What’s Your Ministry? | Grounds of Fellowship

How One Presbytera’s Simple Coffee Stand Became a Sacred Space

OYM was blessed with the opportunity to speak with Presbytera Laura Eliades from Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona. Presbytera Laura is the heart behind a beloved coffee stand that’s become more than just a place to grab a cup of cold brew. What began as a simple act of hospitality has grown into a vibrant, weekly ministry—fostering connection, warmth, and community within her parish. In this interview, we discuss how this humble project took root, what it means to serve in small but meaningful ways, and how everyday passions—even for something as simple as coffee—can become a powerful vehicle for love, service, and life in the Church.

OYM: Could you give us a brief biography—your history with the Orthodox Church or your upbringing?

Presbytera Laura: I was born into the faith. My dad is from Bulgaria and was born into the Orthodox Church, but because of communism, he wasn’t raised in the faith, even though he was baptized. When he came to America and met my mom, who was Protestant, they eventually found their way back to the Orthodox Church. My mom converted, and my dad rejoined the Church when I was a baby. I was baptized as a baby, and my sisters were a little older. I was born in Arizona and grew up at a parish in Tempe, about 30 minutes from where we are now. I was always pretty involved [in Church life]. 

After college, I was in between jobs and spent a lot of time doing ministry—summer camps and other activities. During a trip for Project Mexico, I met my husband, who was in seminary at the time. We started dating and got married about a year later while he was still in seminary. I moved to Boston to be with him for his last year, and then we moved back to Arizona. He was ordained about a year later. We’re now at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona, and we’ve been here for about five years. We have two children—a five-year-old son  and a two-year-old daughter. 

The Church is our life. We love our parish. It’s always been a large community with deep roots—families who’ve been here for nearly 100 years. In recent years, we’ve seen a new energy—many converts, people returning to the Church. It’s been beautiful to watch the parish grow and flourish. This kind of revitalization seems to be happening nationally, and it’s encouraging to witness it firsthand.

OYM: What inspired you to start this activity in the first place? And what was the particular moment that made you think, I need to do this?

Presbytera Laura: It’s funny—this whole thing has kind of taken on a life of its own. We’re in Arizona, and last summer we had over 100 days of temperatures above 100°F. Most of those days were over 110°F, and some even reached into the 120s. It’s extremely hot here in the summer. At the same time, I’m a mom with very young kids. At the time, I had a small baby, so I relied on my coffee. My husband is a priest, so Sunday mornings are wild. I’m on my own, I’m teaching kids, I’m trying to get everyone where they need to be. Then church ends, and I need coffee—but I walk into the hall and there’s a little 4-ounce Styrofoam cup of piping hot black coffee, and it’s 120°F outside. That’s not what I need in that moment. It was something everyone was probably thinking: I want coffee after church, but not hot coffee. So a lot of people would just leave and go to Starbucks or somewhere else to get iced coffee. 

Around that time—this was last summer—a wonderful couple in the parish built and funded a little play area in our church hall for toddlers. We have a huge hall with lots of doors to the outside, and it wasn’t easy to keep track of little kids, so they created this enclosed, gated area that made it much easier for parents They were opening the play area to the community one Sunday, and I remember thinking, It’s supposed to be 120°F that day. I decided to set up a little cold brew bar just as a treat for everyone to celebrate the launch of the new space. It was only supposed to be that one Sunday. It wasn’t meant to become a ministry or anything. I just bought the supplies and set up a small cart near the play area. 

As you can imagine, it was very well received. People were really excited about it and kept saying how glad they were that it was there. I happened to have enough supplies left to do it again the next Sunday, so I thought, Why not? I figured I’d do it for a couple of Sundays, and now it’s almost a year later. It’s grown into a really fun part of coffee hour. I think it’s made a big difference in fellowship, especially among younger people. Teenagers and young adults who might have left right after church are now sticking around longer. They can get a good iced coffee right here, and they don’t have to go somewhere else.

OYM: Was there any initial reaction when you started? I’m wondering—did it immediately attract young people, or was it more gradual?

Presbytera Laura: That first Sunday was a little smaller, especially because in Arizona during the summer, church attendance isn’t at its peak. A lot of people are on vacation, trying to get out of the heat. Sunday School isn’t in session, and activities like Greek dance aren’t happening—so the big attendance boosters aren’t there. Even so, everyone who was there was really excited about it, especially the young parents. They were like, “Oh my gosh, thank you, this is exactly what we need.” The response was so positive and enthusiastic that I felt like, Okay, I can do this for a few more Sundays. That’s really why I kept it going—it just kind of grew from there. They were really excited. 

