SPEAKER_17 0:02

I wanted to talk to you because you're one of the few who spends all four summits, is that right?

SPEAKER_24 0:06

That is correct. So what keeps you coming back? Well, as deacons, uh, we do need the encouragement, and uh I find it very edifying and very equipping for us as deacons.

David Nakhla 0:20

Welcome to the Reformed Deacon, a casual conversation with topics specifically designed to help local Reformed Deacons. There are nearly a thousand deacons in the OPC alone. So let's take this opportunity to learn from and encourage one another. We're so glad you could join us. Let's jump into our next episode of the Reform Deacon.

SPEAKER_17 0:48

I'm Tim Hopper. I'm a deacon at Shiloh Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. And I'm a member of the Committee on Diaconal Ministries, and I'm coming to you from the OPC National Diaconal Summit that's held this year at Wheaton College. This is the fourth national summit that the OPC Committee on Diaconal Ministries has had. It started back in 2010. We wanted today to give you a little taste of what the summit is like by sharing some interviews with brothers who have been here with us. And you'll learn it's not just about three days of lectures, it's about fellowship, networking, and making connections and seeing how the OPC Diaconne is more than just a local church. It's a bigger group and gives us advantages of experiences, knowledge, and strength in getting to know one another. I first attended the summit in I think 2017, and it was a blessing to me and it helped me grow and especially enjoyed getting to know the brothers from my own presbytery. It was a sweet time of fellowship. I hope you enjoy hearing these interviews and hope you'll consider attending the next summit of the OPC Diaconal Committee. I will sing the Lord's races of my God through all my days.

SPEAKER_09 2:06

I'm Bob Nichol. Dylan Sheldon, Zach Hilligus, Dan Powell.

SPEAKER_17 2:12

You guys are four deacons in training all here together. Do you have deacons actively at your church right now?

SPEAKER_09 2:17

We do not.

SPEAKER_17 2:18

Okay. So are you on an ongoing active training program right now?

SPEAKER_07 2:23

There is, yeah. Yes. In typical OPC fashion, I think we're on month number six and we're only through chapter 19 of the confession. So we still have probably a year, maybe three.

SPEAKER_17 2:43

I think that is very difficult. Maybe tell me how long you've been at Reformation.

SPEAKER_18 2:53

I've been there uh since 2014. So what is that? Eight years now, something like that?

SPEAKER_07 2:58

I've been at Reformation for about four years. I've been at Reformation for about three years.

SPEAKER_17 3:03

31 years. 31 years, very good. How long has that church been around?

SPEAKER_15 3:07

Actually about 82? I think that sounds right, yes. It's as old as I am, yeah.

SPEAKER_17 3:12

I grew up in West Virginia and I never heard of the OPC until I went to college in Pennsylvania.

SPEAKER_07 3:18

Well we're the well, so Reformation is the only church. Now we're looking to plant something south of Morgantown.

SPEAKER_17 3:27

But obviously, this is your your first summit for all of you. What what are you maybe you guys hoping to take away from the summit or what what brought you here?

SPEAKER_18 3:36

I think just uh you know trying to grow in in my capacity, I think, to sort of see what exactly this this office is all about in the OPC. You know, I have some preconceptions from other denominations and things of that nature. So learning about what it is in the OPC and then just sort of learning about I think a little bit better, maybe what are the requirements for being a deacon and you know how I can be thinking about that as I think about you know possibly taking on the office myself and uh and and also you know just thinking about as a as a Christian man, you know, how do I how do you be a good leader, how do you serve others, which is you know, I'd I tend to be someone who like wants to take charge, wants to do things my own way, and sort of having to think through think through things from other people's perspective is something that uh I really think I should work on. So I think what Bob Zach has to say something new. Say something new, Zach.

SPEAKER_07 4:35

Well, something that I you know is looking forward to this conference is just meeting the just meeting the different people with different deacons and deacons in training within the OPC. Just a few minutes ago talked to a guy who's 70 years old at Green Bay, Wisconsin, and talking about how they have pizza night at a local high school or giving out gas cards at the first, you know, someone has a need or something like that, and then digging in after that. So I'm appreciative for for learning about that. And I think what Bob said is just yeah, learning what it means to yeah, what it means to be a deacon and how if if we are called and confirmed and all that stuff, how we can serve well. And for and long-lasting.

