Activities of the Deacons at Warner

As the pandemic has continued this past year, the deacons at Warner have continued to find ways to care both for members of our church community and the wider community. While we have not been able to visit with homebound church members as much, we are now calling our flocks and homebound members on a regular basis. In addition, we have continued to work with the Rainbow Place women’s shelter, we have delivered gift bags to homebound or frail church members at different times during the year, we organized two parking lot socials, coordinated Meal Train to help provide meals for church members who have needed them because of bereavement or illness, and continued our long partnership with Mid-County United Ministries in their work to help our neighbors who are hungry.    

Rainbow Place

Warner has served and supported Rainbow Place for several decades.  Rainbow Place provides emergency overnight shelter and food for women and assists them in transitioning to a better quality of life.  Prior to the pandemic, the Deacons coordinated volunteer efforts to prepare, deliver, and serve meals to the residents and staff. Warner volunteers have included the youth group, individuals in the congregation, the Presbyterian Women, and others in the community who wanted to break bread and share fellowship with our neighbors in need. Since the pandemic, Rainbow Place has changed their food service program and decreased the number of women they can provide shelter and services to in accordance with local/state health guidelines. In 2020-2021, the Deacons also provided financial support for Rainbow Place initiatives.  When operations resumed to a new normal, the Deacons committed to preparing food every second Saturday of the month. In the past, and we hope going forward, the deacons have provided toiletries, feminine care products, warm socks, gently used night clothes, and anything the onsite managers suggested was needed. These acts of service for the women at Rainbow Place are something the Deacons and the Warner congregation hold near and dear to our hearts and we look forward to continuing in the years to come.

Delivery of Holiday Gift Bags

A favorite activity of Warner Deacons is preparation of Holiday Gift Bags or Baskets each Christmas. We have been able to continue this tradition throughout the pandemic despite the temporary hiatus of the holiday fellowship event traditionally organized by Warner’s Presbyterian Women, who would bake mountains of cookies that would later find their way into Christmas baskets for delivery by the Deacons.  The recipients are those folks who Deacons have visited (or called) throughout the year and are likely not able to physically join us or worship at church.  The secret ingredient for this effort is the love that accompanies each step in the process, which starts as an agenda item at a Fall Deacon meeting at which we brainstorm what items to include, who will shop for what, etc.  Then, we anticipate the purchase or arrival of the assorted goodies, which culminates at a December weekend gathering for the “stuffing of the bags”.  The final reward is the hand delivery of each bag to its recipient, which even the pandemic, like a foggy Christmas Eve, could not deter. This is but one of the caring ministries that exemplifies Warner’s warm and loving nature.

Parking Lot Socials

After more than a year of online church services and almost no in-person contact between church members, the Deacons decided to hold a "parking lot social" on May 22, 2021.  Canopies were set up against the sun and tables and chairs provided for socializing. Cookies were baked and put in individual serving bags (store-bought cookies were available too). Individual drinks were provided for the attendees who were encouraged to bring their own bag lunch and chair to the early-afternoon get-together. More than 40 church members came by during the two-hour social as we nibbled and chatted, so happy to see each other in person again. As the pandemic dragged on through the summer and early fall, we scheduled another parking lot social in early October, also well attended and enjoyed by all. As enjoyable and effective as the Zoom church services and various church meetings are, they are still not the same as seeing our beloved church family members in person.

Meal Train

For several years, the Warner Deacons, along with other Warner congregants, have participated in the Meal Train ministry.  Meal Train is rooted in the idea that a meal is a symbolic and kind gesture of one’s willingness to help another which is, in essence, what being a Deacon is all about.  The meal is a vehicle that allows the giver an opportunity to show they care, that they hope to reduce a burden, and that they will be there for the receiver in the future.  Meal Train is a way for multiple people to coordinate the provision of meals to those in our congregation who are experiencing a challenging time. 

MUM

Warner's Deacons continued to respond to the COVID outbreak by sending aid to community food bank Mid-County United Ministries.  The Deacons approved donations of $3,500 to MUM, based on contributions from the congregation in response to a special appeal.  MUM uses the money for weekend food distributions at a number of sites around the county, to prevent utility shutoffs, and other pressing needs.