HPC Deacons, a Ministry of Collaboration
Serving You, and Serving With You
For many years, one of the primary ministries of the HPC Deacons has been to support the church’s members and friends through a Member Care network. This thoughtfully arranged system pairs Deacons with individuals and families to provide an ongoing channel of care. They seek to: be a resource and point of contact; to stay in contact with everyone, as best they can; and to help meet special needs as they arise. Those needs often center around life transitions like births, changes of address or employment, illness, and death.
Supporting people with special needs, or in times of unexpected difficulty, is a multi-faceted ministry. Deacons are prepared to offer prayer and companionship as well as delivered meals, transportation, and coordinating other types of assistance. But they don’t do it alone!
A great blessing at HPC, and one for which the Deacons are deeply grateful, is the large corps of “helpers” in this ministry – all of you who regularly assist with Member Care tasks. Your hands and feet can make meals, visit the lonely or ill, send encouraging cards, make phone calls, welcome new community members, and walk alongside people going through tough times. You might be the person who’s in the best position to do these things, or you might just want to be part of a team that can make Jesus’ teaching a reality.
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
from Matthew 25:31-40
If you have a need, you can reach out to your Member Care Deacons directly, and they will work with the pastor and others to offer help. If you don’t know who your Deacons are, please check with Lucy Semple in the church office, lducko@hopewellpres.org. Often, Lucy can also point you to specific connections or resources that might be useful.
If you’d like to help meet some of those needs, Kathie Sutton is the Deacon who coordinates meals and transportation.
Supporting Your Desire to Serve
On behalf of HPC, the Deacons also seek to support your own service and outreach efforts. That’s why they were able (and very pleased) to make a $500 donation to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation when Chloe Hogan had her head shaved last week as part of a fund-raiser at her school.
Cat Fulmer-Hogan, Chloe’s mom, explains,
“Chloe has been watching this initiative year after year at her elementary school under the leadership of her wonderful Principal at Bear Tavern Elementary, Chris Turnbull. She has wanted to participate, but was too afraid. She told me recently that all of the local actions she engaged in at my side…the marches, rallies, vigils, and forums made her feel brave enough to do this thing. This made her Mama cry.
Chloe lost both her Pop Pop and her Godfather to cancer. She doesn’t want any child to go through what they went through.
St. Baldrick’s, the largest charitable funder of pediatric grants, is pretty remarkable. Less than 4% of their budget goes towards administrative costs. As an individual who devotes a lot of time to the nonprofits I serve, I can assure you that this is remarkable.”
Pastor Melissa brought this outreach opportunity before the Deacons, who enthusiastically voted to support Chloe’s goal. To see her participant page, and consider adding a personal donation, please go to https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/ChloeHogan – where Chloe herself says, “Kids with cancer need our support now more than ever. St. Baldrick’s is the largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research grants, and the pandemic has slashed donations, slowing down the progress to find cures. Cancer kills more of our kids than any other disease, and research can change that.”
The Board of Deacons has a budget fund to be used, at its discretion and in confidence when necessary, for various types of congregational care. Occasionally, that allows them to make donations that celebrate and support outreach efforts personally made by HPC members and friends. If you’d like to know more, please speak directly with Pastor Melissa or Deacon Moderator Laura Morreale.
“For it is in giving that we receive.”
from the Prayer of St. Francis