Ministry Updates

The Diaconate

Our Mission is:

In Christ we covenant to care for and serve those who are in need, both within and beyond the community of faith, and to equip others to minister with us.

Services rendered by Deacons include:

• visiting members who are in the hospital,
• telephoning those unable to come to worship on Sundays,
• preparing communion,
• serving coffee between Sunday worship services,
• writing greeting cards,
• scheduling greeters for worship services,
• visiting the home-bound,
• serving funeral luncheons for grieving families,
• cooking homemade soup and meals for those returning from a hospital,
• transporting patients to doctor appointments,
• giving "blizzard boxes" to elderly who may be shut-in during a storm,
• providing loans and financial counseling,
• loaning medical equipment from the Deacons' closet,
• doing handyman jobs for members who are unable, and other services as needed.

Central's congregation has grown, the pastoral staff has shrunk, and the number of Deacons has remained the same. Therefore, in addition to these ministries, we have begun to involve other members of the congregation in our work. We recruit, train, and lead lay ministers to be the hands of Christ to members and visitors. Three new ministries which are examples of this model are care teams, home communion, and Christmas caroling.

A care team is a small group of volunteers who serve together to offer short-term practical, emotional, and prayer support to individuals or families in need. This works well because team members "share the care" which means that no one or two persons "do it all." The care team offers a built-in support system. It allows more time-flexibility and provides a wider variety of skills and resources. Deacons conducted six training sessions for care teams this year and organized four care teams. These have been well-received by both the friends being helped and by care team members. We would like to have more care teams, but we are currently limited by the number of volunteers.

Deacons began serving communion in the homes or hospital rooms of members who are unable to attend Sunday worship at the church. This service has been very well received. We are now inviting lay members to accompany one Deacon or Elder to serve communion at home on the first Sunday of each month.

Two dozen families or small groups from Central went Christmas caroling in December to the homes or hospital rooms of members who are ill, alone, grieving, or disabled. These groups visited one at a time, so they spent time listening and in prayer with their hosts. We are encouraging them to continue their relationships after the holidays.

Deacons can be found at a table in the Concourse between services on Sunday mornings. If you have a need, or are interested in helping us to serve a need, stop by and talk to us.