Webster Word

A Message from the Deacons

As many of you know, the Deacons made a commitment this year to try to fill the pulpit from within when Pastor Lonna is on vacation, attending to Church functions (such as the Central Atlantic Conference meetings and the Youth Retreat in Ocean City), or otherwise unavailable to lead the service. In Pastor Lonna’s absence, the Deacons have led the Church service and recruited members of the Church family (such as Walter Cooley, Susan Cohen, and Larry Guess) to deliver the message. In addition, Rev. Jim Bell delivered the sermon on Palm Sunday. When Pastor Lonna attends the Youth Retreat in November, Ann Muir has graciously agreed to deliver the message. Based on the feedback we have received from the congregation, we think that leading the Church services with our own Church family has been a positive and rewarding endeavor, in addition to saving the Church the money it would otherwise pay to retain a substitute pastor.

In light of the recurring illness of Pastor Lonna’s mother, Doris Babec, we want to look after the needs of Pastor Lonna and her mom, in addition to serving our Church family. Looking ahead, we realize that there very well may be Sundays when Pastor Lonna will not be able to preach. The Pastoral Relations Committee recently conducted a meeting to address this issue and ways that we can support Pastor Lonna. During that meeting, Rev. Jim Bell presented an idea for the sermon time of the service that I’d like to pass along for your consideration. Rev. Bell suggested that members of the congregation use the time that would ordinarily be used for the sermon to share their faith journey and/or what the Church means to them with the rest of the congregation. Please take some time to think about these topics and whether you would be willing to share your thoughts with the congregation, or to otherwise present something during the sermon portion of the service. Feel free to approach any of the Deacons (Susan Cohen, Julie Akers, Walter Cooley, Marilyn Cooley, and Casey Anno) if you are interested in helping in this way or if you would like to talk in more detail about how you can assist.