SPEAKER_17 5:18

Um are you guys aware of within your presbytery? Are you your presbytery of Ohio? Yes. Um the the misnamed Presbytery of Ohio. Uh Western Pennsylvania, Ohio. West Virginia. Um are you aware of the diaconal things happening at your presbytery level or interaction between the deacons at all?

SPEAKER_18 5:43

Not really.

SPEAKER_17 5:43

I don't think one of the neat things about the summit, which you guys haven't experienced yet since it's the first night, but uh at the meals we encourage the presbytery, men from the different presbyteries to sit together. Um it's opportunity to get to know uh guys from your presbytery, which is you know our elders, pastors get to go to presbytery meetings and they get to know each other and like or dislike each other. Um often not as many opportunities for deacons. That's been something for me that's been very eye-opening in the last few years through the summit and uh activities in our presbytery, just how how valuable that is uh to get to know. Um so hopefully you guys will get to enjoying that fellowship is really great.

SPEAKER_15 6:27

I've had the opportunity to go to Presbytery a few times, GEA once, and just having that fellowship amongst different men within the church is pretty fun.

SPEAKER_17 6:37

Have you guys had so you don't have any active deacons right now in your church? Have you had deacons that you've learned from in the time there, or is it starting starting a little bit fresh?

SPEAKER_18 6:46

I've been there what'd I say eight years. There were active deacons when I arrived, and I think, but they might have been even on sabbatical at that time, so yeah. I mean, there really have not been a lot of opportunities at all to learn, and and uh I guess one of the elders, Dan Sr., was a deacon. Yes, then was then became an elder, so but I don't, I mean, we don't see it a lot.

SPEAKER_17 7:13

I think we don't we haven't had any of the workshops yet, but are there any workshops that you're uh looking forward to? You can check your uh list there what workshops you're uh signed up for.

SPEAKER_18 7:23

I am interested in number one minute Yeah, I think I think all of them sound good. Uh you know, I think the ministry is to the stranger one uh sounds particularly interesting simply because I think it's a really precarious situation when you're ministering, you know, like I remember in in the RP church I was in, uh somebody came to the church and there was nobody else there, I think, at the time, and I just took someone to the grocery store and I bought them a gift card. And uh, you know, and I was talking to the deacons afterwards, and I said I said what I'd done, and they were like, well, yeah, you know, people tend to hawk those off afterwards and and uh and get cash for them and then go buy drugs. And so, you know, anyway, just walking that trying to figure out, you know, how and maybe that's not what this session is about, and if so, please edit out everything I've just said. But uh anyway, just trying to figure out how to, you know, getting answers to practical questions like that.

SPEAKER_17 8:24

Any other workshops you guys are uh looking forward to?

SPEAKER_15 8:27

Uh I'm looking forward to uh how do they phrase it? The doing business as a deacon. So I've gone into my father's line of business as a CPA, and we work with lots of businesses, so I'm curious to see how that might be applicable or change how I'm doing my work, or whether that's helping others in their work. So I'm I'm curious to uh to see what that's like or what's that's about.

SPEAKER_17 8:50

Yeah, Chris Sudlow is teaching that. He's a member of the Committee on De Economic Ministries and he's been a deacon for uh long, long time, 30 years or so, and I think that'll be very excellent.

SPEAKER_21 9:12

You have the unspeakable privilege to show the Father's mercy to people who you do not know. At least you don't know them yet. The context in which you might meet strangers may be the place where you worship. Someone arrives at church on a Sunday or to the offices during the week and uh make a request. You've all heard them. The rent is due and I have no money. I haven't eaten in two days. Can the church help me? The congregation, sessions, the acronyms, missionaries need to develop ways of approaching these opportunities. What do you do? You need for lunch, you need a gas station, you feel like a tank. Not a nuisance. So a man walks in, or a woman, he's a stranger. But you know there are many things you already know about him before he says one word. He is God's creation, he bears God's image, he has value, and therefore is worth knowing. He has a story, and he has honored you by making a request. Let generosity prevail over caution. I came to change my thinking on this over the time I spent in Uganda, but it's certainly not good to be stingy. Because God's stingy. God gave his son, his son gave his life. Talk about generosity. Remember that the person will live forever with Christ's favor upon him or under Christ's judgment. They are the only two possibilities for his everlasting existence. Give him the good thing, but do not forget to give him the best thing. You have Jesus, be sure you give Jesus to him as you are able. He is Jesus to you. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. You be Jesus to him.

