January Mercy Minute: On to a New Year of Diaconal Service!
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Vol. 10: No. 1
January 7, 2021
On to a New Year of Diaconal Service!
"'Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?' He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.'
And Jesus said to him, 'You go, and do likewise.'" Luke 10:36-37
Showing Mercy in One of the Poorest Regions
of the World: Karamoja, Uganda
Mark helps a man with cancer get paperwork done.
by Mark Van Essendelft, OPC Missionary Deacon to Karamoja, Uganda
In Karamoja Uganda you don't have to look far for opportunities to “show mercy,” as it is one of the poorest regions in the world. The constant temptation is to “pass by” like the Pharisee and the Levite, and then excuse ourselves because we are too busy, or someone else should take a turn. To the extent that the Lord has given us faith, I hope to share with you the opportunities that we have taken in 2021 to “show mercy” in Karamoja in 2021.
Latest Episode: Church Safety in the 21st Century
This episode is your one-stop-shop for church safety!
Matt Butler, elder at Lake Sherwood OPC, Orlando, Florida, is the guest for episode #3 of The Reformed Deacon: Church Safety in the 21st Century. Matt encourages deacons, "Having a plan, at least with your security team, to evacuate people in an orderly fashion. [If] you have a medical emergency [or] someone faints. You may have to stop the service. Pastor begins to lead people in prayer; someone needs to be designated to call 911. Someone needs to be driving up to the front or however your property is set up to guide the fire department in. These are the sort of things that I think are helpful to at least think through."
Don't look at the summit as one more thing to add to your to do list. Think of it as an investment of time to help lighten future to dos.
The summit offers encouragement, instruction and fellowship—all in three days time. It's a one-of-a-kind opportunity you won't want to miss, since it only comes around once every four to five years and is the only type of summit created for the reformed deacon. Register now. Space in the workshops are limited and may fill up quickly! Best of all, it's free for OPC officers, if you register before April 1.
Jack Frahm admits that some aspects of being a deacon are a struggle for him. Sitting down to talk to people is outside of his comfort zone. "I've really had to grow as a deacon by taking the time to build relationships with people—to actively listen. It’s so much easier for me to ask, ‘what's the problem and how do I fix it? Let's do it.’ And sometimes that's not what's called for. It's more of a need for a shoulder to cry on.”
Deacon Check In: Round Two!
"As he is the only deacon in his church I think I tried to share things in my past that should have encouraged him in his service. I think we both were blessed by God's ministry in both of our particular services." —Bob Tidwell, OPC deacon for over 30 years talks about his Deacon Check-in participation in August of last year.
We are are on our round two now of what we call, the "Deacon Check-In". The goal is to have two deacons check in with each other for an occasional short time of conversation and prayer. It's simple and works like this:
1: Go to our website and sign up
2: Get paired with another deacon
3: Make contact and plan a time to talk
You may end up encouraging someone, or you just may be encouraged yourself! Continue with it as long as you'd like, and we'll pair you with a different deacon every six months.
Ministerial Training Institute of the OPC
Offers a Course for Deacons!
Disability and the Church (1 credit)
This course is designed to give an introduction to disability and the church to OP pastors, licentiates, men under care, ruling elders, deacons, and non-ordained OPC members who serve in their congregation’s Christian Education or Sunday school ministries. The course seeks to help them to think biblically and practically about disability from a reformed perspective. This class will emphasize that every person bears God’s image, suffers from the effects of the fall into sin, needs the Savior, and will have a resurrected body in an eternal state. Assigned readings will review the major theological themes of creation, the fall, providence, salvation, the church, and the resurrection. These will serve as a foundation for practical application during intensive training:
• Assessing Your Church: Barriers, Accessibility, Attitudes
• Welcoming people and families with disabilities, Signs of Hospitality
• Christian Education: Classroom, Adapting Curriculum, Friendship, Buddies
• ‘The other six days’: Respite, Support, Diaconal Assistance
If you are interested, don't delay. The registration deadline is January 28, 2022.
Editor: David P. Nakhla
Administrator, CDM
david.nakhla@opc.org
(215) 935-1007
Trish Duggan, Communications Coordinator, CDM
trish.duggan@opc.org
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.
