The Heart of the Diaconate


Book Description

Through the three areas of calling, formation and ordination, and ministry, The Heart of the Diaconate outlines what those who are considering the diaconate must possess if it is truly going to be an effective and vibrant ministry within the church. With a focus on availability to both prayer and ministry, the future of the diaconate must be mystical, youthful, and possessing one evangelical question, "Where has the gospel yet to reach, and how may I announce it in those places?" +




A Deacon's Heart


Book Description

In volume offers insight and guidance regarding this new ministerial order both to those who are called into the diaconate, and those among whom they will minister. The book begins by locating the office of deacon within the larger United Methodist understanding the ministry of all God's people and of ordained ministers. Drawing on the stories of those whom God has called and ordained to the ministry of deacon, the authors portray the crucial link between the worship of the church and service to the world that is central to the office of deacon. The book concludes with answers to common questions asked by deacons and the churches in which their ministry takes place: Who pays for insurance? What about pensions? What responsibilities do deacons have to the congregations that hire them, and what to the conferences of which they are members?




Deacons


Book Description

How Can Deacons Mobilize Service in the Church? Deacons are essential to a church's health—yet confusion abounds regarding their biblical job description. What's their God-given role in a local congregation and how do they relate to the church's overall mission? In this short book, Matt Smethurst makes the case that deacons are model servants called to meet tangible needs, organize and mobilize acts of service, preserve the unity of the flock, and support the ministry of the elders. Clearing away common misconceptions, Smethurst offers practical guidance for deploying deacons and helping churches to flourish.




The Emerging Role of Deacons


Book Description

A summary of the biblical, historical, and practical role of deacons in the church.




A DEACON’S RETREAT


Book Description




Our Life of Service


Book Description

Winner of a 2022 Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing Award: Resources for Ministry (Third Place). Whether you are seasoned from years of ministry or are just getting started living out the vows you made at ordination, this essential handbook will provide the spiritual and practical support you need as a Catholic deacon in the Church today. In Our Life of Service, international speaker and bestselling author Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers will inspire and uplift you as he and his brother deacons—including Greg Kandra, Larry Oney, Dominic Cerrato, and Thomas J. Fox—share their testimonies and insights about how to serve God with determination, faith, and vision. Burke-Sivers explains the gift of the diaconate as a living image of Christ the Servant in the world, a source of comfort and hope at a time when both are in short supply. Burke-Sivers explores the daily realities of life to answer important questions about the diaconate such as: What does the Church teach about the purpose of this ministry both within the parish and the world? How are the three key responsibilities of teaching, sanctifying, and leading entrusted to a deacon at ordination practiced in daily life? How does his commitment to his wife help a married deacon balance his duties to his family and ministry? What are practical strategies and solutions for the challenges deacons face, especially when conflicts arise within ministry? Burke-Sivers also calls for younger, more diverse groups of men who reflect on the face of the Church to become permanent deacons in order to bridge the gap between the Church and the world and to reach the unchurched. Each chapter contains questions for reflection, action steps, and prayers to help deacons strengthen their own commitment to their calling. Drawing from the writings of St. John Paul II and other ecclesial writings about the purpose and gift of the permanent diaconate, Burke-Sivers educates and inspires us to more fully appreciate this gift and enriches and encourages those who have themselves answered this call. Written for deacons in active ministry, Our Life of Service is also inspiring reading for Catholics in the pew who are considering a call or who simply want to understand the purpose and gift of the permanent diaconate.




General Instruction of the Roman Missal


Book Description

From USCCB Publishing, this revision of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) seeks to promote more conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful in the mystery of the Eucharist. While the Missale Romanum contains the rite and prayers for Mass, the GIRM provides specific detail about each element of the Order of Mass as well as other information related to the Mass.




Every Man a Deacon


Book Description

With the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the 1970s, the ministry has grown in dioceses across the United States and Canada. Nevertheless, many parishes, especially the small or rural, have yet to see a deacon ministering within their territories. Does the ministry of deacon make him a "mini-priest"? Or is he a lay minister of special distinction? Deacon Rex addresses these last two questions while building understanding of the ministry of deacon in such a way that, with (1) the approval of his pastor and (2), if married, his wife, each man can decide to make the first step, contacting the deacon formation director in his diocese.




Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons


Book Description

From the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy.




Daily Devotions for Deacons


Book Description

Inspired, well-trained, and spiritually mature deacons can be a mighty force for the church, and local American churches need their servants to excel in their ministry and service to the Body of Christ now more than ever. Most pastors and deacons in America are sincere in their desire to serve, but many do not receive enough advanced orientation, and even more receive no ongoing training at all. This lack can create much frustration and may even overwhelm deacons and their families as they try to manage the minefields of ministry. Daily Devotions for Deacons, by Russell R. Cook, guides deacons in daily preparation for their enormous and invaluable task and inspires them to become all Christ means for them to be. This guide for deacons offers a year of brief yet deeply spiritual and relevant biblical devotions. For a few moments a day, five days a week, all who desire to live as fully devoted followers of Christ will benefit from Cooks years of teaching and training pastors and deacons across America. By learning the principles and qualities necessary for a strong, effective ministry, and by applying these same qualities of service in everyday life, we begin to fulfill our God-given role and draw ever closer to His presence and His truth.