Several years ago, our deacon ministry was organized around a model called the “Deacon Family Ministry” (DFM). The DFM was designed to ensure that all the families in our church were served by a deacon. We have learned over the last couple of years how important that ministry is for the health and growth of our church. As a result, we are in the process of reestablishing the DFM.

That doesn’t mean that deacons are on-call 24/7, or that deacons are available to help clean your house or mow your lawn. But it does mean that you’ve got a deacon (a team of 2 deacons actually) you can call on during times of need. This is true to the heart of the deacon ministry.

That doesn’t mean that pastors will no longer visit hospitals or help in times of crisis - but it does mean that every family has a go-to deacon team to help provide care during those difficult seasons. The DFM isn’t a replacement for your small group either. Ultimately, we want to make sure that we are providing care for all our members in as many avenues as possible. So, when your deacons start calling and saying, “Hey, I’m your deacon,” you know exactly what they’re talking about!