The Deacon Dispatch

THE DEACON DISPATCH

The Deacon Dispatch is periodically provided to the congregation to help keep the congregation informed of the many deacon ministries. It also provides a way to let the congregation know ways to support or join one of the deacon ministries. There are a total of 19 deacon positions within the church today. There are only two remaining deacon roles not currently filled: the Security Planning Deacon and the Facility Deacon. This is an answer to prayer and we trust God to bring forth people to step into these two roles in 2023. If you are being led by God to consider one of these roles, please speak with an elder, pastor or the deacon coordinator, Ken Bryan.

July 2023

Today we will focus on three deacon roles for which the church has recently commissioned new deacons. We praise God for these individuals answering the call of God upon their lives to serve in these roles.

Global Outreach Deacon

In January, Lin Kim took over this role from Joel Anderson who stepped into an elder role in the congregation. This deacon role has a long and rich history of serving our Global Ministry Partners around the world. Today, the church has 10 Global Partners. There is a “point person” from the congregation that stays in touch with our partners each month. They learn of the needs and prayer requests of our partners and communicate those needs to the congregation. The Global Outreach Deacon along with an Executive Committee supports this team of volunteers bringing coordination and guidance as needed. The deacon manages all the financial support with the point person who supports partners when they visit the church. The Executive Committee with the guidance of the deacon evaluates potential new partners for the church to consider supporting. The Global Outreach ministry oversees sending short term mission teams to help support our partners or other ministries.

Local Outreach Deacon

Susan Klint has recently stepped into this role. This is a relatively new but very important role in the church. For a long time, many local ministries have asked the church for support, but the church has not had the infrastructure to provide the requested support. The elders have set aside money in the budget this year to begin to provide funding as the Local Outreach Deacon along with her team evaluates and makes recommendations to the elders to support local ministries. Susan has asked two congregational members to join the team. We are glad to report they have accepted the call to serve the congregation in this way. Going forward, the team will develop criteria to effectively evaluate local ministry requests and secure the elders approval. They will then begin to process requests as they come to the church. It is hoped by the end of this year, the team will be evaluating and selecting future local ministries to support. The Project Share ministry the church does each November will fall under the oversight of the Local Outreach Deacon.

Connections Deacon

Ken Knas was recently commissioned into the Connection Deacon role. He has served for a little over a year in this role. This is a new deacon role, being established by the elders in 2022. The church has had a long history of focusing on welcoming people well as they come to visit our church. This ministry was established to build upon that effort and increase more intentionality into the process. The church has seen new people coming almost weekly to visit or return for worship. This ministry has asked certain members of the congregation to be “connection point” people. These connection people represent different ages and stages of life. For example, a visiting couple with little children will be connected with a “connection point” person of the congregation of a similar stage in life. There are now greeters each Sunday in the foyer looking for new visitors as they arrive. They coordinate with the ushers as well to identify these people. The ministry is beginning to look at how to better follow up after the visitor has left the church on a Sunday.

God continues to move mightily within our congregation to bring new people to our doors, raising up new Global Partners, establishing new people in new deacon roles, filling deacon roles with people who love and want to serve the Lord and having members of the congregation join deacon ministries. Let us give Him praise for His many blessings. If you would like to serve with a particular deacon ministry, let the pastors, elders or deacon coordinator know.

December 2022

This Deacon Dispatch will review the roles of the Care and Compassion Deacons and welcome Mike Scott into this role. The Care and Compassion Deacons’ Ministry is to care for people in the congregation when there is a need. Some of the responsibilities include:

1. Visit or call (when appropriate) people in the congregation who are hospitalized, sick, shut-in or grieving the loss of a family member.
2. Encourage adults in the congregation and pray for/with those who are in need and pray over prayer requests from the congregation.
3. Write cards to those who have suffered a loss, are in the hospital, have an extended illness at home or need encouragement.
4. Administer requests for the Meet-A-Need and Freedom Financial Fund.
5. Administer gifts from the Barnabas Fund.
6. Administer Christmas gifts (money and/or flowers) for those who have suffered a loss or had a financial need.
7. Assist congregants by: taking them to and from appointments, taking them shopping and assisting with moves.
8. Assist staff when needed: Voting at Congregational business meetings or Usher at funerals.

The current deacons are Linda Frank (chair), Karen Lau, Karen and John Howe, and Lee Jerr. They are doing a wonderful job of serving the congregation! The first deacon term is for three years. They can then serve up to three more years. Each new year begins in October.

