The current Deacons Ministry Team is dutifully served by Terry Goodwin, Sandra McMenamin, Linda Pulcini, Nancy Talma, Madelyn Jaggar and Sara Bush.   The weekly prayer lists in our Sunday bulletin reflect their call for prayer and visits. We fulfill daily prayer requests for congregation members and many others. Our published list is very fluid, with weekly additions and removals.  We pray for lost loved ones and those who grieve. We pray for God to be at the side of those serving our military. We pray for those among us who are expecting to give birth to God’s wonderful creations. We joyfully pray at their birth. There is a continual need to pray for the acutely and chronically ill, those for whom age has taken its toll, and for God’s care and safe return of those who travel afar. It’s very uplifting to read cards and letters we receive in response to our prayer ministry. Deacons minister to those who are shut-in and hospitalized. It’s truly an awesome and yet humbling feeling, knowing how receptive they are for our visits. Typically, we are joyfully invited to return. We repurpose and deliver flowers that have served their purpose in our church, to uplift spirits and hopefully bring a smile. Poinsettias are placed in the sanctuary during Advent by our church families. Those that are not reclaimed serve that purpose. At each monthly meeting, we add scripture and notes to note cards, provided by Sandy McMenamin. They are mailed to individuals on our extended care list. And, throughout the year, Linda Pulcini mails cards to congregation members and others, in celebration and to offer comfort. Our Sunday School children offer their talents too, by creating beautiful greeting cards in celebration of Valentine’s Day and the birth of Jesus Christ. They are delivered to our shut-ins and others. During Advent, we place items in gift bags to accompany those beautiful cards. The Deacons do not have a budget supported by congregation pledges. We rely on free will donations to finance our annual endeavors. Deacons Fund envelopes are placed in the pews for that purpose. We were blessed in 2015 to have enough funds on hand to fulfill a monetary request in support of a Good Neighbor Fund assistance application. Deacons are responsible for preparing the elements for communion each month, and for special liturgical occasions. They then clean and put away the silver pieces and communion cups afterward. The communion counts, another responsibility, are shown in the accompanying activity table. Deacons Activities, 2015 Month     Date Communion  Visits Cards  Notecards January  01/11 85 33 25 18 February 02/08 86 15 20 25 March 03/08 80 19 36 18 April 04/05 177 34 43 17 04/19 108 ---- ---- ---- May 05/10 106 20 24 20 June 06/14 77 16 29 20 July 07/12 59 21 22 20 August 08/09 75 18 28 20 September 09/13 81 14 25 20 October 10/04 114 15 27 18 November 11/08 98 20 52 18 December 12/24 145 14 40 25 Total        1,291 239 371 239 Respectfully Submitted, Terry Goodwin, Chairperson