Deacon Ministries
Ministry Description
The Baby MinistrySoon after the birth of a child, new parents receive calls, visits, food and a small gift from various members of this team.
Specific Ministry Details
Members of this team, under the guidance of a deacon, make contact with the parents of all new babies in the church. They arrange for food to be taken to the family, deliver a crib cross and provide information to the family about the church’s nursery and baptism procedures. This team is “called into action” whenever a baby is born. This is a 2-4 hour a month commitment.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Kathie Lee Howard to become part of the team.
How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
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You love babies and feel compassion for new parents
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You enjoy connecting with younger families
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You know that making new parents feel comfortable with the nursery and the baptismal process is important and you can help assure them of our programs
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You enjoy cooking a meal and taking it to a neighbor
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You need a ministry that is flexible in its time requirements
Care Packages
Ministry Description
The goal of this ministry is to shower Valley’s college students and veterans with periodic care packages.
Specific Ministry Details
Members of this team, under the guidance of a deacon, send care packages to College Students and Veterans in the late fall. Team Members collect appropriate “fun” things to be put into care packages. They mail the packages out from the church office.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Barb Bearg to become part of this team.
How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
- You have a heart for college students and remember how wonderful it was to get mail from home
- You have a heart for our active veterans and you want to support them in a tangible way
- You like collecting fun “stuff” to send in care packages
- You want a ministry that is totally flexible in time requirements
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Specific Ministry Details How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Kirby or Donna Kongable to get involved. How do I know if this is a suitable ministry for me? Specific Ministry Details How do I explore involvement in this ministry? top of page
Specific Ministry Details How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Mary Shrake to become part of the team. How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
Communion Preparation
Ministry Description
This team prepares the communion elements for the Sunday worship services.
This team meets on the first Saturday morning of every month, to prepare the communion elements for the next day services. On Sunday morning, following communion, this same team cleans up the communion trays and stores them. This takes 2 to 3 hours per month.
The Deacon Fund Ministry
Ministry Description
A committee of deacons disbursing funds for the deacon ministries and to those who face a temporary financial crisis.
Members are trained in the application process and guidelines voted on by Session.
Criteria for Individual/Family Assistance:
You may give to the Deacon Fund at any time in the year. A special offering is taken up for the deacon fund on Deacon Sunday.
Flower Distribution
Ministry Description
This ministry team, takes the flower arrangements that are displayed on Sunday morning, and breaks them down into smaller arrangements. These arrangements are then taken to the sick and homebound.
Members of this team, under the direction of a deacon, meet every Sunday morning in the Fireside kitchen at 11:30 a.m. to break down the large formal flower arrangements. They redesign the big arrangements into smaller groupings. Members of the team then distribute these arrangements to homebound members or members in the hospital. This is a 2-4 hour commitment every month.
Flower DonationMinistry Description
This team asks church members to donate flowers for the worship services on Sunday mornings, to honor a loved one.
Specific Ministry Details
This team provides a flower sign-up board out on the patio to encourage members to donate flowers for the worship services. They make calls to members who have bought a flower arrangement in the past, and inquire whether they are interested in making a new donation. They keep track of all flower donations through an online database, which they access from home. This team communicates the weekly flower donations to the church office for publication. This is a 1 to 2 hour time commitment per month.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Call Becky Bennett for more information.
How do I know if this is a suitable ministry for me?
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You enjoy flowers and understand how meaningful it is to have them displayed in honor of a loved one
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You are comfortable calling members on the phone to ask if they would like to make a donation of flowers for the Sunday service
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You enjoy working in a ministry that is very flexible with the hours
Greeters
Ministry Description
This team greets all who come to worship at the 9:00 a.m. service in the sanctuary. They also serve coffee/punch immediately after worship on the patio outside the main sanctuary.
Specific Ministry Details
Members of this team arrive at the sanctuary about 20 minutes before the worship service begins. They greet all who come through the door. During the last hymn, they make their way out to the patio to help service coffee and punch. This is a thirty minute commitment several times a year.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Betty Heenan to become part of the team.
How do I know if I am suited for this ministry?
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You like meeting new people
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You like serving refreshments
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You are friendly and outgoing in nature
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You know that warm hospitality is key in making people feel at home in a social setting/you naturally connect with people socially
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The time around Sunday worship works in your schedule
Handyperson Ministry
Ministry Description
The Handyman Ministry is a volunteer group within the VPC Deacon organization that provides assistance to members of the VPC who need home repairs.
Specific Ministry Details
If a person in the congregation has the need for someone to provide a “small home repair”, they can call the chair of the Handyperson Ministry to identify options, evaluate and recommend steps to resolve the home repair. A small repair is defined as a task or service that can be completed in less than (1) hour. No more than two (2) tasks or services can be performed at a residence in one (1) visit or a maximum of 2 hours of service. Homeowner is responsible for the cost of materials.
Persons serving on the Handyperson Ministry never receive payment for their labor but service requestors may make a donation to the deacon fund if they so choose.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Jesse Eusebio for more information.
A group of volunteers is being formed at this time.