Michael (Mike) Scott was commissioned by the elders on November 27, 2022, as a new Care and Compassion Deacon. He is taking Bob Limoges place on the team who served faithfully for four years.

To get to know Mike a little better, he was born in New Britain, CT but mostly spent his childhood in the small Midwest town of Van Wert, OH. He was fortunate enough to grow up in a Christian home, surrounded by family and friends who shared the passion of serving the Lord. He accepted Christ as his Savior at a young age and has been an active church member most of his life.

After spending his senior year in Spencer, IA, he went to the University of Northwestern, St Paul, studying business administration/marketing where he met his wife, Maralee. In 1995, Mike and Maralee, along with their son Derek and daughter Hannah relocated from Minneapolis, MN to Buffalo Grove, IL. Mike and family started attending North Sub in 1998. During this time, he has sung in the choir and worship team, and participated in both Life and Small Groups. His passions include all kinds of foods, smoking and grilling, fishing, and snowmobiling.

September 2022

This Dispatch is to introduce a new deacon role and a new deacon filling that role. The new deacon role is called the Security Operations Deacon. The primary function of this role is to implement new ways of improving security at North Sub. The deacon will oversee and implement such things as training for fire drills or active shooter incidences. In addition, the deacon will build a relationship with the local fire company and police.

Andy Duda is agreeing to take on this role for a test period (which is our standard procedure for new deacons per 1 Tim. 3:10). As you read about him and his family below, you will see that he is very gifted to help us in this capacity. We are thankful for his heart to serve the Lord in this manner.

Please pray for Andy as he steps into this new role.

July 2022

After years of praying for God to raise up a leader to form a Local Outreach team, the wheels are starting to turn! Jon Ashworth has now stepped into a trial period in preparation to become Deacon of Local Outreach. The first task was to form a team (like our very vibrant Global Outreach team that supports all our Global Partners) so that we can craft and execute a coherent plan for Local Outreach at North Sub. And now that team has been formed!

This team is made up of four members.  Besides Jon, the other team members include Zachary Vaughan, Sarah Higgins, and Josh Loomis.  The team will be working together to review and identify next steps forward with local ministry partners.  They will also be aligning their efforts under the guidance of North Sub’s Elders and the overall mission and vision of the congregation.  Part of Jon’s ministry will include supporting the ongoing efforts and developments of North Sub’s Project Share ministry.  New local ministry partners may also be identified through Project Share ministry efforts.  

 Jon states, “I am excited to be a member of North Suburban Evangelical Free Church.  After serving for 12 years as an Associate Pastor and 8 years as an Elder (in other congregations), I am excited to help develop the Local Outreach Ministry at North Sub.  North Sub has so many wonderful people who are faithfully serving the Lord, where they live, work, learn, and connect with their local community.  The Local Outreach Team will work together to help North Sub connect with local opportunities that the Lord puts before us, for such a time as this!”  

 The elders and deacons look forward to forging new local partnerships in ministry like Project Share.  Please pray for this new team as they begin to serve the congregation and the Lord.  

April 2022

This dispatch will introduce a new deacon role for North Suburban Church, the Connection Deacon. The elders approved this new role over a year ago. The Connections Deacon will be responsible to:

• Build a team of greeters trained to welcome well those who are visiting our church on a Sunday morning

• Develop a group of individuals from the congregation who would be good “Connection Points” to help a guest get folded into the life of our church

• Work closely with the Usher Team (overseen by the Worship Deacon) to create a streamlined process for our Sunday morning guests

• Facilitate follow up with visitors and continue to help new visitors transition into becoming closer connected to the pastors, congregation, ministries, discipleship opportunities, and service opportunities within the church

• Lead the Connection Ministry and carry out all applicable deacon functions like scheduling, training, building a budget, etc.

Until now, we have not been able to find an individual willing to fill the role. Ken Knas and his wife Marla have been attending the church now for about a year. Recently, we approached Ken and his wife to see if they would be interested in filling this role. Ken has agreed to accept the role as Interim Connections Deacon while he goes through the process of becoming a member. We are excited about the gifting with which the Lord has blessed him and his wife. They truly have a heart for people and for God.

The elders have a process for individuals to become a deacon. That process includes having the individual participate in a trial period to observe and verify that this is the right person to serve our Lord in this capacity. So, over the next 4 – 6 months as Ken goes through this trial period, Ken will begin to contact members of the congregation and ask for their support in joining the Connection Team. If you are interested in becoming a part of this team, please contact Ken at 847-238-2426 or let Dawn or Karen in the church office know.

