Bethel Presbyterian Church Board of Deacons

Our Mission- to embrace all with Christ's love.
Our Vision- to serve Christ joyfully.

The office of deacon, as set forth in Scripture is one of sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ. It is the duty of deacons, first of all, to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress. They also assume other duties delegated to them by the session.

SPECIAL FUNDS AND PROJECTS:

ADOPT-A-FAMILY

Each fall members of the Board of Deacons select six or seven needy families for whom we provide Christmas gifts and food for the holiday meal.  Members of the congregation are invited to purchase Christmas gifts from lists of suggested items, which are distributed during the Advent Family Night Potluck.  The gifts and food are delivered to the families by members of the church before Christmas. 

AGAPE FUND

The Agape Fund was started at the direction of Session in 1982 to provide financial assistance to church members who find themselves in a short-term crisis situation.  The fund is extremely confidential and money is given as a gift.  Contacts for the fund can be made through the church office. 

DEACONS’ FUND

The Deacons' Fund provides for emergency material needs of non-church members.  It is funded by loose offerings collected on designated Communion Sundays.  The fund is available to the Chairperson of the Deacons and/or the Pastor to meet emergency needs at their discretion up to $75.  Expenditures in excess of $75 require majority approval of the Board of Deacons. Requests of an emergency nature exceeding $75 can be approved by the Pastor and two Deacons.

DEACONS PUT WORDS INTO ACTION:

• Collect school items in our 'Back-to-School' Program
• Sponsored the Assist-A-Family Project.
• Assist with the West Second Avenue Church's Santa Shop.   
• Distribute from the Agape Fund.
• Distribute from the Deacons Fund.
• Maintain hospital visitation teams.
• Provide a meal after the funeral services of a loved one.
• Provide communion elements.
• Coordinate the "Heralds' program.
• Participate in Bethel's Prayer Chain
• Collect and delivered food donations to (NNEMAP).
• Provide the special flowers for Easter and Christmas for our Shephards list
• Regularly contact Bethel Members to Contect
• Provide meals for new parents.
• Provide meals for recently released hospital patients.

·        We hope you will incorporate the information herein in your church Sunday bulletin and/or newsletter.  We also would welcome any comments on how this Bulletin helps your church to Eleanor412@aol.com.

·        Our NNEMAP web site is active.  We invite our churches to http://www.nnemappantry.org/

Keep up with our emergency food needs by visiting this web site.

·        Support Needed.  Do you have one or more people in your church that would volunteer their time to do some carpentry work in the Pantry?  We need to replace several interior office doors and frames with new more secure doors and frames.  If you can assist, please call Roy Clark at the Pantry at 297-0533.

·        Support NNEMAP with Kroger Card:  Kroger supports non-profits through their reward card.  If your church is not participating, please consider doing it for NNEMAP.  You need your own rewards card and you must enroll to support NNEMAP.  Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com; click on “Ohio”, and then go to the bottom of the next page where it says; “click here for a step by step enrollment”.  Your will need our non-profit ID number, which is 80611.  This is an easy way to support our mission while doing your weekly shopping.

·        School Supplies  If your church is going to supply school supplies; we would like to have them no later than the end of July.  We do understand if your Bible School is doing this project and is in August that is okay.  If you are a church that has never supplied school supplies and would like to do so, please look on our web site for a list of what is needed.  We do need small and large backpacks and they can be new or gently used.

·        NNEMAP is now a Donor Choice Agency of the

July Food Needs   Staples Sugar                  Razors Shampoo            Deodorant    July Food Needs ·         Tuna Fish ·         Ramen Noodle Soup ·         Jell-O/Pudding ·         Any Fresh Produce   Homeless Food Needs Pop top cans of meat, fruit, and soup. Brown bags are always needed. Plastic Bags are also needed.