Diaconate

The Deacons Welcome You!

The Deacon's are responsible for working with the pastor to guide the spiritual direction of the church. They also assist the pastor during Sunday servcies. Following is the Deacon's Report...

Highlights of the past year:

The year 2009 was filled with joy but also with financial challenges as our church and the congregation felt the impact of the country’s economic struggles. Yet we were spiritually supported by strong leadership from the pulpit and also by the beauty we found here, thanks in great part to the work of the petal pushers and the wonderful music offered at each service. And the church family that is our parishioners was sustained by the vibrancy and caring of our community on so many levels, from so many directions.

Moments of remarkable joy in the life of the church this year occurred on a number of occasions. Of special note is Bill Modlin’s preaching on Lay Sunday. His strong words of hope and thoughtfulness were indeed a blessing to hear. This day was additionally joyful as we welcomed a representative of the UCC in Zimbabwe, John Madhuku, a member or the Ukama partnership. Another memorable event was the preaching of Deacon Samuel Fuller of Plimoth (a.k.a. John Kemp) on November 22nd. His words enlightened us to the many changes in methods of worship that have occurred over the centuries and reminded us of the importance of change, of continually finding “more light and truth” as we journey together in faith.

Certainly each worship experience is different, and there were a number of occasions through the year when a portion of a service were especially meaningful. We were pleased to have so many lay readers step forward to contribute to the reading of the scriptures on Sunday services this year. Many found this a wonderful opportunity to participate more directly in worship, and we encourage anyone who feels drawn to this calling to contact one of the deacons to find out more.

2009 was also the year in which technology was used more effectively during church services. This is a reflection of the efforts being made to try to appeal to a wider range of parishioners in the congregation. With the procurement of a large screen and a projector that could connect with a computer, a number of sermons, prayers, and children’s messages were supported by visual images that could be seen by the entire congregation. This was especially effective on Youth Sunday this year, when images of needs throughout the world were projected while the prayer was said and while the congregation sang a prayerful refrain.