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The Mercy Minute
Committee on Diaconal Ministries
of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Vol. 7: No. 4
November 27, 2019
Fall Meeting of the CDM at the OPC Administrative Offices in Willow Grove, PA. Front row: Nathan Trice, Rick Dickinson, David Nakhla, Chris Sudlow. Back row: Joel King, Ron de Ru, John Voss, Chris Cashen, Mike Di Peppino, Seth Long
What's New?
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Col. 3:23-24 (ESV)
The photo, above, includes new CDM members Rick Dickinson (Presbytery of New York and New England) and Mike Di Peppino (Presbytery of Southern California), elected at the 2019 General Assembly. In addition, the CDM has a new logo, new brochure, and new website! These items will hopefully help enhance the identity and unity of diaconal ministries across the denomination.
New Logo
Deacons are often referred to as the hands and feet of Jesus. Designer Kevin Laubach (Deacon, Calvary OPC, Harmony, NJ) incorporated a clever hint of "hands" in the CDM's new logo!
New Brochure
The CDM's new brochure, which will soon be mailed out to all churches, is not only a handy resource for deacons, but also provides others with an overview of the denominational work of the Committee on Diaconal Ministries, and includes contact information, how to donate, and more.
Deacons can request a supply of brochures by writing to:
David Nakhla
David.Nakhla@opc.org
New Website:
OPCCDM.org
Please visit the new website created just for OPC deacons! The site provides information about the work of the CDM and consolidates a wide variety of resources for deacons. Now, in addition to the OPC Deacons Facebook Group, deacons have another place to go to connect with the work of diaconal ministry in the OPC.
Here are a few links to explore:
PDS IV:
Presbytery Diaconal Summit IV
Speakers Nathan Trice, Lendall Smith, David Nakhla, Greg De Jong, Chris Sudlow, Mike DiPeppino
The fourth Presbytery Diaconal Summit (PDS IV) was held on Thursday, October 10 and Friday, October 11, 2019 in Geneva, Illinois. Including speakers, there were 37 men in attendance, representing 12 presbyteries in the OPC.
This summit was designed specifically for members of Presbytery Diaconal Committees (PDC). The program began with dinner at 5:00 pm on Thursday, followed by a devotional led by CDM President, Rev. Nathan Trice. Over the course of that evening and the following day, presentations covered the work of the new Committee on Ministerial Care, PDCs Serving our Presbyteries, PDCs Serving our Congregations, and PDCs Serving our Deacons.
Click below to find videos of the PDS IV presentations:
Attendee Chris Decker (Presbytery of Southern California) said:
“The summit was a blessing to me in many ways, not the least of which was the connection we all have in Jesus, the unity displayed due to the Spirit’s work, and the common job description as deacons….Very encouraging to be around men who’ve been serving the Lord through diaconal ministry for decades, or longer! The collective wisdom represented at the summit was off the charts."
Some of the presbyteries represented at the summit:
Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic
Presbytery of New Jersey
Presbytery of the Northwest
Presbytery of New York and New England
Presbytery of the Southeast
Resources for Deacons
Share what your deacons are doing locally! Send to: David.Nakhla@opc.org
Read archived issues at OPCCDM.org.
Find diaconal training videos at "OPC Diaconal Ministries" at Vimeo.com.
Join the "OPC Deacons" private group on Facebook
Forward this Mercy Minute to your fellow deacons!
Visit the diaconal ministries website at OPCCDM.org
Do you want to hold a Diaconal Conference in your presbytery?
The CDM is available to provide assistance and funding to Presbytery Diaconal Committees that wish to hold a conference for the deacons in their presbytery. Contact David Nakhla for more info.
Disaster Response Registry
Register in advance to serve as a disaster response volunteer, so we can contact you as the need arises!
Editor: David P. Nakhla
Administrator, CDM
david.nakhla@opc.org
(562) 760-7606
To be added to the email list, officers may write to:
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.
The Mercy Minute is sent to all OPC officers with whom the CDM has had contact, in hopes that it will be forwarded on to more deacons.
Janet Birkmann
Communications Coordinator, CDM
janet.birkmann@opc.org
(215) 935-1006