SPEAKER_17 11:29

Thank you. How's your experience been so far?

SPEAKER_16 11:31

It's it's been amazing, truly an eye-opening experience to the OPC's commitment to diaconal ministry's care for its officers, and just a testament to Presbyterianism in general.

SPEAKER_17 11:42

Cool. Are there uh things you've particularly learned so far or that you're looking forward to learning?

SPEAKER_16 11:48

Um I just came out of uh David's meeting on uh the denominational level of diaconal ministry, and it's truly wonderful to see the resources available to our officers, to our deacons, and just the scope of capability that we have in terms of caring for our members and for those in our uh in our faith. That's great. Have you ever listened to the Reformed Deacon podcast? No, I didn't even know it existed until yesterday. So looking forward to it when I get back home.

SPEAKER_17 12:19

Yeah, it's great to talk to you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_13 12:34

Especially think of some of the major league commands that Christ gives to us. When he says not just to show mercy, but show mercy to one another as I have shown you mercy. Forgive one another as I have forgiven you in Christ. And for the right ends, to truly encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and do this all for the glory of God.

SPEAKER_17 13:56

Welcome guys. How long have you guys served as deacons?

SPEAKER_14 14:00

Uh Tim, that would be uh I've I've got 12 years under my belt. Okay. Uh start was ordained in 2010. And this would be my third summit.

SPEAKER_17 14:13

Oh, great. Three out of four. Yep. How about you, Nathan?

SPEAKER_23 14:17

I have about five years, four years as a deacon. And this is my first one.

SPEAKER_17 14:23

We've got a lot of guys here who are uh in training or are newer deacons. Are are there ways that you think this is beneficial to be at the summit, even having been a deacon for a while?

SPEAKER_14 14:33

Yeah, I mean a third summit, 12 years experience. I feel like I don't know if you've ever had octopus, but the the prep that goes into it, like bashing it on the rocks for hours to get it tender enough to eat. I think that's kind of where my brain is right now. Uh in a good in a good well, yeah, in a kind of a good way.

SPEAKER_17 14:56

Is there a metaphor about the summit still moving while you eat it? I don't know.

SPEAKER_14 15:02

But it's been uh just amazing. The the the content, the conviction, the encouragement. Everybody seems engaged and um super well organized. I I think this it's been an amazing experience so far.

SPEAKER_23 15:18

Overwhelming. Yeah. Overwhelming with the amount of good information, so much so that I can't absorb it all at once. I'm gonna have to go back and think it through. I think Luke said this morning after the first session, it said steak for breakfast. It's it's good, but well man, that's not what I usually have for breakfast. And the whole thing has been kind of like that. It's been very good.

SPEAKER_14 15:39

Uh just I like your metaphor better than the octopus. Yeah, well. That's kind of how I'm feeling.

SPEAKER_17 15:44

Have any sessions been particularly beneficial for you guys or topics you're wanting to especially digest?

SPEAKER_23 15:52

Craig Troxler this morning was excellent in helping me understand some things that I've been hearing and and kind of uh moving some pieces of the puzzle together in conversations I've had with other people about community and what's missing in that conversation and with those people that we by God's grace have. And that that was encouraging. The one on disabilities. Pastor Tracy? Tracy? Yeah. That was an eye-opener. Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 16:23

That was wonderful to get that perspective. Very good. Reinforce, I think, for so many churches, uh missing piece uh that we can all spend a lot more time on.

SPEAKER_23 16:36

A blind spot, I think you might say. That uh he said it best, and he said you ask a pastor, do you have any dis disabled people in your congregation? And they'll pause. He said, That's telling. And I would too, not a pastor, I would do the same thing. And then you would probably say, Well, no, not really. Because you're thinking of a certain category, and the reality is once you start digging, you you do.

SPEAKER_17 16:59

You guys have any uh any advice for people who are haven't come to a summit yet and uh maybe on the fence about coming in next time around.

