So…What Do the Deacons Do?

Did you ever wonder who the Deacons are and what they do? Here are some frequently asked questions.

Who are the deacons?

Like members of other church boards, Deacons are elected to their positions at the church’s annual meeting. Deacons serve a two-year term on the board. However, in our church, the tradition is “once a Deacon, always a Deacon.”

In this sense, there are many deacons in our church. Each year two deacons rotate off and two new deacons rotate onto the board. Everyone serves a three-year term.

What do Deacons do?

Each deacon is assigned to a sub-parish and is responsible for interacting with members and friends in her/his own sub-parish. We care for those who are sick or struggling by sending cards, making phone calls or visiting. With help from the Called to Care people, we arrange for meal delivery, rides, and other needs as well.

The pastoral coverage provided by deacons is in addition to the pastoral care by Ute. The deacons oversee the Called to Care program, which extends the efforts of the deacons by providing more hands, feet and hearts to express the love of the church in times of need.

In September, your Deacon will send you a card introducing him- or herself. We also send Christmas cards to those on our parish list in December. In addition, we try to introduce ourselves to our own sub-parishioners in person during the fellowship time so that you have a chance to get to know whom to contact when a need arises. If you don’t know who your deacon is yet, please ask one of us.

Deacons are responsible for almost everything related to worship service and anything happening in the sanctuary from things as simple as changing the paraments (the cloths hanging from the pulpit and lectern, whose color changes with the seasons of the church year) to things that require discernment such as introducing a new format of worship service.

As part of worship responsibilities, we also conduct evaluation of the music staff (Senior Choir Director, Junior Choir Director, and Organist) every (other) year. We work with Ute in planning all special worship services such as Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunrise and various events such as Advent candle lighting, honoring graduates, and so forth. We also assist Ute in various functions such as Holy Communion, Baptisms, and Confirmation.   

If the Pastor is expected to be absent on a Sunday, we either hire a substitute preacher or arrange a lay service. This church year, with Ute’s leadership, we are planning to introduce new things to our services and beyond such as contemporary music, coffeehouse, and so forth for this church year.

With help from the lay coordinator, the deacons hold new membership informational meetings at least twice a year before the reception of new members. Also, we contact people who stopped coming to the church to encourage them to come back to worship with us. In addition to updating the church directory once a year, we are working on a pictorial directory done by professionals.

For us to serve God and the congregation better, we would like to hear from you. If you have any comments about worship services, church life, or anything else, please just contact one of the deacons.