The Deacon Ministry at the Manitowish Waters Community Presbyterian Church

            Urgent Needs:

                        The Deacons provide immediate physical support for persons during times of crisis, these include: meals, transportation, caregiver respite, emergency childcare, and meeting other needs as they arise.

            Visitation:

                        The Visitation program consists of on-going Deacons visits to the homebound or chronically ill, supplementing pastoral care visits; as well as hospital visitation and pastor-assistance at eldercare residencies and communion services. 

            Bereavement and Grief Support:

                        The Bereavement and Grief Support program is a communications program of formal and personal follow-up to persons experiencing death within significant relationships.  This is carried out by the Bereavement Coordinator through letters and phone calls in coordination with pastoral contact for a full year following the death.  Letters are sent soon after the death with follow-up letters sent at 3, 6 and 12 months.

MWCP Deacons were actively involved in the following during 2007:

• Assisted Rev. Chips Paulson once each month with his service at Our Home K Care

• Distributed 40 Easter food vouchers and 120 Thanksgiving/Christmas Holiday vouchers

• Visited and wrote notes to those who needed visitation and contact

• Donated food vouchers and Christmas gifts for 2 families in our area during the holidays

• Participated in a 4 church project that collected necessary non-food items to be given out at the Boulder Junction Food Pantry.  We collected tooth brushes, toothpaste and floss etc. in July and fire alarms with batteries in December.  The Deacons also donated money for back to school shoes for needy children.

• Distributed prayer shawls to families experiencing grief and/or health issues

• Bereavement letters were sent to those who lost loved ones

• Donated money to a single mother in the area that needed help paying her bills

• A local family is being helped with funds from “The Deacons Bequest Fund”

The Missions Committee extends to all areas of mission and includes local, national and international areas.  In addition to the Missions Committee giving, various needs are also met by donations from the Pastor’s Fund and the Deacons.

This year our local mission efforts include the donation of food items to the Mercer Food Pantry and donations of personal items to DOVE and Tri-County on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (abuse victims shelters).  When needs arise that we become aware, our church works to provide appliances, furniture, bedding, clothing and other needed items to individuals and families in our area.  The Mission committee helped provide supplies for the Quilters who make quilts for the abuse centers.  Money for electric bills and health issues were also given.     

Another Local Mission project was Christmas for Kids.  Christmas for Kids was brighter for 66 kids from the North Lakeland and Mercer schools because the members and friends of Community Church cared.  Counselors at the schools provided the lists.  Twenty two shopper teams spent time, drove many miles, chose carefully and bargained hard to find the clothing and other gifts the kids wanted.  Madams & Sirs provided a lead gift of $3,500 that was more than matched by $3,620 in individual gifts.  And, the Deacons funded food and gas vouchers for many of the families.  We don’t have direct contact with these families but a note from one of the counselors spoke for them:  “…On behalf of the recipients of your kindness, the families want you to know how much your generosity has meant.  Thank you and God bless!” 

A sincere “Thank you” goes to the Christmas for Kids organizer, Sherlene Schmidt, for another successful year.  (Sherlene would also like to thank all of her helpers, to the entire congregation, and to Madams & Sirs for their continued generous support.)

On the National level our Missions Committee has given to Campus Crusade for Christ, Kemmerer Village (Presbytery boarding school for troubled teens), and to the Presbyterian disaster assistance for the California fires (which Madams and Sirs added to).

On the International level we bought a cow through the Heifer International program.

Other donations on the National and International level went to: One Great Hour of Sharing, Joy and the Annual Presbytery Mission Pledge.

Missions Committee wants to take this opportunity to thank the entire congregation for your spiritual and financial support throughout this past year!