SPEAKER_14 17:08

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see, you know, the videos if you get the the playbacks, if you can get that same exp you know, it'll be different. But I'm hoping um I I know that content's gonna be super beneficial and distributed, and hopefully that that catches on. Uh yeah, if they haven't been to one, you gotta do it.

SPEAKER_23 17:26

And and there's one thing you can't experience by watching the videos, and that is the singing. If you're not ready for it, it will almost take you by surprise. It is wonderful. It's that good.

SPEAKER_17 17:38

I wonder if diaconates or even with their elders should uh you know try to uh cut out some time and and watch some of these sessions together. I think if you're by yourself, it's easy to get distracted and but just sit sit together and watch a session and not a bad idea. Yeah, no, absolutely. Have you guys listened to the Reform Beacon podcast? Yeah, sure, yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_23 17:59

I have not. I'll confess. But now that I'm gonna wear a t-shirt with it emblazoned on it, I I will be sure to listen to it.

SPEAKER_17 18:06

Very good. Thank you for your time, guys. Sorry I made you uh I'm gonna be in the back of the dinner line now.

SPEAKER_23 18:11

Thank you, Tim. It's okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

And deaconing is doing what you read in Isaiah 40 in this picturesque language. It's the lifting up of valleys that takes time. It's mountains and hills that are made low with a lot of work. It's crooked things that are made straight. And that's not done by lordly masters, it's done by humble servants.

SPEAKER_17 19:03

If you're gonna just introduce yourself and tell me where you serve.

SPEAKER_24 19:06

Uh, my name is Daniel Lascaz, and I worship at uh Amoscake Presbyterian Church in uh Manchester, New Hampshire. And I've been serving there as a deacon since 2004. I became a member in uh 2000. Uh I started visiting there in 1998.

SPEAKER_17 19:26

And uh I wanted to talk to you because you're one of the few who's been to all four summits, is that right?

SPEAKER_24 19:31

That is correct.

SPEAKER_17 19:32

So, what keeps you coming back? Did you not hear it all the first time?

SPEAKER_24 19:35

Or well, as deacons, uh we do need the encouragement, and uh I find it very edifying and very equipping for us as deacons to be able to get out from time to time and to get together with other deacons as well as the rich spiritual training, um education, equipping, and the fellowship. And we we learn, we get corrected. Of course, there's so much that uh you don't grasp it neither the first time or uh implement them. It's a lot lifelong with what takes place. If you've been to one, I think that you will want to continue to come. They don't happen every year, so it's good. They happen like every three or four years, so that gives you time to take in some of what you've learned, seek to implement them and then come again because uh you know in the process when you get a bit tired or weary, it's good to come away and be refreshed in the Lord and with uh fellow deacon brothers as well as the pastors and the elders that are here to hear the uh experiences of and to see the similarity in our service, even though no matter what part of the country we're from, uh that we have similar uh approach uh as well as experience in meeting the needs both of the congregations outside the church uh community.

SPEAKER_17 21:05

Yeah, that's that's very helpful. I've been thankful this time to that there have been things that have challenged me and and you know, potentially are corrections, things I need to go home and reflect on. And it's good to not just come here and have be patted on the back and say, Oh, you're you're doing it exactly right, but I feel like I've I've learned things.

SPEAKER_24 21:21

Yes, that is correct. Because even in one of the sessions today, I became very uh convicted because as a deacon, endeavoring to discern, and sometimes we can overstep that, so you gotta guard against a critical spirit, so we can become critical of people on the outside thinking they're there to do a sin and but erring on the side of mercy. So I need to do some business in that area myself, you know. So, yes, you're right, it's not just being patted on the back, but the word of God bringing that conviction and correction and instruction.

SPEAKER_17 21:57

Yeah, are there any things you would like to see in the future? Summits, or maybe even things from earlier ones that you'd like to bring back that we haven't been able to do this time, or topics that would be particularly useful to your diaconate?

SPEAKER_24 22:08

Uh at this time there's so much that I need to take away what's all of that there before I even can see be uh uh beyond that. But it's very rich, and I would uh encourage any of my deacon brothers who are uh contemplating whether they should come or not. Any opportunity you have uh I would certainly encourage them to come out and uh partake of this. It it only helps equip and and to edify you into your work, into a service for the Lord.

