DPC’s New Youth Director – Eric Gillette
Eric at a Glance…
- Finishing Masters of Divinity and Masters of Christian Education dual program at Princeton Seminary.
- Lives in Princeton with wife and son.
- Currently a research assistant for the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Seminary.
The Youth Director Search Committee is delighted to share that an offer has been made and accepted by Eric Gillette for the position of Youth Director. Eric came highly recommended by several trusted sources and after getting to know him through the interview process, the search committee agrees that he will be a wonderful addition to our church staff and congregation.
Eric will join the church staff Monday, August 24th in a part-time capacity (20-25 hours a week), as he is still finishing up his final year of his four-year Masters of Divinity and Masters of Christian Education and Formation dual program. He lives in Princeton, NJ, with his wife Abby and son Jackson while he is completing his studies. He will commute to DPC 2-3 times a week for worship, programs, and connecting with members, especially the youth.
Eric has experience in youth ministry, having worked as a youth director for United Methodist churches in West Texas. Yes, he has lived in Texas but he wanted to be very clear about his sports affinity with Philadelphia teams (Go Birds!), somehow his intuition knew that would be important to us. He is right. While in Seminary, he completed his internship at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, NJ (PCUSA) for children and youth, is a research assistant for the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Seminary, as well as worked for the Department of Digital Media at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Here’s what others have to say about Eric:
Larry King, Youth Director Search Committee: “Eric places a premium on trying to connect with every youth — from lassoing the attention of the highest-energy kids to gently reeling in the quiet ones sitting off to the side.”
Liz Moore, Assistant Director for the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Seminary: “Eric is an incredible youth leader. He has a ton of experience, works really well across lines of difference, is a non-anxious presence, and thinks creatively about youth ministry. I cannot recommend him highly enough!”
DPC Youth Colin Lewis: “Eric is fun and cool. When I got to meet him, my first question was obviously whether he was a Star Trek fan. He said he was on team Picard. It’s okay though, I can be friends with people of diverse opinions.”
DPC Elder Rebecca Strauss: “He seems like an awesome fit and wants to learn something about everyone he meets.”Cody Baker, Eric’s longtime friend and colleague in youth ministry in Texas: “If Eric is involved with your youth, he will treat those kids like his own….He’s a people pleaser who will go out of his way to make sure that everyone around him is taken care of.”