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NEWS &
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Easter Program
The Deacons are partnering with New Life Ministries
(formerly Helping Hands Pantry) in Peebles, Ohio,
located in Adams county. We are looking forward to
assembling 300 Easter Baskets for the
children as well as providing monies to purchase
perishable foods to be used for the Easter meal of
the families they serve.
Basket Filling Needs are:
This
is your opportunity to donate from the following
list for the Easter baskets. Please place your
donations under the Easter basket display in the
connector beginning
February 28.
1. small foil wrapped egg shaped and Hershey kisses
2. small lunchbox size pkg.: Teddy Grahams, Gold
Fish, pretzels, Ritz Bits cheese crackers
3. small individually wrapped chocolate Easter
bunnies
4. individually wrapped chocolate cream filled
Easter eggs
5. small pkgs. of M & M's and "fun size" candy bars
Cash or checks, made payable to Sycamore
Presbyterian Church, memo line is Deacon Easter
Program. All monies collected will be given to the
New Life Ministries to assist in the purchase of
fresh foods for Easter meals. Contributions can be
placed in the "stew pot" located on the Deacon
Easter display in the Connector, the offering plate
or mailed to the church.
DONATION
DEADLINE- SUNDAY MARCH 14
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Easter Baskets will run from February 28 to March 14.
The deadline for all donations is March 14
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HOW CAN I GET
INVOLVED
The Deacons have numerous
events and ministry activities going on throughout the
year where volunteers from the congregation are needed
and welcome. The activities marked below with the logo
are specific areas where you can get involved with the
Deacons and help out. (There may be others!) The Deacons
of the Month can point you in the right direction if you
would like to be involved with one of the Deacons'
Ministries.
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Christmas
Baskets -
The Deacons coordinate the donation of
Kroger food cards and Gift Baskets to needy families in
the area. Each year this church-wide project allows many
families and children, who would otherwise not
experience many of the joys of Christmas, to receive
food and gifts due to the generosity of Sycamore
members. It is a major Deacons' project with planning
beginning usually in September.
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Easter
Baskets –
Each year the Deacons coordinate the
collection, assembly, and donation of Easter Baskets to
Helping Hands Pantry families in the Peebles, OH area.
This event helps families served by the Helping Hands
organization to experience a Happy Easter. The preschool
and WINK groups often pitch in to help out making the
event more of a church-wide effort. Deacons organize a
delivery day and drive the baskets to Peebles for a
day-long outing prior to Easter.
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F.A.I.T.H
-
“Friends
Assisting Individuals Through Hope” is a coalition of
churches in Deerfield Township (Warren County). It is a
cooperative effort to provide short-term emergency
financial assistance and food vouchers to those
requesting help. The intent is to make available
resources reach more needy people and to reduce
duplication of effort. Coordination is arranged with
similar organizations such as N.E.E.D.S in Hamilton
County, L.I.F.E in Loveland, Kings Mills Food Pantry,
and Warren County Services. A Sycamore Deacon serves on
the F.A.I.T.H Board of Directors and helps to find
volunteers to participate in F.A.I.T.H functions.
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Help Fund -
The Deacons' Help Fund exists to help
families within the church, and the community, in time
of need. The program is designed to act in a quick and
quiet manner with high confidentiality. Each emergency
is a situation that is handled on an individual basis.
The pastor and specific other individuals have been
given authority to act on behalf of the Help Fund. The
Deacons will also supply information to those being
helped about additional outside help.
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N.E.E.D.S –
“North East Emergency Distribution
Services” is a cooperative group of concerned community
churches and civic organizations. It is their mission to
do God's work of caring for their neighbors by providing
basic emergency assistance in the form of food or
financial help with rent, utilities, or medical
expenses. N.E.E.D.S serves northeastern Hamilton County
and operates out of Kenwood Baptist Church on Kenwood
Road. A Sycamore Deacon serves on the N.E.E.D.S board
and helps with the various N.E.E.D.S activities. This
Deacon also seeks out volunteers from Sycamore to
participate in N.E.E.D.S activities as needed.
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Deacons' Closet - The Deacons' Closet is an area in the
church where members can drop off goods to be used by
someone in need. These items are picked up by someone
who ensures that the donations are directed to someone
who needs the item(s). If you would like to help with
the Closet or make a donation, contact the Deacons of
the Month.
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Deacon of the Month -
Each month two Deacons serve in the role
of Deacon of the Month to the congregation. They receive
phone calls from the church office personnel and/or
congregation and respond to questions as appropriate.
They also coordinate distribution of altar flowers to a
homebound/care facility member from the Sunday service
if the flowers are not taken by the donor. The Deacons
of the Month also coordinate distribution of the Baby
Rose for our new babies when they arrive.
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Cooks on Call - The mission of this group is to
coordinate meals for Sycamore church members who have a
need due to illness, surgery, accident, or birth of a
child. The Deacons are notified via the pastor liaison
to the Deacons' board representative for "Cooks on
Call". Volunteers are organized who are willing to
prepare and deliver a meal occasionally to those who
have a need.