SPEAKER_17 22:41

Yeah, very good.

SPEAKER_24 22:41

All right, thank you for your time. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

The account of the Good Samaritan illustrates we're to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said, Go and do likewise. But I've become convinced meditating on the scripture, but that's not where the account ends. Go and do likewise. It ends with Mary and Martha. The account with Martha illustrates that in all your serving, being a good Samaritan must be out of love for Christ first. All things must be done for him, through him and by him, and out of love for him. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind. See, the incident with Martha and Mary illustrates that we're to love the Lord with all of our heart as the reason why we are to love our neighbor.

SPEAKER_17 23:59

Can you guys tell me your names and where you're from?

SPEAKER_26 24:02

Art Allen, Raleigh, North Carolina. And I'm Andy Line from Raleigh, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_17 24:07

Are you guys deacons?

SPEAKER_26 24:09

I am. I am not.

SPEAKER_17 24:11

It's the first time at your summit or have you been before?

SPEAKER_25 24:14

I have not been before. It's first time. First time here as well.

SPEAKER_17 24:18

What are you hoping to gain from the summit?

SPEAKER_25 24:22

Uh listening to some good teaching and meeting some fellow deacons, getting encouragement and knowledge from that.

SPEAKER_26 24:32

I guess one thing I wanted to uh get from this summit was a couple things. One, a greater understanding of the work the D Ec and it performs, um, and then just get to know several other deacons other than ones that are around where I'm at.

SPEAKER_17 24:52

Do you have any uh takeaways from uh the the first talk tonight from Pastor Bill Shishko?

SPEAKER_25 24:58

Yes, I thought it was very, very good uh throughout, but especially in the beginning where he talked about uh the need for strong men and men who are leaders uh in the church and in society that it's one of our biggest problems in our society is the uh weakness of men.

SPEAKER_17 25:16

How about you, Andy? Did you have any takeaways from Pastor Fishko?

SPEAKER_26 25:20

Oh, I guess my biggest takeaway would be uh just the need for strong leadership. Um just the uh I mean you can see in the states right now just a lack of leadership um all the way up throughout the states. Um and that's one place where really the church can uh be a light, show what show what a true man is.

SPEAKER_17 25:50

Excellent, thank you guys.

SPEAKER_19 26:04

Uh can you tell me your name and where you're from? Yeah, my name is Jose Vázquez. I'm from Puerto Rico, from the Guayama Sol Escritura OPC Church. Very good. Are you the only one who's come from Puerto Rico this time? I think this time, yes. Good. Are you are you a deacon there? Nah, I'm supposed to be a deacon in training.

SPEAKER_17 26:21

Training.

SPEAKER_19 26:21

Yeah, first time here.

SPEAKER_17 26:22

Wonderful. Are you in a like an active ongoing training program right now at your church or what?

SPEAKER_19 26:29

Well, we are starting the process, I think, with my pastor. He pushed me a little bit to be here. Very good. So I'm still life we gave it. I think it was it's God moving me a little bit to be more of a working with the church. So let's see how it goes. How long have you been at the church there? Uh year and a half. Okay, wonderful. Do you all have deacons currently at the congregation? No, no, no. It's a church plant. I think we're in the process of formalizing to become a church. Okay. So who's the pastor at your congregation? Randy Lopez.

SPEAKER_17 27:00

Okay, right. Yeah, I I know his name. I haven't met him, but I'm nice guy, nice guy. Yeah, he's a he's a neat guy. Yeah. You have uh are there three three congregations in Puerto Rico now?

unknown 27:10

I think.

SPEAKER_19 27:11

Yeah, I think former congregation is two in San Juan, our church plant. Okay, and like two missions, I think, in Are Simon Laris and San Sebastián.

SPEAKER_17 27:20

Okay, very good. Do you have a have you been in church for a long time or well?

SPEAKER_19 27:24

Yeah, I was I was born, I was raised in a Mennonite church in Puerto Rico. Mennonite, yeah. Then yeah, I became uh congregating in an independent Baptist church. Okay, and the last two years I've been in the OPC. Did you have deacons in your previous congregations? Or yeah, I was talking to some of the fellow the brothers here. We have deacons, but I've never seen a good biblical deacon. Okay. So I don't know what's a good deacon in terms of uh what the Bible teaches. So today's uh conference was excellent. The first time I've heard of someone speaking of deacons that being like Christ the big uh the greatest example motto for uh for a deacon. Oh first time.