How do I know if this is a suitable ministry for me?
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You want to help members of the congregation in practical ways
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You are a plumber, engineer, jack of all trades kind of person
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You don’t mind “honey-do” lists
Homebound Visitation
Ministry Description
Members of the church who are trained and gifted in the area of pastoral care, make visits to homebound members twice a month.
Each Homebound Visitor agrees to visit one or more homebound members of the church at least twice a month. They visit with the individual, bring news of the church, take small gifts or food items, and assist with homebound communion once a quarter. The team meets every other month to “report in,” receive training and enjoy fellowship. This team meets from 9-10:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of odd months during the year. This is a 4-6 hour a month commitment.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Ruth Reinhold to express interest.
How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
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You love senior citizens and enjoy hearing their stories
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You enjoy visiting one on one with people
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You enjoy taking small gifts and flowers to others
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You want a ministry that is very flexible with your time constraints
Lay Hospital Chaplains
Ministry Description
Members of the church who are trained and gifted in the area of pastoral care make daily visits to members of the church who are hospitalized.
Specific Ministry Details
Each Lay Hospital Chaplain agrees to visit members of the church in a specific hospital, every week, on a specific day. They meet monthly for training, fellowship, and overall coordination of pastoral care needs. This is a six hour a month commitment.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Ruth Reinhold to express interest.
How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
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You enjoy working in a hospital setting
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You have been sick yourself and understand how important a short visit can be when you are in an impersonal healthcare setting
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You feel comfortable praying with another person, you are more prone to listen than speak
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You are able to keep confidential matters confidential
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You can make a one hour meeting the 3rd Thursday of the month at 10:00 a.m.
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You enjoying calling people on the phone to check on them
Memorial Receptions
Ministry Description
This team of volunteers prepares and hosts the memorial receptions at the church.
Specific Ministry Details
If any member of the church wishes to have a reception following a memorial service, this team, under the direction of a deacon, makes all of the preparations for the event. The lead deacon arranges for the requested reception space, talks with the chef or a local caterer and then enlists the volunteers on her team to help host the event. The tasks include: setting tables, putting food out on the tables, serving punch and coffee, and assisting with clean up.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Edie Kelsall or Ruth Lukian for more information.
How do I know if this is a suitable ministry for me?
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You have decorating skills, you enjoy hosting a reception
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You enjoy working with food
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You have a heart for those who have lost a loved one and know how meaningful it is to have a reception provided
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You like working behind the scenes, you like to see spaces beautified, you enjoy cleaning
Staff Support
Ministry Description
The Staff Appreciation Ministry blesses the church staff with birthday cards, flowers and fun tokens of appreciation at random times throughout the year.
Specific Ministry Details
This team, under the guidance of a deacon, surprises staff members on their birthday with a gift card and a birthday card. Many other surprising “affirmations” can be devised by other members of the team. This is a 1 hour a month commitment.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Mike Bishop to become part of the team.
How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
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You like to “surprise people”
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You like to buy little things that make people laugh
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You like buying or making cards
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You have a deep appreciation for staff members and their work
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You’re a creative thinker with a playful spirit
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Specific Ministry Details How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Doug or Ramona Thorne for more details. How do I know if this ministry is well suited for me?
Tasty Spoon Ministry
Ministry Description
This team makes meals for other members of the congregation who are sick. They deliver these meals to the freezer in the little kitchen off of the Fireside Room.
Members of this team cook meals and package them up in plastic containers and freeze them. When they come to the church, they bring the dish and put it in the freezer in the kitchen off of the Fireside Room. They attach a recipe card to the dish and sign their name. Other volunteers take the dinners to homebound persons or those who have just come home from the hospital. This takes 1 hour a month.
Telephone Hospitality Ministry
Ministry Description
The goal of this ministry is to man the front receptionist desk on Sunday mornings from 9-12 a.m.
Specific Ministry Details
Volunteers man the receptionist desk in the front office for one or two hours. They give assistance to anyone asking questions, answer the phones, and guide visitors to the variety of literature on the church’s programs. This is a one to two hour a month commitment.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? Contact Jerry or Pete Westrope for more details.
How do I know if I am well suited for this ministry?
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You enjoy meeting people and problem solving
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You enjoy answering the phone and giving directions
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You are available on Sunday mornings to be of help
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You are friendly and outgoing by nature
Transportation MinistryMinistry Description
This team of volunteers transport members from their homes to Valley Church so that they can attend Sunday Morning worship services.
Specific Ministry Details
Each week, a Driving Captain calls members who need a ride to church. The Driving Captain informs volunteer drivers who they are to pick up. On Sunday morning, the drivers pick up the riders and take them to one of the church services. They also provide a ride home. Two to three hours a month commitment.
How do I explore involvement in this ministry? To sign up to drive contact Robert Hass.
How do I know if this is a suitable ministry for me?
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You like to drive your car, you are a good driver
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You enjoy conversations with others in the car
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You have patience with persons who may move at a slow pace
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You find that doing your ministry on Sunday works in your schedule
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You have a heart for those who are confined to home and realize the benefit they get from reconnecting with their church family