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Funerals - The Deacons help in a couple of ways with
funerals. The Deacons provide food after a funeral or
memorial service in order to create the opportunity for
the mourners and the family, who have been at the
service, to assemble in an atmosphere conducive for
talking and expressing their condolences and exchanging
greetings before returning to their individual lives.
Usually this is done in Harper Hall but occasionally the
family will ask that the food be provided at a home.
Additionally, the Deacons provide Greeters at a funeral
or memorial service. Greeters assist the family and
visitors prior to the beginning of a service with such
things as directions around the church, providing a
drink or a box of Kleenex, or holding a door open.
Volunteers are always needed to serve food or to be a
Greeter.
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Recording
Services –
The Recording Ministry provides a
permanent audio record of regular worship services and
special event programs. These recordings are done as
master CDs and then duplicated as soon as possible for
distribution to those desiring a copy of the service.
The Recording Ministry receives little recognition but
provides a great service to those wishing a copy of a
worship service or special event.
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Cards –
The Cards ministry touches Sycamore
members and friends of the church by sending cards to
individuals for Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving,
Christmas, birthdays, and at other times throughout the
year as appropriate. Cards are also sent to those that
are on the Homebound/Care Facility list.
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Church
Committees –
The Deacons support and attend several
other church committee meetings. These include the
Nominating Committee, Mission Committee, and the Adult
Ministries Committee. The Deacons are able to pass along
our activities to these committees as well as learn what
other related activities are going on in the church.
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Worship Greeters - The Greeter Program is a program designed
to help welcome members and non-members to our church
services. Greeters are provided at each church entrance
for each worship service and provide one of the first
impressions people get about Sycamore. The Deacons
coordinate volunteers from the congregation to serve as
Worship Greeters and are constantly seeking new
Greeters. Greeters typically will serve several times a
quarter.
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Homebound / Care
Facility Ministry –
There are a number of Sycamore members
and friends of the church who are homebound or reside in
a care facility. The Deacons try to pair up Deacons with
each of these individuals for several reasons. Visiting
and staying in touch with the homebound and care center
residents is one aspect of this ministry that the paired
up Deacons try to do. Deacons will also provide
Communion to these individuals if they desire it.
Sending cards and providing a gift at Christmas to our
homebound and care center residents is also done.
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Ministry Fair
–
Once a year the Deacons host the church
wide Ministry Fair. This is a great event where the
congregation and visitors can learn about Sycamore’s
music programs, Adult Ministry programs, Children’s
programs, Deacons, and many others. Harper Hall is lined
with tables manned by the various organizations, groups,
and committees in the church. After each service,
members can come into Harper Hall and speak with
representatives of the various areas and learn what they
do. In some cases members can even sign up to register
their interest in being involved with that area.
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Prayer Chain –
The Sycamore Prayer Chain is a group of
caring members who pray for those in need in our church
and in our community. The Prayer Chain has both an email
and phone path, both of which are generally initiated by
the office. The Prayer Chain falls under the Deacons'
umbrella of support but is self-sustaining due to
incredible dedication and care displayed by those that
are a part of the chain.
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Congregational
Care - The Deacons are currently organizing a
new ministry called Congregational Care. Care teams will
be formed made up of Deacons and church volunteers to
mobilize when a church member or family has a short-term
need and needs help from their church family. These
teams will be used to help members who are struggling
due to illness or surgery, have lost a family member,
are elderly and unable to care for themselves, and other
reasons. This ministry will typically be used for
short-term needs of members with longer-term needs being
taken care of by the member’s extended family or a
professional service. The Deacons will be seeking
volunteers to help with meals, light house or yard work,
visiting and talking, and other minimal tasks that may
be needed by a church member or family in need.
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New Member Care
–
This ministry strives to welcome, support, and integrate
new members into the life of the church. This team of
Deacons contacts new members to help “break the ice”. We
want new members to look at Sycamore as their church
home so the Deacons get to know the new members and help
get them connected with the various happenings at
Sycamore. This could involve steering the new member
towards a desired area of interest, introducing them to
other people, and staying in touch during the early
months of their membership.
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Knitting Ministry
- The Knitting Ministry was started in 1998 by two women
from the Women's Leadership Institute at The Hartford
Seminary in Connecticut. Today there are many churches
and organizations involved, with Sycamore Presbyterian
forming a Knitting Ministry in 2006. These dedicated
knitters have produced a large number of items,
including prayer shawls, kids sweaters, baby caps and
booties, blankets, and military helmetliners. The
prayer shawls are delivered by Deacons and pastors to
church members in time of grief, surgery and illness,
and to nursing home residents. The shawls are knit with
prayers for comfort and healing and are blessed and
prayed for by the knitting group before being
distributed.
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Transportation –
The Deacons provide transportation
services for church members as needed so that members
are able to attend church, church-sponsored events,
doctor visits, or other visits necessary for their
well-being. The Deacons do not have large transportation
vehicles and typically bring a church member to church
with them in their own car when needed.
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Mailing Bulletins –
Worship bulletins for the upcoming
service are provided on a weekly basis to members whose
circumstances prevent their attendance at the Sunday
morning worship service. The
church office provides a list of persons to receive the
bulletins each week based on information they have from
the congregation.
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Flu Shots –
Once a year the Deacons help organize a
flu shot drive for church members. |
