Diaconal Care During the Pandemic
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Diaconal Care During the Pandemic
by Scott Pearce, deacon, Church of the Covenant OPC, Hackettstown, NJ
What does diaconal care look like during a pandemic? Specifically, what does Christian charity look like during a time when the government is distributing monies to most citizens with one hand and limiting the opportunity for millions to earn daily bread with the other? How can deacons help and give counsel to the self-employed, the business owner, or the “non-essential” worker? How can deacons encourage the members of the congregation who find their cups suddenly overflowing to give from their abundance to those whose cups are hollow or empty?
Perhaps you and your diaconate have had to wrestle with one or more (or all) of these questions during the last three months. Perhaps the list of considerations above falls far short of the breadth and depth of diaconal matters that have challenged your congregation. Or perhaps your biggest hurdle to overcome has only been figuring out the new means and methods of taking up the collection of
the saints without passing an offering plate! Whatever the challenges, unique or common, kingdom work in any age is wrought with sweat and toil and thorns, and we look to our King Jesus to sovereignly rule and overrule all the decisions and actions of his undershepherds.
If your experience as deacons was anything like ours in northwestern New Jersey, you reacted to the shut-down of “non-essential” businesses and the ever-broadening stay-at-home orders of late March by bracing for the worst and preparing for a host of needy families. How many breadwinners would be out of work—and for how long? How many households would find a month (or more) without income to be more than they could endure? Our pastors prayed for our congregation and specifically for us deacons every week from the pulpit. They prayed for our church’s giving, and for the wisdom to be good stewards of it.
Since we weren’t seeing them in person, we deacons started regularly calling all the households under our diaconal care—checking to see if income was interrupted or lessened, if family members were healthy, and to ask if there were any diaconal or spiritual needs.
Pressing on in Midland
The living room at the Moots' home--down to the studs and drying out. Photo by Rebekah Moots
Our volunteer and site coordinators are busy matching up volunteers' abilities and homeowner needs as we wait for the houses to dry out. Volunteers are just beginning to be scheduled and funding is still needed for the projects ahead. There is much to thank the Lord for in our efforts:
The Lord has provided Mike Greene to serve as Site Coordinator for the Midland effort. Mike has been a member of Christ Covenant OPC for more than ten years where, among other duties, he chaired the building committee. He was an engineer at Dow Corning’s joint venture known as Hemlock Semiconductor, a company specializing in manufacturing components for solar power. His last project before retiring was overseeing a $2 billion expansion of the plant. He lives in one of the neighborhoods that was hit hard. Thankfully, his house remained dry.
The position of Volunteer Coordinator has also been filled.
Meet Sam Phillips!
Sam Phillips was born and raised in Dover, Delaware. He went to school in Hillsdale, Michigan where he studied Classics and met his wife, Annie. Now happily married, they live in Goleta, California, where Annie is pursuing a PhD in Classics, Sam works for a local non-profit (where he also coordinates volunteers!), and the two of them are trying their best to keep up with their daughter, Willow. They are members of El Camino OPC. In the past, Sam has volunteered with several Mission to North America (PCA) construction crews in Alabama, New Jersey, and Georgia. You can reach Sam by e-mail: MidlandVolunteers@opc.org.
How You Can Help
- Think and pray about your availability for this need over the next 6 months and register as an OPC Disaster Response volunteer. Soon, those registered will be given the opportunity to sign up for a slot.
- Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Sam Phillips, at MidlandVolunteers@opc.org with your questions.
- Encourage your congregation and friends to register as an OPC Disaster Response Volunteer.
Prayer Requests
- Pray that the Lord would raise up someone locally in Midland who might serve as Hospitality Coordinator to oversee the care of the volunteers who come into town.
- Pray for Pastor David Sarafolean and the officers of Christ Covenant OPC as they minister during this disaster.
- Pray for the Moots, the Kennedys and their neighborhoods as the long process of restoration begins.
Praise!
- Praise the Lord for providing Site and Volunteer Coordinators.
- Praise the Lord that Christ Covenant OPC has a commercial kitchen and is able to host volunteers at the church.
- Praise the Lord that Reformed Missions Services has come alongside the OPC in offering the use of their shower trailer and other equipment for this effort.
To find the latest on this effort, go to Midland Flood Disaster Response.
Monetary gifts toward this effort can be designated to “Midland Flood Response” or by going to the OPC Midland Flood Response Fund.
Now is the Time to Register to Volunteer!
It is officially Hurricane Season. We now have 217 registrants! Help us to continue toward our goal by telling those you know about OPC Disaster Response.
Register and you'll get the latest OPC Disaster Response insider information right to your inbox.
Praise the Lord for donations of over $20,000 to our CPR Fund, some of which have already been sent to fill needs among our brothers and sisters in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Uruguay where many are suffering due to the COVID-19 restrictions in their countries.
National Diaconal Summit IV
"Deacons Well-Equipped"
Scheduled to speak:
Bill Shishko, Craig Troxel, and Al Tricarico, among others.
Registration is set to open on July 1. You'll be the first to know when it's open!
Short-Term Missions 2020
Do you know of anyone who wanted to serve this year and had their trip canceled because of COVID-19? How about a trip to New Jersey? The Chapel has openings! For more information, including photos, testimonials, and contact information check out our website.
A note...
to deacons who may be receiving our quarterly update,
The Mercy Minute, for the first time:
Welcome! We are actively updating our database of deacons and we're glad we've reached you! If you know of another deacon who is not receiving these important updates, please let us know at DiaconalMinistries@opc.org. We also have a private OPC Deacon's Facebook page. Join us for discussions with other OPC Deacons!
OPC Short-Term Missions and Disaster Response are on social media.
Keep updated!
Editor: David P. Nakhla
Administrator, CDM
david.nakhla@opc.org
(215) 935-1007
Trish Duggan, Communications Coordinator, CDM
trish.duggan@opc.org
(215) 935-1006
The Mercy Minute, a quarterly newsletter of the Committee on Diaconal Ministries, is intended to keep OPC deacons informed and encouraged in their labors. It may include opportunities for networking or training, describe the work that a local diaconate or presbytery diaconal committee is engaged in, or bring attention to a need in the OPC.
