Deacons' Corner - June 2026

 

You have to admit that Mother Nature has a sense of humor. I find her teasing us with the thought of Spring actually happening this year kind of comical.

Sometimes things that have always been a certain, predictable way can suddenly, and without warning, change their pattern and in the process, ours also! Almost makes you want to look up into the sky and shout, “C'mon!” even though you know that is nothing more than a futile exercise.

When things are out of our control, there are other options. We don't have to solve every problem. We just have to recognize it as a problem and rely on our faith and belief in God to figure out how to deal with it. Most times the best action is none; the recommended approach, patience!

Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher during the 6th century BC, wrote, “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished”. While we're waiting on her to sashay her way into full Spring, always remember that the Deacons are present and working on behalf of us all.

Our second Hawaiian shirt day fundraiser will be held on June 21. Proceeds will go to assist with transportation for young life campers to and from Saranac Lake. Camp will run from Jul 27 to Aug 1. Last year this event raised $851.

There was some talk among the Deacons about gathering a handful of Hawaiian shirts from thrift stores and such and offering those to folks who may want to participate but don't have a shirt. Your donation to the fundraiser will be considered your “rental” of the shirt. Sounds like a fun gimmick and a good way to accomplish our goal of helping our high schoolers. If you need any more information, you can contact Brooke Burnham at 802-342-6377 or the Church Office 518-638-8072.

We have a few recurring subjects on our monthly agenda that I try to touch on in each month's “Corner”. Two in particular are the Open Door Mission (and APC's volunteer participation there) and the “Coins for Care” collection Jar.

Since Open Door started their computerized volunteer process ,we have not been able to assess how well it works for our congregants. We would earnestly like to hear from you about your experience with the system in terms of accessing the site, ease of browsing to choose an area that you would like to assist in and any problem areas that present a concern for you. Because the Open Door system does not keep track of how many volunteers come from which Church or organization, we are also not able to see how many of our people are able to volunteer. You may contact a deacon by way of the church office or if you would rather you can text your feedback to me at 518-260-0157 and I will share it with the group. Thanks for your assistance!

And finally, my new monthly mantra is going to be “Feed the Jar”! I am of course referring to the large 5 gallon jug in McClean Hall that is slowly but steadily filling up with your donated spare change. It's quite amazing the modest yet substantial amount that accumulates over time, usually enough to help a brother or sister over a temporary dip in their road of life. I keep any change I accumulate for the week on my night stand until Sunday and am always surprised that I have a good sized hand full to Feed the Jar. Join me!

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

Tom Genovese, for the Deacons

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