We are excited to see how the Lord will guide and grow this ministry.

By the way, volunteers are also needed to:

• Help the Food Ministry on Saturday mornings.

• Help with planting plants in the Grounds Ministry.

Contact the church office and let Dawn or Karen know of your interest in helping.

December 2021

This dispatch will inform you who your deacons are, the ministries they oversee, an update on the deacon terms and a Ministry Focus on the Care and Compassion Deacons.

There currently are 13 active deacons and 18 deacon roles. They are the six Care and Compassion Deacons: Linda Frank (chair), Bob Limoges, John Howe, Lee Jerr, Karen Lau, and one vacant role. The ministry deacons are Joel Anderson (Outreach), Cliff Pence (Worship), Kathryn Jancaus (Technical/AV), Andria Wilson (Food), Beth Bryan (Grounds), Laurence Claus (Finance), John Durham (Facilities), and Ken Bryan (Deacon Coordinator). The Website/Social Media deacon role is currently being managed by one of our pastoral interns, Sam Hardy. The Connection Deacon role is still vacant. The Elders have recently divided the Security Deacon Role into two deacon roles: the Security Planning Deacon and the Security Operations Deacon.

The Elders recently approved a new policy on terms for deacons. The initial term for all deacons is three years (except for the Finance Deacon). Thereafter, deacons can serve for up to three more one-year terms. After serving their term(s) they are required to take a rest from serving. If you sense God calling you to serve as a deacon in one of the vacant roles, please see an Elder, Pastor Tim, Pastor Sean or Ken Bryan.

The deacons have the following needs:

• Volunteers for the Food Ministry: typically, 9 -11:30 Saturday mornings picking up and then boxing up food for individual families.

• Volunteer needed to learn how to help take care of the grounds during the summer. This involves weeding, transplanting, trimming as needed. Happy to train.

• Volunteers needed for assisting AV Team in preparing for morning service. Training will be provided.

• Volunteers for Producer role in AV Team: Assists Sunday morning before worship (8:15 - 10) to help team double check that everything is ready, greets readers/pray-ers, reviews with team where people are to be and when. No experience necessary just an ability to help the team review and coordinate. Training will be provided.

Ministry Focus: Care and Compassion Deacons

The Care and Compassion Deacons have been in existence for quite some time. They are gifted by the Lord to serve the members of our congregation. They handle many of the individual/family needs in the congregation. Prayer requests submitted to the church are prayed for by the CC Deacons. In helping people, they provide practical care that includes food distribution, information on resources available for aid, rides, visitations, phone calls and cards. They manage the use of the Meet a Need Fund (immediate financial needs for essentials like food or rent), the Financial Freedom Fund (short term loans to assist people in regaining control of their finances), and the Barnabas Fund (to provide funds to single parents of minors who apply for the grants). If you have a need or want prayer please approach one of these caring deacons.

July 2021

Prayers Requested

As always and first and foremost, the deacons seek your prayers as a congregation:

• To have loving and compassionate hearts for those we serve

• To have wisdom in decisions they need to make

• To have faith to trust in the Lord to guide their ministry

• To walk faithfully, honoring the Lord with how they live their lives

• To be able to perform their duties in ways that bring glory to God

• For new deacons/interim leaders as they start their new role

• For new volunteers to serve faithfully

Areas of Need

Deacon needs include:

1. Volunteers needed for the following ministries:

a. Tech/AV services assisting with the audio/visual systems during worship

b. Musicians and singers to lead worship

c. Greeters for worship

d. Food Ministry: picking up, sorting and delivering food to those in need

If God is calling you to serve in one of these ministries or if you want more information, please

contact Dawn or Karen in the church office. They will notify the deacon leading the ministry

who will contact you.

2. New deacons are needed to lead the:

a. Web Site and Social Media Ministry: Oversee maintenance of our church website and dissemination of content on social media

b. Security Ministry: Oversee security during times of use of the building including the children’s ministry

c. Connections Ministry: Oversee the welcome teams and integrating guests and new attenders into the life of the church

Please pray God would draw someone qualified to be a deacon for these ministries.

Ministry Focus of the month: Food Ministry

The Food Ministry is led by interim leader Andria Wilson. Volunteers meet on Saturday

morning at Whole Foods on Willow Road to pick up food that is close to an expiration date. The

food is taken to North Sub and sorted into boxes for each family that has signed up for food. If

you would like to receive a box of food or you would like to volunteer, please contact Andria

Wilson at andria@carsonwilson.com.

Thank you for your prayers!