I used to see groups of high schoolers pile into cars and go to Starbucks or another café down the street, especially because Greek dance is a big thing at our parish. The dance groups practice after church on Sundays, and I’d see them go get coffee and hang out elsewhere before coming back for dance practice an hour later. But I’ve noticed that’s changed a lot. That first Sunday, there weren’t many teens around because it was summer. But once school started back up and more people returned, I noticed those same teens don’t leave anymore. After Sunday School, they come over, chat with me, grab their iced coffee, find a table, and sit down. 

It’s been really fun to see more people stick around. It feels more alive. You know how some parishes can feel—like it’s just older folks sitting at coffee hour for a few minutes before heading out. That used to be more the case here. I’m not saying it’s all because of the coffee bar—there are probably other factors too—but I do think the iced coffee has played a big part in encouraging people to stay and connect after church.

OYM: What role do you think hospitality and gathering spaces play in the life of an Orthodox parish—using yours as an example? And how do they help young people get more involved in church life?

Presbytera Laura:  Yeah, I mean, it might sound kind of deep for a coffee bar, but I think that’s the beauty of it—these small things can have a bigger impact.

In the Orthodox Church, we believe we are sensory people. Our faith is living, breathing, physical, and spiritual—it’s all connected. This is how God created us. Unfortunately, some other traditions tend to move away from anything tangible or beautiful, saying it’s just part of the physical world. Of course, there’s a balance to be had, but we are physical beings.

We appreciate beautiful and good things—good food, good music, meaningful spaces. Especially in Greek culture, that appreciation is a big part of who we are. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. It’s a way to celebrate God’s creation.

So when we offer things like good food, good coffee, or just a warm, welcoming space to sit—something beyond white walls and concrete floors—those things matter. People are naturally drawn to that. If you ask anyone if they’d rather sit in a plain, empty space with a stale piece of bread, or in a beautiful space with a nice cup of coffee and good conversation, most people would choose the second option.

That’s always been true. And I think the Orthodox faith actually embraces that, in our worship and our church life. We don’t deny the physical—we engage all the senses in our services. So yes, your question was about hospitality, and I think that’s part of it: recognizing and responding to those physical and emotional needs.

Hospitality isn’t just about saying “Hey, come sit down.” It’s about what makes someone want to stay. What makes them feel comfortable, welcome—what makes them look forward to coming back.

When we think about that in terms of fellowship or coffee hour, I think there’s a lot of room for growth. We can make it into an environment where people genuinely want to hang out. People might say, “Oh yeah, I love coffee hour—great coffee, great atmosphere.” That matters.

Especially now, young people are drawn to spaces with intention and ambience. They’re used to a certain aesthetic, and while that doesn’t need to be the focus of church life, I don’t think there’s any harm in offering quality experiences—spaces where people want to linger, not just pass through on their way to somewhere more comfortable.

OYM: Going back to the coffee bar itself—you touched on this a bit already—but could you walk through the first practical steps you took to get it started?

Presbytera Laura: So that very first Sunday, I was thinking of it as a temporary thing, just a one-time treat, so I didn’t have a super efficient setup or anything. I went with pre-made cold brew bottles. My husband actually loves cold brew, so he helped me figure out which brand was the best—like not just grabbing any store brand. I did some searching around and found a store with a good deal on the brand we liked.

I picked up two different varieties—one darker roast and one lighter—and I think that first Sunday I just offered whole milk and oat milk. I also got three or four different coffee syrup flavors. Then I ordered a box of 16-ounce plastic cold cups with lids and straws off Amazon.

One major advantage we have at our church is an ice maker in the hall. That honestly makes a huge difference. I was thinking, If someone else wanted to try this at their parish, the biggest logistical hurdle would probably be ice. Without a built-in ice maker, you’d have to lug in bags of ice and bring a cooler. So, having that on-site was really helpful.

That first Sunday, it was super simple. People could choose their roast—dark or light—then choose their milk and syrup. That was it. Very basic.

Since then, it’s grown a bit. Now I offer a bunch of different kinds of milk, plus half-and-half, and I have way more syrups. I guess I’m just a little extra like that—it’s definitely gotten more elaborate. But we’re still using the pre-made cold brew bottles.

I think that first Sunday, I bought maybe seven bottles. Now, depending on the week, I’ll have like 25 bottles. It’s a lot.

People have offered to help or suggested we start making our own cold brew. Some folks have said, “Hey, I can make a batch at home and bring it in.” And that’s really kind and thoughtful. But honestly, I’ve got little kids and a lot going on, so for this to work long-term, it has to be super streamlined—low prep and easy to manage. That’s why I’ve stuck with the premade cold brew, the milk, and the syrups. It just works.

