Lake Ridge Baptist Church, much like the ancient church discussed in ACTS Chapter 8, has a body of congregationally elected and pastorally ordained Deacons to support the ministry of the church by serving the church Pastor. LRBC Deacons are ordained to perform acts of service needed to help the congregation worship and grow spiritually and numerically, to minister to the needs of the people in the church, to meet needs we see within the church as they arise, to promote unity and the proper resolution of conflict within the body at LRBC, to teach and explain the meaning of the scriptures, to explain and proclaim the gospel message to individuals or groups when the ministers are not present, and to free up our ministerial staff from focusing on administrative and mechanical tasks, so they may fully concentrate on prayer and the ministry of the word.
As a group, the LRBC Deaconate seeks to meet the needs of church families through the Power of the Holy Spirit. We strive to ensure that everyone in our church family will have someone to turn to in their time of need or celebration. We want to promote improved communication and awareness, encourage others, develop relationships, and grow spiritually as individuals and as a church body. We want others to see the Spirit working through us by serving where we can, supporting Lake Ridge Baptist Church in all matters.
Deacons usually work behind the scenes, unlocking and locking the church on worship days and special events, assisting with baptism, meeting with first-time visitors and new members, and providing “routine” pastoral care through the Sunday School and Family flock ministries. Deacons strive to be alert and sensitive to needs as they arise, and fill them and/or communicate them to others who can fill the needs. Deacons serving the Lord’s Supper – in the church and in people’s homes when needed, participating in the worship service, leading prayer or proclaiming the gospel message as the designated Deacon of the Week, or serve in or support many other activities.
The Deacons who volunteer for this team work with and help lead the church’s prayer ministry and support the various prayer and outreach activities of the church. They are responsible for letting the deacon body know about any additional support required from the deacons, and also for providing deacons with information about the prayer/outreach ministries that should be passed on to Sunday School classes or Family Flocks.
New Member Ministry
The New Member Ministry Deacons visit each new member of the church (adult, youth, or child) and deliver packets of information to the member welcoming them to the church, discuss the various aspects of the church, and explain the many church ministries and opportunities for involvement in the church.
Youth Ministry Liaison
The Youth Ministry Liaison Deacons serve to support the Youth Department and are responsible for passing prayer requests and ministry needs back to the Deacon body. If the Youth Department needs extra support, these Deacons will help get support from within the deaconate or other areas of the church.
Baptism Ministry
The Baptism Ministry Deacon is responsible for coordinating with the church office to schedule baptisms, to make sure that deacons of the appropriate gender will be present to assist with baptisms, and takes care of filling and heating the baptistery prior to a baptism. Assigned Deacons provide prayer support to baptism candidates, help them change in and out of baptism robes, and launder robes after a baptism occurs.
Communion Ministry
The Communion Ministry Deacon Coordinator is responsible for organizing a team of Deacons to prepare for the Lord's Supper and support whatever format is planned by the Pastoral Staff. The Communion Ministry Deacon Coordinator schedules eight to nine deacons to serve the monthly Lord's Supper, depending on how the Pastoral Staff intends to observe the Lord's Supper. Preparation involves overseeing the set up for each service, which includes preparing the table with the filling and setting of the bread and drink trays before each service, as well as clean-up after each service.
Women's Ministry Liaison
The Women's Ministry Liaison Deacons serve to support the Women's Ministry and are responsible for sharing prayer requests and ministry needs with the deacon body. If the Women's Ministry needs extra support for an event or specific ministry need, these Deacons will help get support from within the deaconate or other areas of the church.
Family Flock Ministry
The Family Flock Ministry Deacons seek and maintain regular "outreach" contact with all LRBC members and regular attendees who are not enrolled in or who do not attend Sunday School. Family Flock Deacons try to maintain contact and develop a relationship with these congregants through monthly phone calls, emails, or letters in order to provide prayer support, see that ministry care needs are fulfilled, help congregants during times of crisis, and ensure that congregants are aware of important information and events in the life of the church.
The Acts 1:8 Council Liaison
The Acts 1:8 Council Liaison Deacons serve to support the missions ministry and are responsible for sharing prayer requests and ministry needs with the deacon body. If the Acts 1:8 Council needs extra support for an event or specific ministry need, these Deacons will help get support from within the deaconate or other areas of the church. These Deacons are not required to serve on missions, but may do so depending on how they are led.
Sunday School/Care Group Ministry
Each Sunday School Class or Sunday School Teachers Group is assigned a Deacon to serve the needs of the Sunday School Class. They work with the many Sunday School teachers and class care group leaders to make sure that all members of the class are being cared for and ministered to by the members of the class. Sunday School Class Deacons foster a relationship with a class (if they are not already part of that class), so that members will feel comfortable turning to the deacon for ministry support. If a need arises within a class that exceeds the class’s ability to care for, the class deacon is responsible for gathering additional ministry support from the deacons and the rest of the congregation. The Sunday School/Care Group Deacon Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the activities of the 13 to 15 Sunday School/Care Group deacons and also for overseeing the activities of the church-wide care group ministry.
Website last updated February 17, 2011
Lake Ridge Baptist Church 12450 Clipper Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192 703-494-8413