SPEAKER_17 28:09

Yeah, wow, that's neat. That's that's good to hear. We uh that I've been in a deacon now on the OPC for seven years, and I'm thankful to say that that's something that comes up a lot uh as looking to Christ as the great deacon, and uh as Pastor Shishko said, Christ, you know, Christ came you know not to be served but to serve.

SPEAKER_19 28:28

Yeah, I've heard that, obviously, but not in the context of a deacon. Right. So it was great. Yeah. I've heard the podcast, the reform podcast.

SPEAKER_17 28:37

Okay, very good.

SPEAKER_19 28:39

It encouraged me to be here also.

SPEAKER_17 28:41

Do you know if any of the other congregations in Puerto Rico have deacons active?

SPEAKER_19 28:45

Well, I imagine that, yeah. The one that both churches in San Juan, they have they have the elders and deacons, yeah.

SPEAKER_17 28:52

I think we you know both both because of the language barrier and the the water barrier, we often just feel Puerto Rico just seems like you know a different place for those of those of us on the continent.

SPEAKER_19 29:03

So uh it's good to hear about those congregations and yeah, yeah, and and uh I know that my at least my pastor Branny he makes a great effort for us to not be so far away. Yeah, so he has invited us to be on some Presbyterian meetings and be close to the OPC. I tried to be closer by uh uh reading the OPC website, hearing out the reform decompodcast. So good. So it's it's good, it's great resources there.

SPEAKER_17 29:31

Yeah, also at least uh some of the old summits that we've had. This is the fourth summit. Some of the previous ones are um the recordings are available on opccdm.org if you want to check those out. Uh video or audio, maybe, but uh some good material there. Excellent. It's good to know. Do you have other deacons in training right now? Are you the well for my joy?

SPEAKER_19 29:54

I think I'm the first time.

SPEAKER_17 29:56

We'll pray that's fruitful and thank you. Yeah, it's great to meet you. Can you tell me your name and where you serve as a deacon?

SPEAKER_08 30:18

My name's Leo Barkley, and I serve the deacon in Raleigh, North Carolina at Shiloh Presbyterian Church.

SPEAKER_17 30:26

You went to a workshop session this morning that you really enjoyed. Can you tell me about that workshop?

SPEAKER_08 30:31

Really enjoyed the session uh with David Knochla. It was about the structure of diaconal ministries at the Presbyterian level. I thought it was very, very helpful for especially for newer deacons that aren't as familiar with the different structures of how we have Presbytery, diaconal committees as well as overall denominational diaconal committees, the CDM, and just how they're able to aid those who need assistance and also organize and assist other churches, church plants, churches with just single deacons.

SPEAKER_17 31:05

What would you say to someone who uh who didn't come to the summit or has never been to a summit and is maybe on the fence about attorney attending in the future? What would be your advice?

SPEAKER_08 31:14

I thought it was very, very beneficial. I would highly recommend either watching the recording or coming next time to interact and learn more about the presbyterial work. Very good, thank you.

David Nakhla 31:40

As deacons in the local church, you're on the front lines. I like to say that despite diaconal ministries being in the name of the committee on diaconal ministries, uh, it's rarely done. The diaconal ministries is rarely what we do. Um rather, diaconal ministries is predominantly carried out by local deacons who are in the trenches, boots on the ground, face to face, it's hugely personal, it's hugely uh specific to one person, and yet a deacon is not alone in the service he carries out. He's backed up by the whole army that he serves. Yes, the army of God. And even as we learn just in this last hour, the importance of prayer and how you are fueled for your ministry through our relationship vertically, fuels our relationship horizontally.

SPEAKER_03 33:03

We're talking about how the church does justice, mercy, and walks humbly with our God.

SPEAKER_12 33:36

Because to minister to is perhaps a starting point, and it's perhaps a starting point that your church hasn't even reached at this point in time. But ministering with is where we want to be, uh, operating so that people with disabilities are indeed ministering with the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that we are indeed practicing what we were hearing this morning, the communion of saints.