OYM: Did you face any challenges or unexpected surprises when starting the coffee bar?

Presbytera Laura: I think the main thing that comes up is cost. Since we don’t charge per cup it’s always just been a donation-based thing. That’s because it didn’t start as a business model. It started as a treat, something we were offering to the community. And I didn’t ever want to make a switch to charging per cup, because to me, that goes against the spirit of fellowship. I wanted everyone to be able to participate, regardless of what they could give. So, it’s always been donation-based. But obviously, as the coffee bar has grown, so have the expenses. It’s not been a huge challenge, but it is something we pay attention to—just making sure that our costs are covered so no one’s taking a loss. 

I also created a sign-up sheet for people who want to sponsor a Sunday. So, someone can sign up to sponsor a specific date and contribute financially toward that week’s setup. It’s not usually the full cost of everything, but it helps cover a big chunk and fills in the gaps between the general donations we receive and the actual cost of running it. It’s worked out pretty well. The system we have now is pretty self-sustaining. It’s not a financial burden on anyone, which I think is key. 

In terms of support— emotional support or buy-in from the community—everyone’s been really excited. There were moments in the beginning where I worried it might interfere with how our parish typically handles coffee hour. Usually a specific ministry hosts the coffee hour each Sunday—maybe the dance group or Sunday school—and any donations from that go to their ministry. So at first, I wasn’t sure if having this separate coffee bar would step on anyone’s toes, or if people would feel like I was kind of doing my own thing on the side. But honestly, everyone’s just been super grateful to have it. That’s never really been an issue. So really, the only “hurdle,” if you can even call it that, is just making sure it’s funded properly.

OYM: Was there a particular moment when you realized this had gone from something fun and casual to something you were really committed to—like a true ministry?

Presbytera Laura: Yes, definitely. I don’t know if it was just one moment, but over time, as I saw how much people appreciated it, how they came to expect it and look forward to it, I realized—this is something people count on. And it became clear to me that this wasn’t just a fun side thing anymore. It was something that really served the community, and that made me want to keep showing up for it. So yeah, it definitely transformed into something more meaningful.

OYM: How do you balance this project with your other responsibilities—as a presbytera, a mom, and everything else? And has it shaped how you think about your vocation?

Presbytera Laura: That’s a great question. It’s definitely added to the fullness of life. I wouldn’t say it’s been a burden; in fact, it’s given me a new way to serve that actually fits into my life. Like I said, I keep the process really streamlined—pre-made cold brew, simple prep—so it’s manageable even with young kids and everything else going on. And I think it’s affected how I view my vocation by reminding me that ministry doesn’t have to look a certain way. It can be as simple as showing up with coffee and a smile and creating a space where people feel welcome. That, to me, is just as holy as anything else we do in the church. 

OYM: How can we as Orthodox Christians better see simple, everyday actions—like serving coffee or setting up a coffee bar—as part of our wider calling to love and serve one another?

Presbytera Laura: I think it comes down to understanding what it really means to be the Body of Christ. We talk about that a lot, but sometimes we forget how significant each part really is. Not all of us are called to be the head or the heart—some of us are the pinky toe! And honestly, if you’ve ever talked to someone who’s lost their pinky toe, they’ll tell you how hard it is to walk without it.

I know that sounds silly, but every part of the body matters. And sometimes we judge our own gifts—we think if we’re not singing in the choir or preaching or teaching, then what we’re doing doesn’t matter. But that’s just not true.

God gives each of us something unique, even if it feels a little quirky. Maybe you love coffee. Maybe you’re artistic. Maybe you're good at organizing things or hosting people. These aren’t random—they’re part of who God made you to be. And I think we need to stop resisting that. Just be open to where your gifts might fit. Maybe it won’t be clear right away, but one day, someone will say, “We really need someone to…” and you’ll realize—Oh wait, I can do that. I love doing that!

OYM: What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a ministry/ store/project/business that is rooted in the Orthodox faith? 

Presbytera Laura: Be gentle with yourself. Embrace your gifts. Don’t worry if they don’t look traditional. The Church needs them. God gave them to you for a reason.

We’re taught to mold ourselves into someone we’re not, to downplay the things that make us different. But I really believe that God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us those little quirks and interests. Sometimes we even feel like those things are a burden—but over time, we start to see that they’re actually the things that make us special, that help us love and serve others in a way no one else can. And I think the people who really love you wouldn’t want to change those parts of you, either. So if we can be patient and accept those gifts, God will show us how to grow them into something meaningful.

Presbytra Laura was also kind enough to provide our readers with her email if anyone would like to contact her about starting their own parish coffee bar. You can contact Pres. Laura at llblazev@gmail.com.