The women and men of our Diaconate seek to contribute to the building of a repentant and rejoicing community through loving, truth-telling relationships where practical, visible needs are being met while hearts are being changed through encounters with Jesus and one another.
As Christians, we are commanded to love our neighbors (Luke 10:25-37).
Because of God’s great mercy to us, we offer mercy to our brothers and sisters (Matthew 5:7; 1 Timothy 1:12-14; James 2:12-18; Micah 6:8).
The Diaconate is a ministry of mercy that reaches out to our congregants who are in crisis or in challenging circumstances and offers help in assessing their needs and working together to find solutions. Unlike elders, who are responsible for teaching the gospel, administering healing prayer and overseeing the church, the Diaconate focuses on deed ministry by extending mercy and compassion.
God’s mercy moves him to relieve suffering and misery. Mercy is the impulse that makes us sensitive to hurts and lacks in others and makes us desire to alleviate them. Our purpose is to show God’s love and mercy by trying to help people out of difficult circumstances and to be facilitators of the work God is doing in their lives.
Deacons and deaconesses:
Church members and regular attenders can receive help in many ways. Below are a few examples:
From the moment we first meet our clients (we call them clients but they are our sisters and brothers in Christ), we are focused on helping someone who is undergoing hardship. We acknowledge that the only one we truly lean on in order to accomplish this is Jesus Christ and that we are unable to effectively help anyone spiritually or otherwise without him. We offer practical help in a number of ways, including helping the client get connected with available resources, assisting with counseling, helping with budgeting, providing emotional and spiritual support, and extending financial aid.
Our client work is temporary and short-term in nature; that is, our goal is to see a client’s situation change over time until the client no longer requires our assistance. Deacons and deaconesses generally work towards this end by guiding clients to manage their budgets responsibly, plan for the future, seek employment, resolve conflicts, mend relationships, seek God’s community, and know and obey God in all areas of their lives. We hope that as clients grow closer to the Lord, they will find the strength, wisdom and grace to experience deeply changed lives.
The Diaconate is funded entirely by the donations of individuals at Redeemer West Side. We are, therefore, accountable to the congregation to be wise stewards of the resources God has given us through his people. Because our funding is limited, we direct financial support to the neediest within the congregation.
If you're a member or regular attender of West Side experiencing a challenging or crisis situation, please complete the intake form by clicking on the button below.