SPEAKER_04 34:13

And so when you consider matters, you already have a supernatural gift and enabling in your life. Now, can we learn from one another? Absolutely. But we start there. We don't start with the policies and procedures. The policies and procedures are practical outworkings of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life and the wisdom that He has given us.

SPEAKER_20 35:01

We don't know. We pray for that. We don't know if they'll become members in your church or not. We pray for it, but they're gonna be seeing your good works and give glory to the Father. And if you don't take anything else away from this workshop, please take this away. We think that our work is really to bless that person, usually, whether it be another member in the congregation or a stranger in your neighborhood, at least that's the way I think. This is a blessing for them. And in reality, the greater blessing is for you and for the members of your congregation. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive. My encouragement for you to pursue refugee ministry is really for your congregation's benefit.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

So, what we need to do, the what of Deacons' preparation for disaster response, is to know who is most vulnerable in your worship. Who is most vulnerable to worship disruption in your church? You can think of them right now. So take time, think about your congregations who might fit these qualifiers.

SPEAKER_14 36:39

And uh, I'm talking comprehensively. You know, we have a lot of different things that we do. Uh on the one hand, we could be going to church early on a Sunday morning to set up chairs, and then we're switching gears to help somebody with a car issue, or to help that person who came into church that you've never seen before who needs assistance, right? So, how do we manage this?

SPEAKER_11 37:13

The son can do nothing on his own. The son can do nothing of his own initiative, literally from himself. The son is always submissive to his father. Not only does the son always do what pleases the father, but he can only do what he sees his father doing. The father initiates, sends, commands, commissions, and grants. The son responds, obeys, performs his father's will, receives authority. He is the father's agent, but much more than that. And you see the unity of the father and the son. And the father showing the son all that he does. He doesn't hold anything back from the son. And the son sees it all. What does he do when he comes? He says everything the father says. He does everything the father does. In perfect unity. So that's that's a unity of purpose. We ought to have that as deacons.

SPEAKER_05 38:15

And when you can get somebody to the point of believing the Bible is true, there's a lot of work that you can do with that. And that's often our starting point in Neon, is trying to get them to understand this is God's word. And once once somebody really believes that, you can get them to think differently about their past, their upbringing, the way their family has been taught taught them, and different things. So we believe the Bible is true.

SPEAKER_22 39:01

I agree. Because I hope if anything has been obvious this weekend, is that uh the Community of Dacon Ministries and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church as a whole has a very high view of the office of deacon. The church doesn't look like Jesus without the Ministry of Mercy and without the office of the diaconate. Don't ever say, I'm just a deacon. Have a higher view of your own office than that. But feel free to say, along with your elders and ministers, we're just servants. Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember how much thankless service our Lord's earthly ministry entailed. You're never quite so Christ-like as when you persevere in thankless service.

David Nakhla 40:20

Go to our website, thereformdeacon.org. There you will find all our episodes, program notes, and other helpful resources. And please make plans to join us again next month for another episode of the Reform Deacon Podcast.

SPEAKER_25 41:12

I don't want to show you up though. Odd people church.

SPEAKER_17 41:16

There you go.

SPEAKER_18 41:18

Now maybe I can ask you a question. So when when I signed up for this thing, there was a ticker at the top that went from zero to a thousand telling me how many deacons had signed up for this conference. Okay? And and when I signed up, there were like 200 people. And when I did that, all the sessions, or half the sessions, were full. So what gives? I'm just kidding. But seriously.

SPEAKER_17 41:44

Fair question. Okay. Well, anyway, just we would love to have a summit with a thousand deacons. Okay.

SPEAKER_18 41:51

Just you don't want to have the room space for all those people.

SPEAKER_17 41:54

Well, there's never been a demand for a thousand seats, so we kind of have to plan the uh workouts for the other. We're willing all the workshops will be recorded, video, audio, and we'll uh have those posted on the website. Also, past summit um plenary addresses are on our website as well, bccb.org. So you guys there's a lot of good resources there. That's I think particularly as Deacons and Training, if you guys haven't checked that out. Um good resources on our CBM website. Thank you guys.

SPEAKER_09 42:21

Yeah, this is for a podcast.