assist its development. However, in short, in the role of Stewardship Pastor I will seek to foster a culture where the stewardship of God’s resources, individual and corporate, is an ongoing act of our worship. So far this has started with efforts to revamp the financial infrastructure of Terra, as well as, with teaching and shepherding individuals on what managing their personal resources might look like. I am excited to continue and seek God’s direction on how deep the idea biblical stewardship is. I welcome your prayers and involvement toward that end as well.

Along with life at Terra, Nicole and I try to lead active lives. Nicole is a tri-athlete, and loves domestic arts like sewing, quilting, crocheting, home organization, etc. I am an avid outdoorsmen, and red sox fan, who enjoys hunting, hiking, cycling and reading. We thank you for taking the time to read about us. We love this community and pray that God may continue to use us here – for it is by His grace and for His glory alone. Bydand.

Paul & Nicole Gordon

On Sunday, March 15, Pastor Ed announced that I am beginning the elder process at Terra Nova. Since my primary area of responsibility will be communications, it only makes sense to introduce myself to you through the blog.

My wife Sarah and I have been at Terra Nova for just over two years. I work up the hill at RPI in the Division of Strategic Communications, where I oversee the news office. Sarah spends her days chasing after our kids; we have two little boys–Simon (4) and Elliot (2)–and we are expecting Baby #3 in early April. Sarah also happens to be an incredibly talented artist, and she helps run the Terra Nova Gallery. (Shameless plug: Sarah’s Stations of the Cross will be on display at the Good Friday services.)

What, you might wonder, will a “communications elder” be responsible for? It certainly isn’t a traditional church role, but it will fill a need at Terra Nova while tapping the gifts that God has given to me. On the most basic level, I plan to put together a team of people to help run the web site, oversee internal communication, manage our presence in social networks like Facebook, and publicize events and initiatives that highlight Terra Nova’s engagement with the Troy community and beyond. There are several people already serving in this area, and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help them be even more effective. 

But on a deeper level, my vision is to use effective communication to help advance the work that God is doing at Terra Nova. This can happen in a number of ways, from simply keeping people informed of opportunities to connect and serve, to leveraging our strengths for the benefit of church leaders around the world. In the end, my primary goal is to help tell the story of Terra Nova to anyone who will listen. I, for one, think it is pretty compelling–both on its own and as a picture of what God has been doing through his church for thousands of years.

The people of Terra Nova have been an incredible blessing to me and my family. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to this community with my time and my talents. You will be hearing a lot more from me here as we ramp up the communications program in the coming months. If you are interested in being a part of this effort, send me an email at jason@terranovachurch.org.

Below, you will find the video of Pastor Ed Marcelle introducing me as a new Elder in Process. (shot on 3.15 at the 10AM service.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

So. . . Why am I driving to Maine overnight this weekend? My dad is retiring after 40 years of full time ministry as a pastor, and I just had to be there. It’s hard for me to imagine who I would be without my dad’s influence. Pastor’s kids typically one of two responses to growing up in a pastors’ home. They either run like hell from the church and want nothing to do with pastoral ministry, or they embrace the faith of their fathers and follow in his footsteps. I’ve chosen the latter. And I feel like I should honor his work by being there for his last sunday.

Anyway, even though Steve Mclain called me “vacation boy” at the office last night–I am not as it may seem, on perpetual vacation. I just happen to be missing four out of six sundays. I look forward to seeing everyone on July 9th.

[pt]