Deacon Care

The aim of the DeaconCare Program is to:

Connect people to God, in worship, fellowship, and service

Connect people to each other in the life of the congregation and its mission in the world

By connecting we offer, share and receive God’s care and participate in the work to which God has called us

The task of the Leadership Team in each DeaconCare Group is:
To foster Connections for all the people in our Group within and across the congregation so that every member belongs, matters, and is cared for, and discovers how they can make their contribution

Care and Connection …

… in life
(To share joys and sorrows, to offer help, assistance, comfort and assistance in the good days and in the difficult days)

… in serving together in God’s world
(As a means to personal and spiritual growth and as an expression of the vision and mission of OAPC)

Here are our current Deacons

EXPECTATIONS OF THE DEACONCARE LEADERSHIP TEAM

1) Regular (monthly or bi-monthly) and ongoing contact with all the members of your DeaconCare Group

2) Regular review of worship attendance and other OAPC involvement

3) Provide support for members in your DeaconCare Group in times of joy or crisis

4) Discovery Class and Welcome to New Members
Each time there is a Discovery Class one Cluster of DeaconCare groups will be identified, in rotation, as being ready to receive new members. Depending on the number of people who sign up to be part of a given Discovery Class each DeaconCare group will identify potential mentors to attend the classes and to offer specific welcome to OAPC and to the Deaconcare Group. On the Sundays the new members are welcomed a special invite to the entire DeaconCare Group can be made to be present at worship to meet and welcome the new members.

5) Group Get-Togethers / Lunches / Cook-outs
Individual Leadership Teams will likely determine that from time-to-time it would help their work to create a simple event to which all members of their DeaconCare Group could get together for some food, fun and fellowship. These events could include a brown bag lunch after church on a Sunday, a “tailgate” event during Basketball season, a pool party etc. etc.

6) Group Mission or Service projects
Individual Leadership Teams will likely determine that from time-to-time it would help their work to identify a mission or service activity in which all members of their DeaconCare Group could participate. These activities could include sharing in ongoing mission and service events sponsored through the congregation as a whole; working in the Hope Garden; painting a Sunday School room; working at the Soup Kitchen or taking on the work of IHN for a given week; going as a group to Cropwalk; Serving as additional welcomers/greeters at worship; Organizing the serving of coffee for a month of Sundays etc. etc.

7) Attendance and participation in as many of the three annual DeaconCare Leadership Team Training events held each year (February, June and October)

8) Attendance and participation in meetings of your own Leadership Team according to the schedule agreed by your own Leadership Team or Cluster of Leadership Teams

9) When Session carries out a review of the Church Rolls each DeaconCare Leadership Team and/or Group Deacon may have insights and helpful information needed to assist in this process.